It was controlled chaos mixed with excitement this morning on Broadway. Runners of all shapes, sizes and skill levels headed toward Lions Field and their assigned “start corral” for this year’s Rock n’ Roll Marathon.
North of Mulberry Street, thirty UPS Trucks served as pick up stations where runners got their numbers, race shirts and assorted swag delivered in white plastic bags.
Each runner had his or her own rituals before the race: stretching along the fence at Brackenridge Park, strapping water bottles and energy food to their bodies and firing up a marathon mix on their mp3 players as they prepared to hit the pavement.
Plenty of runners sported the colors of their alma mater for the race. UT Orange and Aggie Red were everywhere in the crowd, but Trinity, UTSA and other schools were well represented. Some sported shirts identifying themselves with makeshift teams like the “Over 40 Crowd”
As the start time approached, Broadway south of Mulberry began to resemble Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Bodies squeezed together, packed up against the metal crowd control barricades, but the mood was bright and friendly. Large speakers on tall tri-pod stands lined Broadway on both sides of the streets belted out Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” Then at 7:30 a.m. sharp the first start horn rang out followed by cheers surging through the crowd. Over the next hour, all thirty-four start corrals made their way to the start line and began their odyssey on the course. The 2009 Rock n’ Roll Marathon was underway.
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