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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Political Food Fights

Posted on March 2, 2012 Written by 15 Comments
Bistro at the Bijou, Knoxville

Has eating always been this political? It seems it is ever more so, recently in this city.

There have always been political/social/religious overtones to eating. Some cultures such as Indian cultures have traditionally been vegetarian. Traditional Jewish culture has insisted on kosher foods. Both Jews and Moslems have insisted on a pork-free diet. More recent converts to the vegetarian life-style sometimes seemed to look askance at us meat eaters. Vegans seem to think vegetarians are just a little too loose with the diet. Some meat eaters kill their own meat while others don’t really want to know the details behind their steak.

Other dietary battle grounds, or at least arenas for discussion include the whole industrial foods vs. organic foods debate. The imported or the local can set some people to draw lines in the sand. Thanks mostly to the fine folks at Just Ripe, I’ve come to appreciate local, organic foods more than I ever expected.

More recently, the political lines in Knoxville have been drawn around which restaurants deserve our support and which we should avoid at all costs. Of course, when Martha decided to clean out her kitchen at the Bistro at the Bijou ridding it of any Campfieldness, all hell broke loose. Supporters promised to flood the place and celebrate one small blow struck for the oppressed, while detractors announced they would never set foot in there again.

Boyd’s Jig and Reel, Old City Knoxville
Apparently, that isn’t where the political food fight stops. At the other end of downtown, in the Old City at Boyd’s Jig and Reel, a fund-raiser for Romney was held last week. I also wrote a post about Boyd’s that week, and as a result got this post from an anonymous commenter, “Boyd’s Jig and Reel has been holding fundraisers for Mitt Romney, and when comments are posted on their Facebook profile questioning this, they’ve been deleting them. Shame on them! Old time string musicians are not conservative Republicans and it’s a disgrace they’d do such a thing. Not seeing food in there again, and we’ve been spreading the word far and wide on Facebook about this.”

This took me aback for multiple reasons. I’d never realized that “old time string musicians” could be characterized as having one or another political philosophy. If pressed, I might have guessed that the older members of that group might be conservative enough to reject Mitt Romney for being too liberal. Maybe I’ve missed something there.

Sabrina has a birthday at Boyd’s Jig and Reel, Old City, Knoxville
I started my dining day last Saturday at the Bistro and ended it at Boyd’s Jig and Reel at a birthday party for a friend. I went to both because I thought I might enjoy myself, not so much for politics either way. People who read this blog either know or suspect I’m more in the progressive camp than not, though I’m interested in any one’s ideas. For that reason I might be inclined to support Martha, but not so much to boycott Boyd’s. I mean if a progressive wanted to eat politically in east Tennessee, he or she might well starve.

According to the numbers in the survey above (at the time of this writing) we are a pretty divided group with about the same percentage saying politics and food never mix as those saying food is always political. The majority of us allow that it could influence our decisions and that seems about right to me, if the situation were extreme.

So, what do yo think? Are you going to avoid Boyd’s or party at Martha’s for political reasons or ignore the politics and just enjoy downtown for what it is? Leave a comment or vote above. In the meantime, if you won’t throw any food at me, I won’t throw any at you!

Filed Under: Bistro at the Bijou, Boyd's Jig and Reel, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, Knoxville Tennessee, knoxville tennessee blogs, Mitt Romney, Politics and Food, Stacey Campfield