A Marathon in View of the Nashville Parthenon

It is an iconic athletic event, 32,000 runners beginning their race in view of the historic Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. The first marathon in Nashville was in April 2000, where approximately 5800 runners competed. The first half-marathon was held in 2002. It seems so fitting this has become an annual event. The Panhellenic Games were held in ancient Greece in the cities of Olympia, Corinth, Delphi and Nemea to honor various gods.

According to legend, the first marathon was run in 490 BC, from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens, Greece. The distance was approximately 26.2 miles. The man who ran it was a Greek soldier named Pheidippides. He reportedly ran into the assembly hall, announced the victory over the Persians, collapsed and died.


The first Olympic Games were reportedly held in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC and were held in honor of Zeus. If this timeline holds, the first Olympic Games predate the first marathon. The origins of the games actually begin in myth and legend. The Parthenon in Athens, Greece was largely completed in 438 BC to honor the virgin goddess Athena and daughter of Zeus.

The Apostle Paul alludes to the Panhellenic Games in his letters to the church in Corinth. His letters were written around 56 AD. The best I can figure, the Isthmian Games were held in Corinth from around 582 BC to approximatley 380 AD.


At first thought, it is obvious that not all of the competitors in the County Music Marathon are that “competitive” in the sense they are all young, fast, strong and athletic. In fact, most have no chance in winning this grueling run of 26.2 miles. But in another sense they are all competitive. They are involved. The have a grasp on life and know that in trying and working hard they “win” in life.


For my son Chad and me the day began at 5 A.M. The alarm went wild and we climbed out of our beds, put on our clothes and did a few other necessities.


We left the house at 5:30 A.M. Breakfast was out of the question for both of us. I did make a pot of coffee for myself to consume on the road.


Logistics were my responsibility, dropping him off as close to the start line as possible and picking him up as close to the finish as possible. Between those two events I would stake myself out at one or two locations, watch for him, root for him and take his picture. The challenge for me was to spot him among the nearly 32,000 runners. I would take related photographs to capture the event and so here is my account.


Because of Interstate and other road closures, I drove Interstate 440 to the west side of Nashville, arriving around 6:05 A.M.. I dropped Chad off near the Outback Steak House on West End, took a photograph in case I never saw him again during the race and drove up the hill behind and to the east of the Parthenon in Centennial Park to park the car. I found a place on Long Boulevard and walked down the hill to the start line.


How do you organize a race with 32,000 runners. Event planners divide runners into “Corrals” of about 1000. Each corral begins one to two minutes behind the one before them. The staggered starts allows for a more orderly and less crowded field of runners. Chad was in Corral 28, near the last. I never saw him although I took a photo of the group at the start line just in case the camera might capture him though my eyes did not. The metadata of the image recorded the time as 7:43 A.M.


The half-marathon would run east down West End Avenue and Broadway, returning west on Demonbreun, then Seventeenth Avenue South and Belmont Boulevard to Clifton Lane, turning north onto Granny White Pike and Twelfth Avenue, taking Wedgewood Avenue back to Sixteenth Avenue South. At the end of Music Row the course turns east onto Division Street, around Alan LeQuire’s Musica Statute (See my September 6, 2009 Blog Entry about this sculpture), then north on Eleventh Avenue to Charlotte Avenue near the State Capitol, but heading around Farmers Market, then taking James Robertson Parkway to Union, and finally running across the Cumberland River to LP Field, home to the Tennessee Titans.

At the start line were announcers, the Mayor of Nashville, Karl Dean, and other dignitaries. Also at the Start was the band, the Greez Monkeez along with news media folks and many, many families, friends and supporters of runners. Many of the runners tried to make themselves distinctive, carrying dragons, women wearing tutus, juggler-runners, runners with headbands exhibiting rabbit ears, and pace runners with little signs reading 2.30, 2.45, etc. Chad wore a rather plain white shirt and black shorts.

