Lost Dutchman Marathon

Published February 17, 2019

South by Southwest, 2 hours by plane, vast difference in geography. Home snowscape replaced by Saguaro cactus & blooms. Spring’s sprung in the Arizona desert 🌵

Touchdown in Phoenix, Lost Dutchman bib pick-up 45 minutes away. Quick food find in Apache Junction. Motel 6 sleeps ten minutes from tomorrow’s early 4:30am shuttle.

Arizona’s Superstition Mountains. Superstition of a lost gold mine, hidden 150 years – while still a Wild West territory. 50 State reunion here last year, they also visited Saskatchewan in September – both on my 2019 calendar, I’m just a year late.

Sunday cold desert Start. Layered, extra jacket, gloves. Still an hour+ ‘til race kickoff. Soaking it all in today. Website said come early & enjoy the campfire. Reality, lotta campfires. LOVE LOVED. Fave part of day’s event. one Better? Sharing the moment with my Antarctica bestie, Katya. She’d run her first FULL here. Run buddy DAY!

First 7 miles, AMAZING. Everything you see in the tourism promos. Bouldering mountains, towering cactus, desert valley. Arizona flag SUNRISE 🏜️󠁵󠁳󠁡󠁺󠁿 WOW’d!

Right turn outta Lost Dutchman State Park, traded Peralta Trail for US Highway 60 & retirement subdivisions. Not super scenic but not super important. RUN BUDDY DAY! AMAZING experience sharing someone’s first marathon FINISH. Great job Katya! Gal’s born to run, easily has 50 miles in her already. Finished & finished STRONG!

Prospector Park end. Caught site of the ‘Lost Dutchman’ before hotel-racing back for a post-run shower. SUCCESS!

Sky Harbor dinner. Celebrated Katya, her moment, her FIRST FULL. Girl’d up, traded run shoes for pumps. BAM! No one would’ve believed she literally just ran 26.2 miles. CONGRATS friend! FAAAANNNTASTIC first!