Knoxville Marathon 2013

Posted on April 12, 2013 Written by 2 Comments
Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

It’s hard to know at the end of this week whether I should continue recounting last weekend or move the focus to the upcoming weekend. I’ll go with last weekend, but I must mention that this weekend is likely the biggest of the Dogwood Arts Festival, with the Arts and Crafts Festival on Market Square and throughout Krutch Park. The artisan works are phenomenal and the food tent, in which chefs prepare dishes with wine pairings, is one of my favorite single events of the year.

Mayor Rogero, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Mayor Rogero, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

American Flag on Clinch Avenue, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

American Flag on Clinch Avenue, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Still, I must give a nod to last weekend’s Knoxville Marathon which drew several thousand people. The race has grown to include a 5K, Half-Marathon, Marathon and Marathon Relay. Urban Son-in-Law backed off to the half-marathon this year and many Urban Friends ran various other races. I think one reason for the massive crowds last weekend was the marathon, as a number of people came in from out of town or simply stayed downtown to enjoy the other events going on.

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists2, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists3, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

I love the fact that a fitness-based event has become so big in the city. It also works beautifully to have so many great activities downtown to greet any out-of-town visitors. There is no way someone visited the city last weekend, encountered the beautiful weather, pianos on the square, Chalk Walk, First Friday, Rhythm and Blooms and came away with anything other than a very positive impression of what is happening here. They also spent time and money in the Health and Fitness Expo on Saturday.

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Runner, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Runner, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

The starting line and staging area always attract me. Nerves jangle about at every turn, runners giddy with excitement warm up maybe a bit too much. Proud families wish their loved ones well. The mayor spoke at this year’s opening and the national anthem makes any sporting fan’s blood reach a quick boil of anticipation. Some are there to win, others to have fun and others simply to finish. Music pounds from a PA system as it will throughout the race as live bands play for the runners.

Entertainment on Market Square, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Entertainment on Market Square, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

John D. Cable and the Empty Bottle Band, Clinch and Locust, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

John D. Cable and the Empty Bottle Band, Clinch and Locust, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

I photographed eventual winner Wojciech Kopec (2:22:15) as he left the start line (red jersey above, number 2), but missed him at the twenty-five mile mark. I did catch Edward Tabut passing the UT Conference Center, heading into the final stretch. He was about three minutes behind first place. He also nearly left the course by not turning onto Locust, but a policeman yelled, pointed and Edward corrected his course.

Second Place Runner (No. 4), Mile Tweny-five, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Second Place Runner (No. 4), Edward Tabut, Mile Tweny-five, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Third Place Runner, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Third Place Runner, Bryan Morseman, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Fourth Place Runner, Mile Twenty-Three, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Fourth Place Runner, Stewart Ellington, Mile Twenty-Three, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Fifth Place Runner, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Fifth Place Runner, Abraham Kogo, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

About four minutes behind him was Bryan Moresman in third and I really felt for the next two guys as I photographed them leaving Market Square. They ran within steps of each other around the twenty-four mile mark and clearly, they would battle to the finish line. In the end, while Stewart Ellington (No. 6) lead by a few yards at that point, Abraham Kogo (No. 3) would pass him in the end to win fourth place. Two seconds separated them at the finish line. You can find complete results here.

Half-Marathon Medal, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Half-Marathon Medal, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Others would pass through downtown on into the afternoon. In fact, Urban Son-in-Law spotted a couple going through around 4:00, well after the official times have stopped. It reminds me of Cake’s awesome song, “The Distance.” All that matters at that point is finishing. And whether anyone else knows or acknowledges the fact, you know. It has to feel good. I never made it to the complete marathon and I admire those who do.

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We got Veterans, We got Everything and Everybody

Posted on November 15, 2010 Written by Leave a Comment



Tennessee National Guard leads the way.



Veterans Day Parade, Gay Street, Knoxville, November 2010

 A fluke in my work schedule allowed me to be downtown for the recent Veterans Day Parade. It was quite the event. I’m estimating it lasted an hour and a half. That included a delay while the large American flag hoisted across Gay Street apparently had a slight malfunction which shut everything down for about ten minutes.

Cub Scouts – My Peeps!

Very Enthusiastic Heritage Girl

Got have your men-in-skirts or any parade is a bust!

Bearden High School – I liked the look.

It appeared that nearly every high school band and many of the ROTC programs were represented. Of course we had veterans from every branch of the service, current and the older warriors. The young soldiers-in-training were present: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Brownies and American Heritage Girls (more Christian-focused version of the Girl Scouts).

Veterans and motorcycles go together like, well, veterans and motorcycles.



Did someone tell them it was a “Veteran’s” parade, not a “corVETTERAN’s” parade?



That’s one big-hearted purple heart!

A Little spooky on an American street.

I have no idea.

A skeleton hanging out of a junk car fits in, how?

Vets arrived in big numbers – Corvettes, that is, as well as Mustangs, Model A’s and T’s, motorcycles, antique fire trucks, jalopies along with many military vehicles. Seeing some of the armament on Gay Street made me think of the Nazi march and the police in their riot gear with machine guns poised.

Nobody can trump these veterans!

Lighter moments also found their way into the mix as you can see in some of the pictures. No one asked me, but I would think that 45 minutes worth of the above might be enough. I’m not sure EVERY high school band needed to be in there and I wonder if each of the auto clubs might not send a representative vehicle. I think there were around 40 Corvettes.


I cannot imagine.

Some of it just didn’t make sense to me – like the jalopy with the skeleton hanging out the window. I also wondered why the rebel flags adorning at least one motorcycle would be acceptable. I mean, we are honoring US veterans and the rebel flag symbolizes, among other things, an undermining of the union that led to many deaths and a treasonous separation from the country whose veterans we are celebrating. Maybe there is another side to that argument, but it seemed misplaced to me. Another suggestion would be to provide labels on some of the vehicles identifying the dignitaries. Finally, I would suggest that the very large plane that flew disturbingly close to the buildings might not be appropriate after 9/11 and after I nearly soiled myself as it unexpectedly flew over. 

Even the animals came in uniform.

Still, large numbers of people came out to celebrate and honor these men and women who give themselves for our sake and it was a good day.

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Click the picture to enlarge and check out the shoes.



Filed Under: American Heritage Girls, Boy Scouts, Brownies, Cub Scout, Downtown Knoxville, Girl Scouts of the USA, Knoxville, Tennessee, Veterans Day, Veterens Day