Sunday, September 9, 2007

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop." - Lewis Carroll, from Alice in Wonderland


September 8, 2007 - The Jungfrau Marathon this year also served as the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge. http://www.jungfrau-marathon.ch/ws/jm/en/marathon/pictures-galerie/2006/

The weather was beautiful and therefore the views were spectacular. It almost made me forget that we had to ascend about 1900 meters (6200 feet) through the course of the marathon. The total distance covered was 42.1 kilometers (26.2 miles), with most of the elevation gain in the last 17 kilometers.

Susan played the role of photojournalist. There were spectators throughout the course, with large numbers in the villages with train stops. Susan rode the trains up the mountain, along with hundreds of people crammed in like sardines, to watch the progress. The course went along alpine trails, through villages, and mountain trails.
Along the final 10 kilometers there were points where we came to a full stop because the mountain trails were so narrow that we had to go single file. From 38 to 41 kilometers the altitude (2200 meters / 7200 feet), unsteady footing on the trail, and general tiredness made this the toughest part of the course.

The largest crowds were at the start and the finish. Since the only way down the mountain was on trains, we had to cram into them. On the second train we and others squeezed into the baggage car. Susan was almost overcome by the body odor (not her own).
Photos are below.

Jesse

1 comment:

Dave and Beth Saavedra said...

Wow, what an amazing course to run! Did you know that in inner city Chicago, shoes thrown over the electric wires means you can buy drugs there? Maybe some of the runners got a little pick-me-up to deal with the altitude half way?

Great shots from the Olympic museum, too. How's the German coming along, Susan? Miss you!
Beth