My first marathon of the fall season was finally here. This one was kind of wierd because I wasn't running it with the group I usually run with. I registered on a whim after I had a good 20 mile training run. But there were some other people I know and we ran together and had a fun time, not during the marathon, but before and after. The marathon was HOT, HOT, HOT. They need to move the start time earlier, 8:00 is too late for this time of year. We ran in 80 degree shadeless, cloudless heat for 2 hours of the race. Ugh! I was the dizziest I had ever been at a marathon and I was well hydrated. I think it was the heat. I am very glad that I did the race though, I really enjoyed the thrill of running through three states and the medal is really pretty, the "66" spins and it was an inaugural marathon. The race goes through small towns, It started in Commerce, OK, goes thru Quapaw, OK, Baxter Springs, KS, Riverton, KS, Galena, KS and finishes in Joplin, MO. It does have a long hill at 18.5 and hills continue until almost the end of the marathon. Considering all the small towns you run thru, the crowd support is excellent and the aid stations are well-placed. The expo was nothing but registration items which we thought was really funny because they kept posting on their website that only cash would be accepted at the expo but there was nothing to buy anyway!
