Capital City Marathon Race Report by Bob Dolphin
May 15, 2011
On Sunday, May 15, 2011, the Capital City Marathon at Olympia, Washington, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a lot of enthusiasm. All marathon entrants were given a polyester jacket that had three zippered pockets. On the front was an embroidered running figure with the wording of “30 Years 1981-2011, Capital City Marathon, May 15, 2011, Olympia, WA.” The same design was also used on a tote bag that was given to the runners.
Because I had run 26 of the 29 Capital City Marathons continuously since 1985, this occasion meant a lot to me. Shortly after I moved to Yakima from Nevada, Iowa, this race was one of my first Northwest marathons.
The day before the marathon Lenore and I went to packet pickup at the Sylvester Park Race Headquarters. It’s located at the start/finish lines and across the street from the Governor Hotel where we stayed for two nights.
At the park we met with Denny Brooks of www.ontherunevents.com who has been the webmaster for our Yakima River Canyon Marathon website for eleven years. We gave him the updates for our March 31, 2012, event, and then we visited with running friends Jim Scheer, Patrick & Unha Lee, Diana “Slug” Robinson and others.
We enjoyed our traditional carbo-loading meal that evening at a nearby Olive Garden with our “adopted” grandson Michael Dutton and others. The Capital City Marathon 16 years ago had been Michael’s first marathon, and he and I looked forward to the next day’s race for his 17th consecutive Capital City Marathon and my 27th.
The next morning I had breakfast at the hotel and visited briefly with long-time friend Bill Torsen before crossing the park to the starting line. At 7:00 a.m. about 360 runners began the race in a steady rain that lasted until mid-afternoon. The air temperature that started at 43 degrees rose to 53 degrees as time passed.
May 15, 2011
On Sunday, May 15, 2011, the Capital City Marathon at Olympia, Washington, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a lot of enthusiasm. All marathon entrants were given a polyester jacket that had three zippered pockets. On the front was an embroidered running figure with the wording of “30 Years 1981-2011, Capital City Marathon, May 15, 2011, Olympia, WA.” The same design was also used on a tote bag that was given to the runners.
Because I had run 26 of the 29 Capital City Marathons continuously since 1985, this occasion meant a lot to me. Shortly after I moved to Yakima from Nevada, Iowa, this race was one of my first Northwest marathons.
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At the park we met with Denny Brooks of www.ontherunevents.com who has been the webmaster for our Yakima River Canyon Marathon website for eleven years. We gave him the updates for our March 31, 2012, event, and then we visited with running friends Jim Scheer, Patrick & Unha Lee, Diana “Slug” Robinson and others.
We enjoyed our traditional carbo-loading meal that evening at a nearby Olive Garden with our “adopted” grandson Michael Dutton and others. The Capital City Marathon 16 years ago had been Michael’s first marathon, and he and I looked forward to the next day’s race for his 17th consecutive Capital City Marathon and my 27th.
The next morning I had breakfast at the hotel and visited briefly with long-time friend Bill Torsen before crossing the park to the starting line. At 7:00 a.m. about 360 runners began the race in a steady rain that lasted until mid-afternoon. The air temperature that started at 43 degrees rose to 53 degrees as time passed.
