Christmas Escape Marathon

December 25,  2014

It's 7:30 am on Christmas Day and I'm standing at the beginning of a paved trail in San Antonio, Texas with two other runners and a large poodle. A man counts down from 10 and says "Go!" 

After a few minutes of easy running and chit-chat, I pull ahead. Six miles later I realize I'm winning this thing! Leading the entire field! Of two, that is. Everyone else must have slept in.

But my "lead" quickly vanishes as I realize that a few people had started running earlier, while others started later-- and were now passing me.

It's the 12 Days of Christmas Marathon and, as coincidence would have it, there are 12 runners racing it.  It would turn out to be the ugliest, emptiest, most boring marathon course I've ever run--- but one of the most unique and surprising marathon experiences I've ever had.  

No, I didn't set a new PR (or even come close to running my usual marathon pace)-- it was the people I met who made this tiny race on this concrete trail in San Antonio so special. 

How the hell did I get here? 

Three weeks before Christmas I'm sitting in my empty house feeling annoyed by all the jingly jingling and cheery ho-ho-ho'ing blaring from the TV. It's been a tough year, and the last thing I want to do is celebrate Christmas in my empty house without my little guy, Boudreaux. I need to escape. But how -- how do you avoid Christmas?

So I do what anyone with a problem would do:  I google it. 

'How to avoid Christmas' returns the following suggestions:

Pretend it isn't happening
Go to Libya
Get thrown in jail
Head for Russia where Christmas doesn't hit until January
Spend the entire day on an airplane, like, flying to New Zealand.

None of it sounds fun or even practical. So why not do the thing I love the most --go for a long run? I need to find a 50k race in a cool Christmas Avoidance Destination! That will kill half the day, for sure. 

An online search comes up empty. 

What's wrong with people?  Where are all the xmas day ultras?

After days of searching and posting queries on ultra Facebook pages, I finally find it. Not an ultra, but a Christmas Day marathon-- in San Antonio, Texas. Hallelujah! San Antonio it is. Not exactly the first place that comes to mind for a Christmas Avoidance Destination--but nevertheless, I book my flight and hotel and start counting down the days. 

It's a good thing the people close to me understand my crazy. 

The Race

There are a few big reasons not to like the 12 Days of Christmas Marathon.

Course:   It's a 3.2 mile out and back on a shadeless trail that alternates between cement and asphalt. Repeat 8 times.

Scenery:  Scrub brush, cacti, barbed wire, school bus storage lot, random nondescript buildings.

Spectators:  0

But despite the course "challenges," I quickly realized I had just run my way into an

unfamiliar world---a crazy subculture of American running. Some people collect dolls or stamps; these people collect marathon finishes and world records. They're the Marathon Maniac types who've checked off all 50 states--and checked them off again. They've traveled the globe, picking up country after country, claiming a finish on all 7 continents. I don't live in their world, but this is how they'd rather spend Christmas? Hey, my kind of people!

In fact, four of the 12 people racing were Guinness World Record holders.  Some people run one, maybe two marathons a year---these guys run dozens back to back to back.  And while I was running one marathon on this one day, the rest of these folks were running 12 marathons--or 50Ks--12 days in a row or more! 

So let me introduce you to the incredible cast of characters.

Parvaneh

Race Director Parvaneh Moayedi is a running legend. She holds the Guinness World Record for the most marathons run on consecutive days by a female. In December 2012 she ran 17 in a row! She also holds the world record for the most marathons completed in one year by a female---168! 

Parvaneh is an indisputable badass. On top of the 600+ total marathons she's finished over the years, she has also completed Badwater--"the world's toughest foot race"--twice. That's 135 blistering hot miles of insanity through Death Valley! 

And here I was, chatting and sharing the trail with her on this improbable course, on this bright San Antonio Christmas Day. 

Joe and Yeti

The guy with the large poodle at the start line was Joe, the race co-race director. Joe and his best buddy Yeti have logged hundreds of miles together. In 2014 alone, Joe completed 68 races and Yeti, 54.  They make quite a team. 

Yeti has his own special racing vest with his name on it.  And he's also racked up a nice collection of bling!

