Run It Fast®

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Rocket City Marathon that took place on December 8, 2012 in Huntsville, Alabama.

Great medal from a really good and fast marathon that the great Dink Taylor and his wife put on each year.

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[Marathon medal photo submitted by RIF #187 Daniel Escue who is now a marathoner after Rocket City. Congrats!!!]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon that took place on December 8, 2012 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

This medal is very refreshing and unlike most we’ve seen this year.  Congrats to those who put this one together for doing something unique and classy.

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[Marathon medal photo submitted by RIF #29 Winston Trice.]

Here are the finisher medals from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & Half Marathon (below) that took place on December 2, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Solid medal from the Rock ‘n’ Roll series that is a bit similar to last year’s version.

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[Marathon medal photo submitted by RIF #1 Joshua Holmes – Follow him on Twitter @bayou. Half Marathon medal photo submitted by Chris McCartney – Follow him on Twitter @mccartneycl12]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Death Valley Trail Marathon that took place on December 1, 2012 in Death Valley, California.

A rather boring and simple medal, like all of the Enviro Sports events, but a spectacular and beautiful race.

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #1 Joshua Holmes – Follow him on Twitter @bayou]

Malibu International Marathon – (Nov 11, 2012)

Malibu, California – MIM was my second marathon in my back to back marathon weekend. I was tired and my body was thrashed from the day before at the Catalina Eco Marathon (race report) where the big hills and drops had done a number on my legs.  The progress my left knee, which had been recovering from a torn meniscus, took several backwards the day before on the island.

Run It Fast member Lisa Gonzales (RIF #5) picked me up early at my house to make the hourish drive over to Malibu where we parked near the finish line at Zuma Beach. From there you hop a bus for about an hour to where the race starts inland.  Before the race I ran into Deo Jaravata, Nadia Ruiz Gonzales, and Yolanda Holder from the day before along with Maniac Rocky Morales and several other running friends.

I hate to complain or knock marathons, and this will be my only complaint about the Malibu Marathon, but the race was supposed to start at 8am and we didn’t end up starting til 8:30am because the RD’s made everyone wait for someone to arrive at the starting line for the race.  A delay of that length can throw off many runner’s nutrition, race plan, etc.  This race is big enough that it should have started on time.

Everyone shivered and waited hurdled together for the race to finally start and it finally did.

The first 10 miles take you from inland, through several turns around farmland, until you reach the Pacific Ocean at about mile 10. I struggled for those ten miles leading to up to the water. I was slugglish, tired, and my knee and feet were hurting from the day before at Catalina. But getting to where the water started was good mentally as nature’s beautiful scenery started to unfold in front of me with majestic mountains and hillside to my left and the endless ocean and beaches to my right. Somewhere around mile 15 a fellow runner pointed out dolphins jumping in the water to me.  It was a truly wonderful site to witness during the middle of a marathon.

I had good and bad stretches over the last 16 miles of this race. I became stronger on the uphills as there were several long uphills as the race got closer to the finish. I was able to keep running up them and past many other runners as they walked and fatigued. I’d then float and speed down the downhills and straightaways as I started to count all the targets I was knocking off. I met a sweet woman over the past 3 miles that pushed me as I pushed her as we were eager to get to the finish and put this one in our race journals.

The medal was great and instead of a finisher’s tech tee like at most races they gave everyone a Malibu International Marathon beach towel which was a nice touch. The finish area had two food trucks and a live band as runners relaxed on the beach, in the water, and at the finish to watch the remaining runners came in.

I waited for Lisa to come in (that’s Deo above not Lisa) and she did with a smile as she had hit her pre-race target. We ate some food from one of the food trucks and then made the trek back home.  I’m thankful for Lisa picking me up and dropping me off for this race. It wasn’t necessary on her part, but it made it easier on me having run and traveled to Catalina to race the day before.

• Medal: 8.5/10 (see here)
• Course: 7/10 (last 16 miles 9.5)
• Scenery: 8/10
• Support: 8/10
• Crowds: 5/10
• Price: 7/10
• OVERALL: 7.5/10

A beautiful race in one of the most beautiful places in the United States.

– Joshua Holmes (RIF #1)

You can follow Joshua on Twitter @bayou

Catalina Island Eco Marathon – (Nov 10, 2012)

Catalina Island, California  – This was one of the most beautiful and challenging marathons I’ve done to date. It’s a bit of a hassle to get to as you have to take a hour long boat ride to get over to the island, but it’s well worth it. Enjoyed meeting Aaron Nowlin on the boat ride and discussing his upcoming 50-Miler. I also enjoyed meeting fellow Run It Fast member Nadia Ruiz Gonzales (RIF #69) before and after the race, Guinness record holder Yolanda Holder, and Maniac Deo Jaravata as well.

The race started with a 1,500 ft climb within the first 3 miles of the race that drained the hammys for the rest of the day. Once ‘atop’ Catalina the view continued to impress more and more as you could see almost the entire island at once.  It was very windy in parts with 40 mph side-ways gusts, but I kind of like that type of extra added challenge that helps separate the field from one another.

I struggled at different points during the day as I felt a bit out of shape from not training much in the past three weeks since the Javelina Jundred. I did have some good stretches at different points though.

Different parts of the race included almost every type of trail imaginable which helped to battle the mental fatigue that can sometimes come from seeing the same thing over and over.  Catalina had some really great running from mile 10 to 19 but then, oh then, mile 19…the Catalina Crush!  The Crush was a straight climb/walk/crawl to heaven as the back of my legs and back ached and caused me to stop and let the throbbing relax before continuing my slow crawl to the top and to the rest of the marathon.

The last 3 miles of the marathon are a twisting trail dump back down 1,500 feet with the last 1.5 miles of those 3 being on asphalt as you re-enter the small town to finish right in front of the beachfront.

This race is not easy and not for everyone based on degree of difficulty but you won’t find a more beautiful trail marathon anywhere.

• Medal: 9/10 (see here)
• Course: 9/10
• Scenery: 10/10
• Support: 7/10
• Crowds: 1/10 (would ruin it anyway)
• Price: 5/10
• OVERALL: 9.5/10

It’s not in the small print but it’s going to cost you a $79 boat ticket to get to and from the island.

– Joshua Holmes (RIF #1)

You can follow Joshua on Twitter @bayou

Catalina Island Eco Marathon Medal (2012)

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Marathon Ayrton Senna Racing Day that took place at the Interlagos race track in São Paulo – Brazil.

Some international bling to help motivate you to dust off your passport.

[medal photo submitted by Vinícius Nunes.]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the St. Jude Memphis Marathon that took place on December 1, 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee.

The St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon finisher’s medal is pictures below (click to enlarge).

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #191 Kristy who finished her first marathon at St. Jude. Congrats!!  Follow her on Twitter @KRISTY_RUNS The Half Marathon medal is submitted by RIF #166 Nathan Judd. Follow him on Twitter @Beukdeup]

This is the medal for the Space Coast Marathon that was held on November 25, 2012 in Cocoa, Florida.

Awesome medal! Love the shuttle and the stars and the planets. Shiny bling well worth a marathon effort!

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #156 Susanne McDowell]

This is the medal for the Standard Chartered Bangkok Half Marathon that was held on November 18, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Here is another view of the marathon medal:

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[medal photos submitted by Natalia Tanyadji – follow her on Twitter @nataliatanyadji and by Vincent Morand – follow him on Twitter @vincent_morand]