Spectator guide to Thunder Road Marathon: 5 tips for cheering on friends, family and strangers
Katie and I will be up bright and early Saturday morning for the Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte. No, we’re not running. (I ran my first half marathon a few years ago and haven’t run more than three miles at one time since.)
We’ll be out there cheering on friends and family and strangers. Will you be braving closed streets to stand on the side of the road early in the morning to cheer? Here are some tips:
(1) Know when streets are going to close.
One minute you’re driving down Morehead Street and the next your way is blocked by thousands of runners.
So plan ahead. Go here to look at the course maps and see when roads are closed, then map the best way to get to your watch spot. Or just get into uptown crazy early (read: before 5 a.m.) before any roads close.
(2) Plan your breakfast, or bring food and coffee with you.
When my wife ran the half marathon last year (and she’s running it again this year) I drove her to the starting line. I planned to watch her start, find a place to get breakfast and coffee and read a book, then come back out to watch her finish.
One major problem: I had so. much. trouble finding a place open with food and coffee. Starbucks in the Duke Energy Center didn’t open until something like 9 a.m. (the website says it opens at 7 now), and Showmars didn’t have enough staff and closed its doors.
If you didn’t know, uptown is kind of a ghost town on weekend mornings. I ended up wandering over to a Panera and desperately scarfing down a sausage and egg sandwich.
A sight for your hungry eyes this morning.
A photo posted by Panera Bread (@panerabread) on Jun 2, 2015 at 9:57am PDT
(3) Dress for the weather.
Do you remember how cold it was last year? And, as spectators, we’re not running to warm ourselves up, so that means layers.
According to weather.com, it’s supposed to be 35 degrees early Saturday morning. Bundle up.
(4) Cheer loudly for your friends/family — and everyone else.
Running sucks sometimes, even for the best runners. A little encouragement is always welcome, so slap your hands together and cheer for everyone running by. They deserve it. They’re working hard while you’re just standing there and sipping on a latte.
(5) Make a funny sign.
Laughter is the best medicine, even for burning lungs and cramping legs. Some suggestions:
– “Only 26.1 more miles to go!” (Obviously standing near the starting line.)
– “Keep it up, random stranger!”
– “Do it for the beer.”
– “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 26.2.”
– “Subscribe to the CharlotteFive newsletter! It’s the best!” (Your check is in the mail.)
Photos:Todd Sumlin/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Spectator guide to Thunder Road Marathon: 5 tips for cheering on friends, family and strangers."