Eisenhower Marathon
Abilene, Kansas
Saturday, April 7, 2007

I race walked the Eisenhower Marathon in Abilene, Kansas on Saturday, April 7, 2007. It was very cold (low of 20 and high of 33) and windy (15 mph with gusts). Having only a 60 foot elevation change from the lowest point to the highest point, the course was an out and back journey mainly through the open landscape of Kansas. It was not flat; however, it took almost a mile for the elevation to change 20 feet. I was expecting my time for the race to be fast, but the wind decided differently. The openness kept the string wind blowing on me for almost the entire race, including a headwind for most of the last half of the marathon.
Even though the marathon is small with less than 300 participants, there were plenty of volunteers who were wonderful as they stayed at their stations despite the miserable cold. Water and Powerade were provided every mile. Smiles and encouragement were provided throughout the race by the volunteers. There were almost no spectators as the police closed the roads to everyone except the racers. I would recommend this marathon to anyone.
Abilene, Kansas is the town where President Eisenhower spent most of his childhood. His Presidential Library is there as well as a Museum and his parent’s house. Dwight was a teenager before the house had in door plumbing.
Abilene is also known as the end of the Chisolm Trail which was the trail used by the Texas cattleman to bring their cattle from Texas to the Union Pacific Railroad and on to Chicago and the stockyards. Several of the old buildings are still there. Law and order was handled by Sheriff Wild Bill Hitchcock in the 1870’s.
Picture from Abilene wiil follow in later postings.