Featured Fit: The Calhoun Beach Running Club Capitol Run!

By Jess

At the end of each official marathon training season, the Calhoun Beach Running Club organizes a "Capitol Run."

{the Twin Cities Marathon finishes here!}

What's a Capitol Run???

A Capitol Run is an awesome, well-organized CBRC training run to the state capitol building! This run involves 20-22 miles of the Twin Cities Marathon course; FYI- the Twin Cities marathon ends at the capitol in St. Paul. It's one of my favorite marathon finishes so far! 

For the training run, runners are given the option to run 20 or 22, depending on their individual training.

The CBRC capitol run starts at the Calhoun Beach Club of course! The club's location around mile 4 of the course is truly ideal. From there, 30+ of us headed out around 7:15 am, on a beautiful, clear September morning. The temperature was in the mid-50's, the sun was shining, and excitement was in the air!

My husband has recently taken on a "leadership" role in the club, and he did a lot of the organization for this event. I think he did a great job, and I'm not just saying that because he is my husband! Runners had to sign up ahead of time on a google doc online. Volunteers dropped their vehicles off at the capitol around 6:15 am that day, and rides were coordinated back to the club so that everyone would have a ride home AFTER the run as well. Planning such an event required a lot of time and logistical savviness! Yet thanks to the good people at the CBRC, everything went smoothly.

As for the run-

Support stops were located at miles 6.5, 12.5, and 17.5. They were manned by other CBRC members who weren't training this season (or this particular weekend). For example, Amber and her husband manned the first stop. She just ran the Sioux Falls Marathon last weekend (as you can read about HERE) and didn't need to do another 20 miler so soon! The second stop was managed by the wife of a run club member, and the 3rd by another Sioux Falls marathoner. 

Powerade, ice, water, fruit, jolly ranchers- each stop had plenty of goodies to keep you going. 
Some stops had music and/or canine friends for a tail-wagging vote of confidence for the runners!

{This handsome fella attended one of the support stops with some woofs of cheer!}

For TCM runners, especially first-timers, this capitol run provides an opportunity to become familiar with the marathon course, and to experience the hills leading up to Summit Avenue (they can be tough!) as well as the glory of the capitol finish. Knowing what to expect on marathon day can really help to ease any nerves before the big day.

At the end of the run, each runner has to run UP the capitol steps and touch the doors; otherwise it doesn't count!

{Kelly and Susie make their finish COUNT!}

This year, there were other run clubs doing similar capitol runs, so there was a lot of energy out on the trails. The weather was great, the support was well-spaced, and it was a great culmination of the training season.

Side note: The other club that had a big presence that day was the Lifetime Fitness running club. Their version of the capitol run was an out-and-back run from the capitol. It was open to the public (for a fee), with segregated pace groups, and busses from their facilities. Our capitol run is only open to members, is a point-to-point event, and is included in the membership dues.

No matter which club you ran with that day, it was great to have the other clubs out there, and I have to admit I appreciated the Lifetime signs pointing us in the right direction at a few points on the course!

{Here come the ladies- the finish line is steps away!}

{Meggan and I take on the stairs!}

Nice work Calhoun Beach Running Club. 

Now it's time for the taper!