Barefoot Bandito

Barefoot Eddie, AKA The Barefoot Bandito, was all smiles every time I saw him on those many out and backs. This was Barefoot Eddie's 101st marathon this year -- ALL of them run barefoot.  

I soon found out that the Barefoot Bandito holds the Guinness World Record for the most barefoot marathons completed on consecutive days-- a record he set this summer by running 26.2  ten days in a row.  And here, at the 12 Days of Christmas Marathon, The Bandito would set the world record for the most barefoot marathons completed in one year.

Eddie hasn't just run a marathon in all 50 states; he's run a marathon barefoot in all 50 states. He checked off all 7 continents too, a while back. 

As if that's not remarkable enough, consider this:  The Bandito doesn't run barefoot just for the fun of it. He goes without shoes to raise money for children who have no shoes. Every dollar donated to the Soles4Souls charity provides one pair of shoes to an impoverished child. 

JC

Then there's JC. For some people, completing a 50K ultra is a once in a lifetime achievement. On this sunny Christmas morning, JC was on his 16th 50k in a row!  

His 50k streak started on December 10th in Long Beach, CA. After completing 13 consecutive 50Ks there he flew to San Antonio, slept, and then got up and started on number 14.

By Christmas Day he was running number 16. But why stop there? JC would be running 50ks all the way to the new year -- 21 in a row. He had not only set a new Guinness World Record, he had shattered the previous one.

Eric

Within the first mile of the race this guy came riding up on his nifty bike with a huge smile and said, "Hey, you're in the lead! I promise, I'm not a crazy guy---I'm staff. Working the water stop."

On my third lap I decided to stop at the aid station and ask about the bike. Eric told me it's an $8,000  custom-made downhill racer.  You know-- dirt course, steep hills, crazy speed, hair-raising turns, plenty of danger.  He was a serious racer until he got shot in the arm by a .44 magnum.  I didn't ask why. The lingering damage from the gunshot wound made downhill racing too painful, so he had to quit.

But Eric wasn't going to camp out on the couch feeling sorry for himself. He decided to join his cancer-survivor mom for El Camino de Santiago, a 500 mile walk across Spain. And once they conquered Spain, Eric decided to keep walking.  Because...why not?  He flew to the UK and walked across England, and then kept going all the way across France. 

Back in the U.S., Eric needed a new challenge. He decided to take up ultra running and, two weeks before Christmas, completed his very first ultra, the Brazos Bend 100 miler. He has the buckle to show for it. 

Now here he was, working the water stop at the 12 Days of Christmas Marathon so he could get free entry into the next day's 50K.....or maybe he was doing multiple 50ks in a row. Nothing could surprise me.

What struck me about this bunch was that no one mentioned the holidays. There was no talk about heading home to a big feast, being with family, getting up extra early to open presents...none of the usual xmas chit chat. 

And while for me it was a big deal to find a race, fly across the country, and run a marathon, for them it was business as usual. I loved it. It was the perfect xmas distraction! 

The funny thing is, I think they figured I was just like them. When they asked what number marathon this was for me, I said 11. I could tell by their reaction they thought I was talking about 11 marathons, 11 days in a row. Ummm....no. That would be 11 marathons since oh....about 1998. LOL

Back to the race...

I had decided to take it easy for this race. After two fall 50ks and a few weeks' worth of my new Crossfit regime, I was pretty wiped. A high hamstring/glute issue had me worried. I was thinking it would take me 6 hours to finish, but I stretched it to 7 hours with all the socializing. 

By the last lap it was me, Barefoot Eddie, and JC banging out our final miles. So much for winning this thing! What with only 12 people racing, you would think.....

Finish Line!

By the time I crossed the "finish line" it was 2:30pm. I didn't want this race to end! 

Parvaneh was waiting with my medal. She had different medals designed to go with each of the 12 days of Christmas...a partridge in a pear tree and so on. This being the "six geese a laying" day, the medal had a goose laying an egg. Very cool! 

It was time to say so long to San Antonio and hit the road for Baton Rouge. The 7 hour drive would put me there by 10pm or so....and by then, all the traditional xmas celebrating would be over. Mission accomplished. 

Ironic, isn't it, that I came to San Antonio just wanting to escape Christmas and left with the best Christmas gift of all---an amazing experience with remarkable people I now call friends.