Runners Celebrate a Birthday - By John W

WHY AM I HERE?

Most marathoners have wondered at some point during a race "why am I here?" This weekend, a group of Flyers had a special answer. 

We were at the Mohawk-Hudson Marathon and Half Marathon   with a group of 65 runners (along with spouses, children, significant others and other supporters), to celebrate the 50th birthday and 20th marathon of Francine A. 

Francine is a long time Flyer who has many devoted fans, especially amongst the group of 6AM runners that she leads. When she announced that she would welcome company at the Mohowk-Hudson Marathon and Half Marathon to celebrate her birthday, the response was stunning. Registration opened on March 1st, and by the end of the day my inbox was flooded with "I'm in!" messages. Three days later, Laurent (Francine's husband) had reserved a block of hotel rooms and a bus to get us there. There even was a "rumor" that Sean J would be organizing a toga party.

Behaving Nicely (Or So It Seems?) On the Bus

TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES

The group that arrived this weekend in Albany included many 6AMers that I knew from our morning runs, but also many other wonderful folks from Francine's vast group of friends. People traveled from Toronto and Bethesda. Francine's sister Aileen joined us from Berkeley. 

In addition to our charter bus, people arrived by car, plane and train. Most of us stayed at the Hotel Albany, where we had our own pasta dinner the night before the race.

Janet S and Natascha H Enjoying Their 3rd Helping of Delicious Pasta

Before dinner however, there were many secret goings-on. Each of us had to go, or send an agent, to room 1207, where the door was slightly ajar. Inside, George and Margot M distributed the surprise "Team Francine" t-shirts (designed and ordered by George) that we all wore to the dinner (and many wore during the race). 

ROME, NEW YORK

Meanwhile –– with Albany just a two-hour drive from Rome, NY –– Sean J was upstairs putting together his toga. For this job, he recruited Jodie F, who apparently has extensive experience in toga design. They determined that local ingredients should be used. The hotel linens were easy to procure, but pulling the laurel from the hotel garden for the head piece proved to be more difficult. Fearing capture, they settled for grabbing a few nearby weeds.

Looking Royal in Her Tiara

Carrie B and Deb M put together birthday hats and other party favors, along with a surprise cake. Laurent was MC of the event, and led us in singing Happy Birthday. Francine was honored with a royal cape and tiara (thanks to Tim H and Heidi C). In her royal garb, she addressed the crowd.

Happy Birthday, Dear Francine!

CELEBRATING AND SALUTING HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY

In typical Francine style, she spoke mostly of the others in the room, pointing out their numbers and achievements. There were Ultra-runners, Iron-persons, and Serial-marathoners in remarkable numbers. There were also a number of first-timers, and comeback runners. After dinner, we all retired early to rest for the race (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it).

Make a Wish!

In the morning, our charter bus took us to the marathon start (the half marathoners took the bus provided by the race organizers). The marathon had less than 1000 runners, so the start was painless. I checked my bag 5 minutes before the start with no stress. The weather was perfect, and the course was beautiful. The toughest hill on the course was the walk from the finish line to our hotel.

On the Course with Scott C and Khris D P

At the finish, it was easy to find others from our group, and Laurent had cupcakes for every finisher.

After the race, some folks gathered in the hotel bar to get some food and exchange stories from the run. The results were amazing. 30 runners finished the marathon, and 35 ran the half. Of them, 10 people PRed, 7 placed in their Age Group, and 8 qualified for Boston. In addition, 4 people ran their first marathon, and Heidi and Don C's son Knox C, 13 yrs old, ran his first half marathon.

Other special mentions include Louise C, who BQed in her first marathon, and Jodie F, who received a job offer from her pace leader after she carried his sign across the finish line.

There Were Many Birthday Hugs

Francine and Her Boys After the Race

Once everyone was back and ready, we climbed onto our bus for the ride home. Everyone was tired, but spirits were high. It was a truly wonderful trip.

-John W

Blogmaster's Note: John W neglected to mention that he finished the marathon with a PR, BQ and 3rd Place Age Group Award -- congrats, John!  In sticking with your story, going to bed early and staying clear of the beer must surely have helped you out on the course the next morning! -Dave K