Every Fourth of July, a big celebration is held in Seward, AK over the 4th. It's one of our favorite places to go, along with a thousand other people :) Every year all the campsites are full and hotels are reserved a year in advance.
The two main attractions of the celebration are the midnight firewords, and a race called Mount Marathon. It is the second-oldest running race in the U.S. (The oldest is the Boston Marathon.) The whole race is about 3.5 miles long and ascends (and then descends) 3022 ft. FYI - that's steep!
The race is virtualy impossible to get into because it's so popular. Matt and I both entered the lottery this year, but neither of us made it in. Then Matt applied for a "special invite" reserved for people who show promise of placing in the top 20 and he got in! I didn't go any further than the lottery. I was actually pretty releived that I didn't make it in :) ...more to come on that.
So, Matt has been training for this race for about two months. At some point during his training, he decided he was shooting for top 10, which is pretty lofty for a first-time Mt. Marathoner. His friend, Jerry, said it would be nearly impossible. And that's the day the wager was born. They talked about bets involving shaved heads, rat tails, mustaches, and even $. Butt Matt needed something that would give him daily motivation to really train hard. So, they chose another very popular running race, to be held in September, where the loser of the bet will pay up.
The loser of the bet has to lead out the first mile of the race, in direct view of TV cameras and newspaper camera lenses . . . in a Speedo, running shoes, and nothing else.
The last few weeks, everytime he leaves for a workout, I chant "Speedo, speedo . . ."
Top 10 was a lofty goal, and I bet you want to know if he made it . . .
Matt finished 10th!
He doesn't have to wear a Speedo, but Jerry does.
Anchorage Daily News pictures: http://www.adn.com/front/v-gallery/story/853827.html?/1521/gallery/853474.html
Anchorage Daily News stories: http://www.adn.com/front/story/853827.html
KTUU report: http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?s=10644964
2 comments:
You guys truly rock! I have been bragging about you both non-stop for days! Should I try for a spot next year and we can all come down?!
Absolutely! You would love the race. It's a truly an Alaskan experience. With or without the race, Seward is the place to be on the 4th of July.
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