#8/10 Harrisburg Marathon and Relay, Harrisburg, PA - Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Making it more fun for all involved, the Harrisburg Marathon and Relay takes place just a town over from Hershey PA where my friend and roommate Eric Assini grew up. He and I headed over there Friday after work, just in time to see some of Hershey's last home game of the season. Assini is a Football team Alumni. If you've ever been out there, you know the High School Team plays in a big stadium right in the middle of the HersheyPark complex. It's an amazing stadium, Bruce and the Stones have recently appeared there, among others I'm sure...

Quite a venue for a high school team...

Glory Days.

After the game we headed back to Eric's folks house, where his mom treated us a to a delicious homemade dinner, followed by some drinks in their basement bar.

Saturday Eric's dad gave us a lift to packet pickup and then onward to Troegs Brewery in Harrisburg. It seems like The Trogner brothers are gaining more and more popularity each year with their tasty brews.

The sampler: Nut Brown and Troegenator were among my favorites.

We headed back to Assini's house where Melanie and Kodiak would soon join us. We had some wine and beer, and played some ping-pong, up until dinnertime.

Melanie and Assini in a heated battle.

Melanie and I at the Assini Bar.

Kodiak being nosy.

After Pizza Pie and peanut butter pie with Eric's parents and brother, Melanie, Kodiak, and I said our goodbyes and headed into Harrisburg. Kodiak claimed his spot at yet another Red Roof Inn, and we made sure he had his gorilla with him.

The logistics of the relay were tricky since we were just a team of two and there was no transportation to the relay exchanges.... so we rode Melanie's Fuji Crosstown 4.0 to get around while the other was running their leg.

Melanie and I at the start area on City Island, the pedestrian bridge behind us.

The race started at the foot of the Walnut Street Bridge on City Island.

Runners crossing the walnut street bridge at the start with the State Capital up ahead.

We ran on Front Street along the river for the first mile before looping through downtown Harrisburg.

And past the Capital Building...

Melanie got around on the crosstown, watching me run by at a few points along the course and snapping some pictures of me coming...

And going....

Coming up on the Relay Exchange....

And now it's Melanie's turn to run the rest...

The second half of the marathon goes through Wildwood Park.

And she's off...

Artwork along the East Shore of Harrisburg

Past Rendell's house.

The final stretch of the marathon comes back along the River and heads up to the Pedestrian Bridge, crossing the river back to the finish on City Island.

View of runners from the Bridge

Melanie as she crosses the finish.

The finish area at Metro Bank Park.

It was fun to have a teammate for this one... 2 more to go.