Border collies on wheels
Mercedes sponsors Six26 Cycling, so the morning of the Mercedes Marathon our team was on course providing support. One responsibility was finding the women’s leader so a TV crew could follow her to the finish, but we also helped clear a path for her through runners still on their first lap.
As she was pounding out mile after mile, each around 6:35, I felt a real responsibility to ensure nothing blocked her opportunity to win the women’s race. We politely shooed runners to the side so she had a clear path and alerted bystanders that the lead woman was coming up. And women really cheered her on.
I found a new appreciation for the bike’s mechanical advantage. Our 26.2 miles was an easy 9 mph ride. But it gave us a unique, inspiring view of about 5,000 runners accomplishing hard-won individual achievements. Each solely on their own effort ~ no gears.