Missoula Marathon / Half Marathon - Delightful Community particpation and support!

Huge thanks to Sweet Pea for posting these pictures and taking many of them.

Great finisher's medals with double silk ribbons

Even the flowers were great for marathon weekend.

Hundreds of school children, ages 5-13, ran their final mile of a 26.2 mile year-long project, running a mile at a time throughout the year. With unmatched enthusiasm, some appeared to be as young as 5 years old.

Weather was just right for the outdoor expo, too. . . . .


. . . .And the Farmer's Market. Attractive organic berries and vegetables were offered.

One of Missoula's many parks, well-used on Saturday afternoon. . . .
(All pictures here can be enlarged with a click.)

Race morning was high-forties chilly. Sun on the mountains promised a beautiful day for a race. Pines lined the roads along the course on the way in to the city.

Missoula is graced with huge marvelous maples lining the streets. Small round abouts at intersections are alive with flowers.
More than the usual number of folks came out to support in residential areas. Here, and also in the finish area, families brought their children of all ages. Community support was unusually evident for marathon races events.

The Good Food store, a race sponsor, hosted a great spread of post-race food. The Good Food store rivals any "good food store" we have seen.

We FINISHED!
With plenty of time to finish and walkers welcome, it was heartening to see more than the usual number of amateur runners of every age, including over 65 groups.
Participation in the races contributes to the community spirit and general health of the people, I think!

The Clark Fork, which flows west and north from Missoula, is part of the Columbia River watershed. Water was unusually high for this time of year, as it was on the Yellowstone River which flows west across Montana to the Missouri River. Gives reality meaning to the predictions that global warming will cause more storms (greater snowfall) and higher water.
Across the river, see the restored Milwaukee train depot.

Don had a great marathon race.
Be sure to read his report of our marathon weekend. minnesotadon.blogspot.com