Devotees will already know that I didn’t run the full marathon, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a race report - it’s just that this time it’s from the spectator’s point of view.  Many of my ROTE pals were running it, some attempting their first marathon while others went for the Goofy.  While the snow/rain/sleet did make its way out of the Orlando area before the marathon, the temperature dropped even more and a stiff wind came in its place.  When I got up at 5:30 on Sunday morning, The Weather Channel said it was 27 degrees - “feels like 17.”  Brrr...

I bundled in as many layers as I could scrounge up (none of my coats will button across my pregnant belly these days) and arrived at the Transportation & Ticket Center around 7:30, just after sunrise, with a giant ROTE sign.  Just after arriving, I noticed a gigantic patch of ice that extended across about two-thirds of the roadway.  Yeah - if there was any doubt left in my mind that attempting the full would be a bad idea, that pretty much settled it.  I yelled at every ROTEr that I saw, whether I knew their name or not, as I waited for Katie and Margaret.  After about an hour, I spotted them, along with Jen and Annette, and snapped off a quick photo.  I then grabbed my sign and walked over to the Polynesian so I could catch them on the back side of the Magic Kingdom at around the 12.5 mile point.  They were still looking strong!

Knowing there was no other good place to see them that would also allow me to make it back to the finish on time, I killed some time by going to Mass, filling up my car with gas, and making a quick stop at Downtown Disney.  Unsure of what traffic would be like getting into the finish area parking lot, I headed back to Epcot with a good deal of time to spare.

I managed to squeeze (with my sign, of course) into a little gap by the fence (OK, there actually wasn’t a gap there - I just asked a girl with a friendly face if she would let me in) and started watching for ROTE runners to come through.  As I studied the faces of all of the participants as they made the final turn toward the finish, I saw jubilation and determination.  These were the people who were finishing in six hours, give or take, and while I know many of them were probably hurting, most of them looked elated.

As I continued to search for the telltale red hats, I noticed something.  The longer I stood there, the later it became, and the longer the runners had been on the course.  The percentage of runners I would have described as “hurting” grew, and the percentage of runners I would have described as “jubilant” shrunk.  Seven hours is a REALLY long time to be on the marathon course, and I could see it on the faces of the finishers.  The later it got, the thinner the crowd of spectators became and the harder it was to find runners who looked like they were happy and not hurting.  I was very relieved to see that although they came in around the seven-hour mark, Katie, Margaret, and Jen had that “happy” look on their faces as they finished.

I walked around to the finisher area to give my friends the one thing I thought they might want - chocolate milk for Katie and Margaret, and strawberry milk for Jen.  We milled around for just a bit and then headed out.  As I walked back to my car, I had to go back past the finish line.  The official clock read 7:40 by that time and there were almost no spectators left, but a few dedicated marathoners were continuing to straggle in.  It was simultaneously inspiring and heartbreaking to witness.

I know there are runners out there who look down on those who finish at the back of the pack.  I will be gracious and assume that people who feel that way have never witnessed or experienced the back of the pack before - it is a brutal place to be, and I have nothing but respect for those back-of-the-packers.

One of my favorite running quotes is by the late Steve Prefontaine:  “A lot of people run to see who’s the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.” 

I say it takes real guts to finish at the back of the pack.  Congratulations to all WDW marathoners - and a special nod goes to all of you who finished at the back.