I did two volunteer jobs for this year Chicago Marathon. This is the first time, I do volunteer for them. Meng-shin and I were folding t-shirts given to runners at the Expo last Friday, three days after our Cleveland & Cuyahoga trip. We worked hard, and each got a t-shirt as our token of the hard work. Today, I did another volunteer at the race start. It was fun.
Note and reflections:
From a letter---
Today event was great! I am very glad that I did volunteer. Originally signing up as a Carrol Staff, I was reassigned to be an Info Ambassador. It was totally fun answering questions people asked. Besides questions of "where is Gear Check? and Where is this blah blah booth?", I was asked several funny questions such as "what will be my wife's time today?, Has the race already started?, how much does it cost to get up to Sears Tower?" Hehehe... there are some more.
This morning, I left home around 4:10 and got there at 4:45 in time for volunteer checking-in. I was doing the job for around 4 hours before released.
Food provided at the volunteer tent was not good at all....only bananas and drinks... bad... Luckily, I brought my noodle. Yummy, I was eating it at the finish line waiting for the first wheelchair and runner finishers. The first and the second men runner places were very very close. The Kenyan guy won over the Moroccan just a chest split. For the last 300 meters, the Moroccan guy was leading a bit, but the Kenyan was pushing for the victory at the last 30 or 50 meters. It was so great, but on one broke the world or Chicago records because it was so darn hot.
After that I tried to find Josh, Kevin and Ben. Very very lucky me, I found them--just only Josh and Ben, who were running together. Kevin was lagging behind, but I could not find him even I was waiting quite sometime (because I did not know his pace; I checked Josh's pace before I was out to find them). I followed Josh and Ben along from their 17.5 mile to 24 mile, cheering all runners. People were lining up both sides of street to support them with music and such (Of course, I joined them). They running through China town gate with greeting from two pink dancing lions. I last saw Josh at Ben around 24 mile post. Though, I did not see them at the finish line because I did not want to waging through the crowd, and I went to Nike to swipe the card but got nothing. Swimming in the ocean of people on the way back, I bumped into Jake, who was looking for his (girl) friend, Kim. He said that he had been following her around to support her as well. After a chit-chat, I told him that I needed to go back home since I had been out for almost 10 hours.
Pedaling against the wind, I arrived home around 2:30, taking a shower and about to lay down now. I wished that you could be here to enjoy the fun. Well, maybe it was only fun for me, judging from the heat (Jake said that a helicopter was flying around saying that the race was canceled due to the heat; but people were still pushing their effort for the 26.2 mile). Great runners!
I hope that I will run a Marathon soon....
A man was pronounced that afternoon following his collapse during his race. This was sad. The failure of this event was blamed to the organizer.
Bananas are waiting for the finishers...
The first two finishers!
Very hot!! The firetruck spraying over the runners to cool them down.Most of the runners were turned at the half way mile (in downtown) at around 11 0'clock to prevent them from the heat sickness.
Most of them are walking at this points.Sponges soaked with water littered around the water posts.
Bin and Josh at their 24 mile; still running and in a good spirit.
Self-portrait near the finish lineI am in my volunteer uniform.
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