Dallas White Rock Marathon

Last weekend I attended the Dallas Marathon – the fourth and final marathon attended by Team Prevention for their fall 2008 series. Joining the team is easy, readers of Prevention register through the magazine to receive online moral support and training for the marathon of their choice. As part of the package they can choose to join us for a special pasta dinner and pre-race breakfast at the event.

As the walking coach for the Team, I enjoyed another wonderful experience meeting so many walkers who, through the magazine, have changed their lives setting the goal of walking a half or full marathon.

Dallas has no walking division but the half marathon course is open for 5-1/2 hours. The full course has a closing time of 6-1/2 hours. Several Team Prevention members finished within 30 minutes of this time limit and the race commentators remained cheerful and enthusiastic until the last – giving a personal cheer over the loud speakers as the final tenacious marathoners came across the line.

I joined the larger percentage of the Team walking the half marathon. We started with the full marathoners in the appropriate pace corral beside the American Airlines Center at Victory Park in downtown Dallas. Despite freezing temperatures in the days prior to the marathon, race morning was a balmy 20° C . Saved by the weather gods! All of my cold-weather gear was safely stowed for Canadian winter at home.

We lined up in the appropriate pace corrals waiting for the crowd of 17,000 to inch forward. A beach ball was being bounced around up ahead. Finally, a roar rose from the front of the crowd, and we began a slow shuffle toward the bouncing beach ball. Confetti filled the air – a blizzard of green, red, ad white tabs of paper.

The course was definitely not what I expected after walking around downtown Dallas for two days. After a short mile or two in the downtown core, we found ourselves making our way through wealthy residential areas with homes decorated with garlands, bows, and lights.
The half marathon course featured just enough inclines, trees, and homes to protect us from a fierce wind. I later heard from participants walking the full course they faced a full gale assault walking around White Rock Lake between miles 15 and 20. The last two miles for those of us walking the half was along a beautiful and protected rail trail converted to a walking and bicycling path.

Back at the finish line, Team Prevention half marathoners, many of whom were walking 13 miles for the first time, came in to a hearty welcome from Team Prevention staff and massage therapists! NOTHING beats having a massage at the finish.

Once all the half marathoners arrived there was time to make our way over to a separate finish line for the full marathoners. Race organizers for the Dallas White Rock Marathon had distinguishing blue bibs manufactured for first time marathoners and there many blue bibs at the back of the pack. Their time limit was 6 hours and 30 minutes but as the final Team Prevention walkers came in at 7 hours, race organizers remained at the line to welcome them with a personal word of encouragement.

It’s a becoming a cliché how completing a marathon can change a life but seeing family supporters for these final finishers with their hand-painted signs, flowers, and bear hugs reminds me that completing a marathon is not just a test of endurance but commitment, tenacity, and faith in the human body’s capacity for growth. It’s not your regular day at the gym.