New Mexico Marathon
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sunday, September 2, 2007

I race walked the New Mexico Marathon in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Sunday, September 2, 2007. The race began at 5:30 AM to take advantage of the coolness before the sun rises; in fact, with the shadow from the Sandia Mountains, I was not in the sunshine until mile 11. Even though Albuquerque is a large city, the marathon is very small with 290 finishers. There were plenty of volunteers and water/Gatorade stations every two miles. Traffic was also controlled well by many cheerful police officers.
The course was somewhat challenging as the race began at an elevation of 5800 feet. The first 8 miles saw a climb up to 6500 feet. The next 6 miles descended to 5200 feet. The remaining 12 miles were almost flat. I was not affected by the altitude; however, some of the participants were. The event was very enjoyable.