Starting the Season Strong: Surf City Marathon
A few years ago at the LA Marathon, a spectator held up a sign that read, “If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.” This quote by the famous marathoner Kathrine Switzer has stuck with me ever since.
The idea behind it is that marathons (and endurance events in general) are times when we all seem to be at our best. That feeling was palpable on Sunday as our Irvine, CA-based triathlon club had our first team race of the year, the Surf City Marathon. What an awesome experience.
We had more than a dozen athletes participating and a wonderful crew of spectators from the team in support. As I reflect on the day, there was a festive, high-energy mood from the get-go. A group of us arrived at the crack of 5:30 am, to set up our new team tent for our marathoner, Sean, who would start his race an hour later. When we arrived, one of the team directors, Vinh, had already assembled the tent with the help of some friendly strangers eager to lend a hand.
As Sean was in the final stages of preparing for his race, it was fun to watch as other members of our team arrived to offer smiles, words of encouragement, and assurance that he was not taking on this race alone. One of the unexpected benefits of being on a triathlon team like ours is the sense of community and camaraderie we share, which enriches the experience for both athletes and spectators alike.
Our largest contingent took on the 13.1-mile distance. How fun it was to see fellow competitors on the team as we covered the two out-and-back sections. It is amazing how much of a lift you can get by seeing a friendly face from the team out on the course. Naturally, our teammates who braved the early morning and crowds to support the athletes were absolutely wonderful. Seeing them and hearing their cheers definitely provided extra energy to power us to the finish line.
With the SoCal Triathlon team roster now at over 60 athletes, we have athletes at all stages of their athletic careers: from rookies just out of college getting their first taste of triathlon to athletes who compete at the world championship level. On the day, we had two podium finishes: Andi in the 5K and Mark in the half marathon. The genuine interest these more “elite” athletes had in the races and results of the rest of us really speaks to the supportive culture of our team.
It was fun to kick back after the race at the Huntington Beach House for some chow and libations along with a lot of high-energy discussion about how the race had played out.
What a great way to kick off the racing season. The race schedule on our website continues to build with all kinds of events including sprint, Olympic, 100K, 70.3, and 140.6 triathlons; 5Ks, half marathons, marathons, and ultra marathons. Based on our experience at Surf City this past weekend, it should be a great year!
~ Mitch
