When in Davenport...

One of the many reason I chose to run my Dane to Davenport was to have it be involved with one of the most top-notch marathon weekend events out there - the Quad Cities Marathon. I can't sing the praises enough of not only the cities that are involved with this race, but is event organizer, Joe Moreno and all the people who go unnamed but make the entire weekend a smash success. It was at the Quad Cities Marathon back in 2006 when Joe asked me to make an impromptu speech about the 52 Marathon I was running that year.  I had nothing prepared, didn't really think I deserved the honor but got up and did so anyway.  To say I was honored would be an massive understatement.

I joined the Quad Cities Marathon again in 2010 where I helped unofficially pace the 1:35 half marathon group. Bruised battered and beaten from doing the Warrior Challenge in Maui the week before (a 5k, one mile and marathon all in 24 hours) my spirits were buoyed by the fact that I had something even more to do after the race.

 Pammy's Team named after a Moline runner and cyclist who died earlier that year following a three-year battle with colon cancer. Pammy's Team is comprised of all Ironman finishers who each took turn pushing a developmentally challenged child through one of the various portions of the Quad Cities Marathon.  With five legs each and two teams, 10 children got to experience at least one leg of the course in special racing wheelchairs pushed by various finishers of Ironmans across the country.

I got to meet Alyssa, a precocious little 5 year old who my friend and local massage therapist, Laurel Darren had pushed earlier in the race. Alyssa took a shine to me and I got to be so honored to be the one who got to carry her across the finishline later in the day.  You can see Alyssa, wearing the Disney Hat Laurel herself wore in a marathon and being all smiles (and a little bit of chocolate on her hands and cheek) in the picture to the right.

This year, as I am again the featured speaker at this fantastic race I know I will be elated to have finished my 165 mile journey and will have many more stories to share.  One of them will probably be how I cannot possibly believe that I thought it was a good idea to race 26.2 miles the day after completing a 150 mile stage run. But if there is one place that I am happy to be doing it, it is the Quad Cities Marathon!