A hot and humid day at the Palm Beaches Marathon in Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. My fifth Florida marathon this year. A flat, flat, flat course along the intercoastal waterway. A multi-tenant structure fire/explosion was the big surprise of the day. Maniac ambassador Heather Schry was along the course to provide refreshment. At 18 I met a first timer that needed a bit of encouragement. I helped out until about 22 when her boyfriend showed and it felt awkward. Fun fact: Like much of South Florida, Palm Beach grew significantly as a result of the construction of the Florida East Coast railroad by Henry Flagler was convinced to bring his railroad and hotels to South Florida by Julia Tuttle and William Brickell after an 1894 freeze. A likely apocryphal story goes that Tuttle sent Flagler an orange blossom to his Saint Augustine home with a note reading “Mister Flagler, how does your garden grow?”
