I didn’t reach a final decision to run Steamtown until a few days before the race when it looked like the weather was going to be cool. It wasn’t a target race for me this year. I had two reasons for wanting to run it, though. One was as a test to see where I currently am in preparation for the Philly Marathon, which is my target race this fall. The other was because I had never run a point-to-point marathon course, wanted to do one and Steamtown was touted to be a particularly good one. It was a good experience on both counts.

This was one of the best organized and managed races of any distance I have ever run. From the packet pickup to the finish line and beyond, everything went off like clockwork. The school where the race started was opened so runners could prepare for their race out of the elements until the last few minutes when it was time to gather at the start line just out the door. Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed. Some offered Vaseline, orange slices, bananas and cookies, in addition to the normal water and Gatorade. Signs 100 yards before each aid station alerted you that one was coming up, as well as a sign as you left the station telling you how far it was to the next one. Ambulances and paramedics were stationed every couple of miles along the course. Volunteers were numerous, enthusiastic and well instructed. Many little details were tended to. If I wanted to fault anything about this race it would be the narrow street for the first mile which kept the pack tightly bunched. But, even that was probably good in the long run, since it kept all but the front runners from starting too fast, especially since you “fall off a cliff” on a huge downhill a half mile into the race. It’s also probably a major reason why the race field is limited to 2500. They probably couldn’t handle more than that at the start.

Spectator support along the course was great! The race runs through several townships from Forest City to Scranton. In each one, local residents were alongside the route cheering and high-fiving the runners. High school bands and cheerleader squads were performing in several of the townships. Everyone was enthusiastic and supportive. In Forest City where the race began, signs and posters of encouragement to the runners, which had been made by school kids, were posted on every utility pole and tree along the first couple of miles of the course.

The course itself is advertised as downhill and fast with a 955 foot elevation drop. That’s true....but deceiving. Most of the downhill occurs in the first 8 miles. The last 7 miles are a gradual, but steady, uphill climb with a few tough hills thrown in. There are very challenging uphills in miles 2/3, 7, 15, and every mile from 18/19 through 26, except 22.

After driving the course the day before the race, I changed my race goals. Instead of floor, realistic and ceiling goals of 4:05, sub-4:00 and 3:50 that I had in mind when I left home, I relaxed the goals to be “beat last year’s Philly time of 4:12", 4:05 and sub-4:00. I also realized that this had to be a positive split race in which “negative splits” in terms of effort would not show on the clock. There would simply be no way to run the second half faster than the first without under-running the first half and pounding your legs on the great downhill sections while trying to hold back the pace.