After the “Start” I went to a nearby Starbucks to get a coffee and take a restroom break. I walked across Vanderbilt University Campus to Edgehill Avenue and then on to Seventeenth Avenue South, one of the two streets known as “Music Row” to many in the music business. It was approaching the 4-mile point for him. I waited and discovered that if I was going to see him I needed to focus on male runners wearing white. He also wore sunglasses. So as I scanned the thousands of runners that ran and walked toward me, I began to think I missed him. It was nearly an hour after the start and not quite 4 miles on an 11-minute pace I figured he should be there. Then I saw him and he also saw me. I took several photos at 8:34 A.M. He was smiling.

After he ran by, I headed over to Sixteenth Avenue South of the music row pair of streets. There was a good crowd waiting for runners who were in the first corrals released. I heard Music from the Chariots of Fire (a movie from 1981). I heard music from many establishments along the way. Couldn’t help remembering taking him to see that movie when he was 6 years old.


My second waiting point was approximately 8 ½ miles from the start of the half-marathon. I figured I would see him about 9:30 A.M. Of course, I forgot about the remainder of Sixteenth Avenue being uphill and the uphill of Granny White Pike. Both would take steam out of any runner. From where I was standing the downhill grade of Sixteenth gave me and other spectators the false impression that the entire section was a cake-walk. By 9:30 A.M. it was also 79 degrees.


Thinking again I missed him, I looked up and saw him coming my way. He was zoned out. It didn’t matter; I took a second series of photos of him. It was 9:43 A.M. My watch shows 9:44 A.M. He never saw me.

From there I walked down 16th Avenue a few blocks and encountered two individuals being attended by paramedics. I also meet a friend and her son. They attend Belmont Church and while runners stride past the church, they hear a group (The Belmont Worship Band) from the church making live music as only Nashville can do. There were 40 bands and twenty-five stages along the marathon route.


I hustle back to my car. It is probably 1 ½ or two miles back up the hill. I wasn’t as familiar with the area as I might have been and because I wasn’t I had to walk a bit more to find the block where I had deposited my vehicle.


After finding it, I drove back on I-440 to LP Field. It was 10:54 am when I arrived and found a place to park. In fact, I was trying to maneuver my car into a slot when I received a call from Chad. I told him where I was parked and waited for him. He found me at 11:07 A.M. He had his glistening medal around his neck. He was tired but happy.

Later on, thinking about why people run a half-marathon, or a marathon, I asked him, “Why do you run?” It’s a question I’ve asked myself though in a different context. I like to hike. Some folks like to garden and others golf. I waited for his answer.

The local newspaper, The Tennessean reported on that subject that very morning. The folks reported on in the newspaper had very different reasons. His response, “It gives me time to think.” It is similar to the reason I like to hike in the mountains and walk. It will be a good topic in one of my future blog entries. For now though, think about the scriptures listed below.

We met his mother and then ate lunch at Cracker Barrel. Everyone was hungry. I was proud of him. He had made it and I had learned a little about running a half-marathon.

Another by-product of this experience, in view of the Parthenon, I have been inspired to run a half-marathon. Well maybe not run. Probably I will mostly walk. My reasons may be different. I am not running for any prize money or glory. I guess its more about my health, time to meditate and serving my savior and others and to be with my son, who is also running. Well, I expect he will be waiting for me by the end of it.


I assure you, I will not do my half-marathon in just over 2 and one-half hours like the winner in Saturday’s marathon. I just hope to finish the race the same day I start it.


Scripture:

Psalm 19.5 – The sun in the heavens rejoices like an athlete running its course.

Acts 20.24 – What is important is finishing the course that God gave me (to preach the message of God’s grace).

1 Corinthians 9.24 – Runners in a race complete that they may win.

Galatians 2.2 – Paul writes, “I did not want to run in vain.”

2 Timothy 4.7 – Paul writes, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.”

Hebrews 12.1 – “Run with endurance the race that is before us, keeping your eyes on Jesus.”