Saturday I had the opportunity to serve as a volunteer at the mile 13 aid station for the 10th annual Top of Utah Marathon. This year over 2,100 runners registered for the event, and over 1,700 finished, ranging in age from 14 to 77! The 26.2 mile race is a great opportunity to test your physical and mental toughness, join hundreds of volunteers in service, or just watch and cheer on all of the participants along the way. over the 10 year history of the TOU, I have completed it twice, and volunteered for it twice. Helping at an aid station is the next best thing to running in it, as you get to help out and encourage all of the participants up close and personal! I think, however, that I may consider actually running it again next year :-) My day started when the alarm went off at 04:30 so I could get the papers delivered in time. Then I headed toward Blacksmith Fork Canyon. The two lane highway was scheduled to close to motor vehicle traffic at 6 am in preparation for the race.
This aid station is staffed by Skyview High School volunteers. There are a couple of teachers in our ward, so it is usually a mix of teachers & families and 13th ward members. There was also a first aid station, a ham radio communication station, the timing chip reader,
and the very popular porta-potties (personalized?)
It was a beautiful morning for a race - cool, but not too cold, with a slight tailwind coming down the canyon. The second half of the race winds through various valley communities, ending at a local park. Cloud cover and a few sprinkles of rain here and there helped keep temperatures from warming up too much at the finish area.
Participants began arriving at the start area by 6 am in the pre-dawn light via school shuttle-buses. The wheelchair division began at 6:55 am, and the runners were off by 7 am at the sound of a black powder muzzle-loader.
By this time we were setting up tables and preparing countless cups of water, gatorade,
sliced fruit,
and donuts?
Back at the finish area, the 5K race began at 7:30 am. Keri, Landon, Kim, Kristi, Amie, Justin, and Annie all participated in the "fun run".
Does it look like they had fun?!
The first wheelchair participants flew past mile 13 shortly after 7:30 am. The lead runner, Ezekiel Ruto, came through our station at about 1:09 into the race - that is a sub 5:30 average per mile time! He went on to win the race with a time of 2:22:57!
After the first "wave" of serious runners...
going for "PR" times had passed through,
we noticed that the runners were smiling more, more relaxed and conversational,
often expressing gratitude for our help.
A celebrity "candidate" even stopped by to lighten things up...
by handing out some "Obama-Ade!"
As the runners became fewer and farther between,
some appeared to be in pain, many walking, and a few just stopped to contemplate if half of a marathon was enough for them.
After the last participant was accounted for, we cleaned up the station and started down the canyon.
I then went to the finish area
to take in some of the post-race festivities and spirit.
There can only be one overall champion, but in my book, everyone who participated - even the DNF'ers, are all winners!
It was a beautiful, sunny day - with a temperature of about 75 degrees and a nice wind out of the SW at about 14-16.
A hint of fall was in the air, as some of the trees in Wellsville Canyon (over the backside) were just starting to change color.
so I just pointed toward Mt. Pisgah (AKA "Piskey") - which was about the half-way point to Cody's house. I arrived level with the top of Piskey, and started working the face in earnest. As I climbed over the top I could see the glide to Cody's house, but I knew I would need to get higher or find some lift along the way - or be forced to land in some less-than-friendly terrain.
I listened on the radio as, one by one, Greg, Bruce and Cody all landed at goal, and then encouraged me to "hang in there" and keep tryin' to make it too. After getting thrashed about for nearly an hour by some nasty thermals which never took me more than a couple hundred over Piskey, I finally said "uncle" and headed north to Dry Lake. I reluctantly came in for a landing on the east side of the highway, where Randy picked me up and we were off to the evening festivities. As we drove to Cody's, I began to second-guess my flying decisions, thinking that maybe I should have just gone for it anyway, even if I wasn't that high, and I "probably" would have made it. But, by the time we reunited with pilots & families, I had accepted the fact that my conservative flying choice to not go for it was just fine, and was, in fact very respectful to my family - after all, I am the pilot of my own ship! I am still getting familiar with my new glider, and am happy to live another day for many more flights to come!
The dinner was very nice - great food, along with families and friends. The ladies didn't tolerate too much hang gliding talk, and soon gravitated to their own table to discuss "more important" topics, I'm certain :-)
The kids were entertained with two rocket launches, and some fun go-kart rides!
We even found time for some friendly horseshoe competition - as Bruce and Greg are still comparing GPS flight logs! (Click Here to read Bruce's 'blog: 
Thanks for the great afternoon of flyin' and the enjoyable evening. I can't wait until next year's fly-in!
