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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April 2012 First Friday, Market Square

Posted on April 9, 2012 Written by 1 Comment
Market Square, First Friday April 2012

It’s worth saying that this had to be one of the all-time most spectacular weather weekends in Knoxville History. Chilly enough for a light jacket all morning, comfortable enough to walk in the sunshine under gloriously blue skies all weekend. It was simply magnificent. Urban Woman and I enjoyed First Friday, but the whole weekend was simply amazing. We sat outside the French Market Saturday mid-morning sharing a crepe and coffee and pretending we were back in Paris. It felt like Paris or San Francisco in the summer. A young man helpfully walked by pulling his suitcase competing the motif.

Man Reading the Bible Aloud on Market Square

But before that it was First Friday – which also happened to be Good Friday on the Christian calendar. There was far too much to put into one post, so today I’ll just tell you what we found on Market Square as the evening got started. It was enough to indicate that the night would be jam-packed with fun.

Girl Skateboarding around Market Square Fountain

The first thing that hit me when we entered the square just after 5:30 was the size of the crowd. People were simply everywhere. Some were engaged in any of a number of activities spread around the area while others simply shared the space with friends, talking and laughing and generally enjoying the cool temperatures.

Bronze Guy on Market Square
Bronze Guy on Market Square
Bronze Guy makes new friends

There was some evidence of the fact that it was Good Friday. One of the first things I noticed (after the girl skateboarding around the fountain in her dress) was a gentleman reading the Bible aloud. No one seemed to be listening and this fact did not seem to disturb him. In the background a choir sang on the Market Square Stage.

The bronze guy was back and up to his usual non-shenanigans as he stood stoically in place. After a particularly heated debate between some teenagers regarding whether he was “real” he did suddenly swing his face toward them before freezing again which led to the inevitable squeals. One thing that bugged me a bit: I saw this guy and a guy twirling fire entertain large numbers of people – some of whom like the girls in the picture above had their picture made with the buskers – and get no money. As in none. Give the guy a tip, people. Otherwise they will go away.

Ribbon Twirler entertains the children
Ribbon Twirler on Market Square

Another man waved about a large stick with ribbons attached to the end, much to the delight of children who chased it about but seemed almost inexplicably disciplined about not grabbing and breaking the ribbon thus ending the game for the night.

Green Initiative offered a little education for your Friday Night

I’ll cover the Knox Heritage Salvage show in a separate post, but even without that or the other various events inside stores and restaurants, the crowd exhorted, cavorted and generally made their own fun. Absolutely delightful.

Filed Under: Bronze Guy, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, First Friday, First Friday April 2012, Knoxville Tennessee, knoxville tennessee blogs, Market Square, Ribbon Twirler

Spring Scenes from the City (and a few notes for this weekend)

Posted on March 30, 2012 Written by 2 Comments
Dogwood beside the old Courthouse on Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2012

Spring is pretty much here. While all of the trees aren’t as green as they will be later, the dogwoods are beautiful and that pretty much says spring in this city. I’m going to leave you with a weekend’s worth of pictures to close out March and I’ll start your April with a few more. I’m still learning how to use my camera and taking baby steps as I go.

Xylophone player! in Krutch Park, Knoxville, March 2012

As for this weekend, there are a number of downtown events about which to get excited. Here are a few:

  • Friday 6:00 – 8:30 PM – Spring kick-off for Alive After Five at the KMA featuring Christabel and the Jons
  • Saturday 9:00 AM in the Chamber of Commerce Offices CBID meets to determine guidelines for future grants
  • Saturday 2:00 PM, Union Avenue Books: Author Christopher Hebert discusses his novel The Boiling Season
  • Saturday 8:00 PM, Pilot Light: Theorizt CD Release Party for “Samurai Love Songs” with Theorizt, Hudson K and Mr. Kobayashi. Plan on staying VERY late for this one. $5 gets you in, $10 gets you in AND a copy of the CD. I have it and it is very, very good.
  • Sunday 7:30 AM: Knoxville Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5K
I hope to see you at some of these events or just out and about enjoying the record high pollen counts and the beauty that is an east Tennessee spring. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I’ll have more in a later post.
View north on Gay Street, Knoxville, March 2012

A Favorite View: From a Table on Market Square, Knoxville, March 2012

Market Square from TVA Plaza, Knoxville, March 2012

Market Square from TVA Plaza, Knoxville, March 2012

Market Square from TVA Plaza, Knoxville, March 2012

First Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Knoxville, March 2012

Attack Monkey, 100 Block, Knoxville

Off Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, March 2012

Sidewalk outside Reruns, Union Avenue, Knoxville, March 2012

Lorax window display, Reruns, Union Avenue

Filed Under: Attack Monkey, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, knoxville tennessee blogs, Market Square, Reruns, Spring in the City, Xylophone

Quick: St. Patrick’s Day and Sundown in the City – What do they have in Common?

