#34-The Sun-The Hogeye Marathon-Springdale, AR

           The Hogeye Marathon-Springdale, Arkansas

 

It was a long drive down to northwest Arkansas from Mpls. We did it in one full day of driving, through the fallow fields of Iowa and Missouri. Leaving before 8 am and arriving 11 hours later with 5 minutes to spare before the end of packet pick up. The Hogeye Marathon is a big deal in this town of Springdale where Tyson has its world headquarters. It has taken place since 1977.

Coming from the cold northern climate, the beauty of spring had arrived in Springdale, Arkansas and it was a welcome sight. The morning low was below 30 degrees and for residents of the area it felt very chilly. I knew that it was prefect running weather. The sky was pastel and I knew the sun would be out. It was a good day to have a good day (running).

The course was a tour around the city of Springdale through neighborhoods and all around town. The volunteers were spectacular each greeting us with a huge smile on their face. By mile 17 I realized that I was running with the Sun archetype and had been all day. Their faces beamed and brought a smile to my face and the yellow blooms of daffodils and forsythia put a spring in my step.

The warmth, joy, vitality and positivity of this town I knew nothing about really came out for the marathon. It was a bright day, indeed. My pace was steady as I made my way around. We ran past cows and through the minor league baseball stadium. It was fun to plop down into the typical Saturday morning of a southern town and feel a part of the action.

I had a little more than expected at the end and gave the last quarter mile a sprint finish. State #19 and marathon #34 was complete!