Aloha,
5 weeks until the "unofficial" Laie marathon!
We've got the T-shirt design almost done, and I've got the route pretty much nailed down. We'll start and end at the Laie North Stake Center, right by the temple, and have the post-race party and stuff at Laie Park. I figured it would be good to have the start and finish by some bathrooms. Everything will work out OK, unless there's a funeral that day--then we'll figure something else out.
A few things:
-We'll need volunteers. Please ask your friends and family to help out. We'll coordinate that as it gets closer, but it's never to early to start asking. We'll have some volunteers at the turn-around spot, and perhaps a few stations along the way, and for sure at the start and finish.
-I'll send out a map in the next little while of the course--basically from Laie to Waimea Bay and back. The map will show bathrooms and drinking fountains. Since this is an unofficial marathon, we'll want to use what's publicly available as much as we can. If you have a chance, you'll want to run different parts of the course, just to get an idea of what to expect. That's especially true if you've never run along the Sunset Beach bike path to Waimea Bay. There's a part past the Pupukea stoplight where you have to run right on the road, so be careful there.
-Spread the word. Many people already know. Some people want to do just a half marathon, which is totally cool. They can either start with the main pack and run to Waimea (and have their own transportation back), or drive to Waimea and run back to the finish. No problem!
-We're almost ready to start taking orders for T-shirts. It'll be at cost--no one's making money off this--so saving a few pennies now will probably cover it.
-Remember, this is an unofficial race. That means you'll want to support yourself as much as you can. Don't think there will be a licensed nurse at every spot along the course. Don't expect a full buffet at every aid station. Don't expect free bananas and bagels at the finish. HOWEVER, the more volunteers we have, and the more we all pitch in, the more fun we'll have. If everyone brings a few volunteers, a few extra goodies to share, and a great attitude, we'll end up having a blast.
-I'm hoping we can all have a big, easy, fun potluck at the finish line. That's where families and friends can meet us all, we can have the grills going, and share some food and laughs.
-Also, we'll do some drop bags along the course. That means you put everything you'll need at the turnaround point (fresh socks, Vaseline, new batteries for the iPod, a baked potato, or whatever) into a bag with your name on it. We'll have someone drive the bags out along the course (probably at miles 7, 13, and 19) and drop them off. When you get to that spot, you look for your bag for what you need.
And there we have it. Feel free to pass this along to anyone you'd like. I want to start getting a list of participants, so if you're planning running or volunteering, please email me at itcouldbekevin@gmail.com:
-Your name
-What you'll be doing (running full marathon, half, or volunteering)
-What you might be willing to donate (some bananas, a water cooler, etc)
See you at 5:30 am Saturday, Dec. 11!
