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Atlantic City Marathon 2019

Posted on October 28, 2019

19-OCT-2019
Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
State #46, Round 3
Strava Link
Garmin Link

After beating a hasty retreat from Baltimore we headed directly (reads: unshowered and filthy) to packet pickup for the Atlantic City Marathon. There I was incensed again because I somehow forgot that Atlantic City has gone the way of Vegas in charging people for parking at casinos. If you can’t make money at running a casino, you are an idiot. It’s basic mathematics. The house always wins, where they don’t win (see poker) they get their beak wet holding the money. There’s no need to nickel and dime people for parking. Soapbox over.

Anyway at the expo we picked up our kit and did a quick lap to see if there were any interesting vendors, and I see some a-hole selling IV fluids for after the race. Warning: another soap box. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017 it decimated many industries. Drug manufacturing in the United States is heavily concentrated in Puerto Rico (Fun fact: more American drugs are made in Puerto Rico by dollar value than any American state.) Anyway the shortages mean wasting IV bags on perfectly healthy people who are capable of running a marathon or a half marathon, and who are capable of pouring water into their freakin’ gobs like they did for the last 3+ hours is wasteful, particularly when you think that people with actual medical conditions may not receive treatment they NEED. End last Soapbox. Takeaway: don’t take IV fluids if you don’t need them.

So back to the hotel to shower and meet up with Joe and his lovely wive Yvonne, who I met at White Continent for dinner. We traded stories and had a nice dinner before heading to bed. This race had us starting at the same time, so Amy and I entered the corrals together as I chatted up a number of other amigos at the race. Nancy, a fellow Floridian, and her lovely wife. JC, Joe and Yvonne, Andy, and a few of the usual suspects.

The race started and the first 6 miles start on the boardwalk but take you off immediately in favor of flyovers and underpasses. Not a great part of the course, but I was able to say hello to Corey, and Ed. I was trying to catch Andy, but I that was foolhardy. I fell back further and further as my legs felt like wood.

When we rejoined the boardwalk I overheard some conversation and intruded only to realize it was my old buddy Rich, who I had met at the Miami Marathon some years, back. I managed to hold on to his pace until almost 17 as we ran the boardwalk, and up the city, past Lucy, and when we reached a turnaround and the bottom officially dropped out for me as we went from light rain to a downpour. I bumped along for 4-5 miles at a snails pace feeling kind of bad for myself, until I met Kate from Boston, with whom I talked for the last 5 miles and we distracted one another all the way to the finish. I continue to be impressed by the people I meet at these things. Like they say: If you’re ever losing faith in humanity, go out and watch a marathon. You’ll get so bored you’ll forget your issues with humanity.

Usually Atlantic City is quite windy, this year at least there was a reprieve from the gusts down the wind tunnel that forms much of the later miles of the race, but I continue to think there are better races in NJ (perhaps the one in Long Branch). I’ll keep investigating, but this one happened to work with the schedule so nicely.

Derek is a coverboy.
Just say NO, until the shortages are over, please.
ridiculous “family style” portions at dinner. Not our food.
Nancy at the start
Runners starting out on the boardwalk.
Titanium Maniac Corey going strong
It’s October, so you’d expect some skullers. *rimshot*
It’s not New Jersey without the bridge and tunnel crowd.
Ed was working the Baltimore/AC double as wel
Predictable joke, check.
cute puppy.
She’s 8. Yeah. We’re all slugs.
These musicians are always here
One of the few things in AC that Trump built that didn’t go bust.
Free Parking. Fun fact: The Monopoly properties are all named after AC venues.
Morning glory
Lighting isn’t that great, but Richard, runnin’ marathons and savin’ animals.
Lucy the elephant. strangely female, but with tusks (only male elephants have tusks) Maybe she’s trans? Lucy, what are your pronouns?
And I thought I was the only one who was dead.
Andy killing it in his latest runway fashion, the clear poncho.
Amy was also doubling with Baltimore.
Nancy on the out and back
Amy and I showered at a gym on the way out of town, and found a bakery with several animal statues.
Race shirt, the marathon has a hood, and the half does not. Also, obviously 26.2 is 13.1
The bib
interior of the hoodie is kind of cool. Don’t mind the weirdo in the picture.

2 thoughts on “Atlantic City Marathon 2019”

  1. NANCY WENTINK says:
    October 29, 2019 at 20:41

    Thank you for a great recap. It felt like I was there. Oh yes, I must have been… since there are pictures. The rain wasn’t the best but finishing another state beats the alternative. Congrats and continued safe running to you. Always a pleasure to see you on the roads and read your blog. NW

    Reply
  2. Rick Albanese says:
    October 31, 2019 at 13:24

    It was beyond great seeing you so unexpectedly Seth! I had been looking for you the day before in Delaware as we talked about. Those 10 miles were great catch up time and mostly flew by for me thanks to you. Great catching you at the finish also and sorry you had to hit the road. Also loved the spectator at mile 9ish telling us not to talk so much as we would need our lungs to finish the race later!!!! Hope to See you at JFK in a couple weeks!

    Reply

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