#40- The Pocatello Marathon

I love the Pocatello Marathon! This was my third time running it (I did miss last year to run in Colorado and mark that state off my list) and I just keep coming back! I have some personal ties to Pocatello. My father was born and raised in a small town about 10 miles outside Pocatello called Inkom (which we run through) and my mom and dad met in Pocatello. With both of them gone now, I feel a special bond to them when I run there. Besides that Pocatello puts on one heck if a race! Here is what I love about the Pocatello Marathon:

1) The race is only a 2 1/2 hour drive from home. This make for an easy road trip. Being a holiday weekend, my friend Teota and I drove up on Friday and my husband drove up on Saturday after the race and we were able to make a nice little "staycation" out of it.

2) The host hotel is right off the freeway and easy to find. The expo and the race morning bus pick up is there. You roll out of bed and the buses are right there to take you to the start!

The Clarion Inn was this year's host hotel. It was clean and convenient.

They also had a killer pool and hot tub! This was nice after the race!

3) The entry fee to this race (when you register early) was only $45!! The race alone for that price was great, but look at all the swag I got for that price!

The $45 entry fee got me my race bib, a long sleeved tech shirt, a Pocatello Marathon duffel bag, a HUGE finisher's medal and a 5lb bag of Idaho potatoes!



4) Meeting new Marathon Maniacs! It is always fun to run as a Maniac or 50 State Club member. You meet some of the nicest people! The pasta dinner at the race was not very good the last time I ate there, so I opted to organize a Maniac dinner elsewhere. We didn't have as big a group join us as RSVP'd, but we had a great time anyway!

Our little Maniac dinner! Jim Roche, Me, Teota Dangel, Susan Hayes and Tom Scott!

5) The race starts at at an elevation of 6,000 feet at a working farm. There is a red barn out front as we got off the buses. It was pretty cold up there so we got together with a few other Maniacs and took the traditional group photo.

Maniacs at the start!

Tom Scott and I at the start!

As we got colder, someone noticed people coming out of the barn. "We can go in there?" I asked. "Sure!" someone else answered. We ran into the barn to escape the wind and it was not only toasty, it was full of the cutest baby goats ever! After a few minutes of goo gooing and gaw gawing, the owner said we could hold them!

This is when I first saw these cute babies!

Teota with the babies!

That's it! I am snuggling me some baby goat!

Teota did too!

Nancy Marino, Larry Macon, Teota and I with our new friends!

6) The course is awesome! The first ten miles are downhill and beautiful! The rest of the race is challenging if you go to fast down the canyon as the second half is rolling or a gentle uphill so subtle you won't know it, but you will feel it!

These guys made me want to knit!

My favorite part of the course is mile 15. This is where we run through Inkom. My Uncle Dennis (my dad's brother) and my Aunt May have lived in the same place for as long as I could remember. I have many fond memories of fun summers at their house as a child. It makes my race to see them out cheering for me!

7) The finish! Pocatello's post race food is the best! Pulled pork sandwiches, baked potatoes with all the fixins', ice cream, chocolate milk, Great Harvest bread, etc.! The medals are awesome too!

Maniac ladies at the finish!

My goal was easy, to finish sub 5:00 (I did! 4:55), but Irlan hit Ten Stars! Wow!

Close up of the bling!

The Pocatello marathon is a must do if you want to run a Idaho marathon! I am sure to be back next year!