Posted on March 20, 2012 Written by 14 Comments
Bronze Guy on Market Square, Knoxville, March 2012

They might have more in common than you might think by the time the evening winds down. The front page of the News Sentinel on Friday carried a big article about the fact that Sundown in the City is no more – then Saturday night we tried our very Knoxville best to duplicate all the reasons we ended Sundown. More on Sundown in a later post, but on Saturday I decided to wade into the melee and find out what this Irish celebration is really all about.

Friends out for a night on the Square, Knoxville, March 2012

Crowd for Ian Thomas, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Knoxville

First on Market Square I ran into our very own bronze statue guy! I don’t remember seeing him before and we felt like such a grown up city for a second or two! The crowd was fun and growing. People walked about in their subtle and not-so-subtle green outfits chugging green beer from very large souvenir glasses like one might expect in Las Vegas or New Orleans. Look at us drink like the big city!

Ian Thomas, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square Stage, Knoxville

Yes, we are men and we wear dresses. What?

Ian Thomas, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square Stage, Knoxville 

Ian Thomas had the early shift on the Market Square stage and, as I’ve said before, brings to the stage one of the best country voices in the city. The crowd had started to build. You can judge for yourself from the photograph, but I would guess around 2,000 were paying attention and the patios of every establishment around the square was packed and waiting lists were building.

Ian Thomas, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square Stage, Knoxville 

Boyd’s Jig and Reel, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Knoxville

After Ian’s set I walked to the Old City where a Pub Crawl was building. I stopped by Urban Bar and Grill which I will discuss further in a subsequent post. As you might expect on such a night, the crowds were large all around the Old City and particularly at Boyd’s Jig and Reel. It appeared there was a line of people waiting outside who were waiting to be admitted as others left because the space was at capacity.

Crowne and Goose, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Knoxville

Crowne and Goose, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Knoxville 

I walked down Central Street toward the Crowne and Goose which is, of course, a English pub, but found the same situation there: They could let no one in until someone left. I don’t remember seeing this in Knoxville and this was the second spot on the block and it wasn’t the last place I saw it that night.

Cutthroat Shamrock, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square, Knoxville

Crowd for Cutthroat Shamrock, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Knoxville

Cutthroat Shamrock, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square, Knoxville 

Back on Market Square to listening to some of Cutthroat Shamrock‘s set, I found and found the crowd had swollen tremendously. I’m guessing six to seven thousand were slamming around to the sounds of the Irish-punk band. I tried to get into Blue Coast Burrito to take a picture of the crowd from their Margarita Loft and – you guessed it – they were not admitting anyone due to over-crowding.

Cutthroat Shamrock, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square, Knoxville 
Cutthroat Shamrock, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square, Knoxville 

  

Cutthroat Shamrock, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square, Knoxville 

The band worked the increasingly drunken crowd and as I wandered through them toward Union Avenue, I wondered how different this crowd and event really was from Sundown in the City. Roaming teenagers dropped off by parents? Check. Drunken crowds stumbling about? Check. Jamming Music? Too large a crowd for the space? Check. Sure, they wore more green and a larger portion of the men wore skirts, but otherwise, I’m not seeing much difference.

Revelers on Market Square, St. Patrick’s Day 2012

Senior Revelers, St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Market Square, Knoxville 

Prettiest Irish Girl of the Night!

It was fun, it was festive, but by the time they stumbled home, well, many of them stumbled. I drank a cup of coffee at Coffee and Chocolate and watched them slowly fade into the night. It was a fun night and I hope everyone got home safely. I can’t imagine it was any more appealing to the merchants who are happy Sundown ended.

It was good people watching for me and I hope you enjoyed the pictures, as well.

Filed Under: Boyd's Jig and Reel, Crowne and Goose, Cutthroat Shamrock, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, Ian Thomas, Market Square, Old City, St. Patrick's Day

Sort of a Post/Tweet and a Clue about a Cool New Business

Posted on March 17, 2012 Written by Leave a Comment
Market Square ready for St. Patrick’s Day

I don’t normally throw anything out on a Saturday, but a couple of things caught my attention that I thought I’d mention in short form. There are two events running downtown tonight in connection with St. Patrick’s Day. Live music and men in skirts will be featured on Market Square, along with the usual face-painting and beer sales, etc. Ian Thomas is singing and I really think he has one of the best voices in town. Cutthroat Shamrock is also playing, and while they aren’t my usual cup of tea, maybe they would be yours.

Pub Crawl starts in the Old City

There is also a pub crawl running from the Old City to Gay Street and back. Eight dollars gets you into nine bars and I guess that must be pretty Irish.

Finally, on this beautiful Saturday, I will tell you that I have big news for a cool new business that I’ll report on Monday. Very exciting. Here’s a clue:

“On Gay Street the traffic lights are stilled. The trollyrails gleam in their beds and a late car passes with a long slish of tires. In the long arcade of the bus station footfalls come back like laughter. He marches darkly toward his darkly marching shape in the glass of the depot door. His fetch come up from life’s other side like an autoscopic hallucination, Suttree and Antisuttree, hand reaching to the hand.”

Check back on Monday.

Filed Under: Cutthroat Shamrock, Ian Thomas, Market Square, Mystery Business, Old City, Pub Crawl, St. Patrick's Day, Suttree
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