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 KopecĀ (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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Happy Veteran’s Day 2011

Posted on November 11, 2011 Written by Leave a Comment
Veteran’s Day Ribbons Line Gay Street, Knoxville

Last year when Veteran’s Day rolled around I posted photographs of the ribbons adorning lamp posts and commented that they had just sprung up all up and down Gay Street. I didn’t realize Knoxville had a Veterans’ Day parade and I assumed someone had experienced a sudden burst of patriotism. Of course I didn’t know about the parade because I’ve always worked on that day and never had the opportunity to be in the city when it happened.

In response to my blog post about the mysterious ribbons I got a comment from a very helpful person that said, in part, “Its. A. Parade,” and commented about how “we” do this downtown. It’s one of my all-time favorite comments with it’s barely controlled rage and smug downtown insider information.

It turned out that I took the day off last year to be with Urban Brother and we got to enjoy the parade together and I wrote a blog post about it. This year I won’t be so blessed: My brother is in his own city and I have to work as is usual. I still thought the day worth mentioning.

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My Favorite Veteran: Urban Father with Urban Daughter and Urban Toddler

ļ»æI’ll give a tip of the hat to my favorite veteran: Urban Father. He served in the navy during the Korean War spending time on a fuel ship and in Japan just after the occupation. Even though he was proud to get out of the military, he is, to this day, proud of his service and I appreciate his willingness to do so, as I appreciate all the others who have served or are currently serving.
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Veteran’s Memorial, World’s Fair Park, Knoxville

ļ»æ It’s worth noting that, in addition to several memorials to particular wars, Knoxville has a pretty good memorial to its soldiers who have died in the service of their country. Included are each of the names of Knoxvillians and those from surrounding counties on large markers at the north end of the  World’s Fair Park. The inscriptions are kept up to date and include those killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. I’d encourage you to spend a quiet moment or two there when you get the chance.

And if you are able, enjoy the parade for me. This will be the 86th edition and it begins at 10:40. If you want to send me a good picture (or more) from the parade, I’ll look for a chance to include it on the blog. Certainly, take this day to thank a veteran. They deserve our gratitude in every way.

Meanwhile at the Bill Lyons Pavilion on Market Square, the Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Knoxville group will hold a big rally and march. This is not disconnected from Veteran’s Day. The freedoms preserved by those Veteran’s make this exercise in democracy possible. This is not lost on the group who plan to do something every hour to honor veterans. Their event will run from 11AM to 11PM and is part of the global Occupy the Streets day.

Happy Veteran’s Day everybody.

Veteran’s Memorial, World’s Fair Park, Knoxville

Filed Under: Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, Gay Street, Knoxville Tennessee, Veteran's Day Parade, Veteran's Memorial, Veterans Day, World's Fair Park

Photographs in Search of a Blog, October 2011

Posted on October 31, 2011 Written by 1 Comment
World’s Fair Park Pavilion, Knoxville, October 2011

I hope you all got to enjoy that great Autumn rain on Friday, the nice weather on Saturday and the first touch of winter on Sunday. It was a great weekend in the city. I read all day Friday, which included “The Letters of Sylvia Beech,” loaned to me by Flossie at Union Avenue Books (thanks Flossie, it will be back soon). I tried 31 Bistro Saturday with great friends Shaft and Deda and got in a little trick-or-treat action with Urban Toddler on Sunday. Pretty nice.
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Cool Motorcycle in front of Hotel Oliver, Knoxville, October 2011

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Tending the garden, fifth floor behind Mast General, Knoxville, October 2011

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Singer, Market Square, Knoxville, October 2011

ļ»æI considered doing something spooky for Halloween, but I’m  not much of a Halloweeny sort of guy so, instead, I’ll end the month as I have a number of times before with images from the city I truly liked, but just never found the blog they deserved. Rather than have them disappear into pixel land, I’ll throw them out for your pleasure.ļ»æ

Beauty in the City, Knoxville, October 2011

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Hippie VW Microbus, Summit Hill, Knoxville, October 2011

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Ballet, World’s Fair Park Pavilion, Knoxville, October 2011

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Spanish Language Radio in Knoxville!

So many things that I photograph are things that I stumble onto in the city. The unexpected sightings of wedding parties, a cool reflection on a building, college kids being, well, college kids, are the kinds of things that make life interesting downtown. When I lived in the suburbs and I went to the grocery store I expected to buy groceries and drive back into my garage. Now, when I buy groceries it involves a walk and I never know what interesting person or sight I might find. Life is too short for dull.

Shadow of the Sunsphere, Knoxville, October 2011

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Volt at Electric Car Show, Market Square, Knoxville, October 2011

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Bride and Groom, Church Street UMC, Knoxville, October 2011

ļ»æļ»æļ»æIf you’d like to see more pictures like these, I have nearly a thousand at the Stuck Inside of Knoxville Facebook Page and I’d love you to go there and hit the “like” button as you look around. Tell your friends about it. I’ll be adding labels to pictures and tagging people (you might look for people you know – or yourself – and tag them for me!). Also, I’d love to have you as a friend at the Knoxville Urban Guy Facebook Page.

Cool Ride, Gay Street, Knoxville, October 2011

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Dog-powered Bike, Central Street, Knoxville, October 2011

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Beauty in the City, Too, Knoxville, October 2011

Filed Under: Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, Flowers in the city, Knoxville Blogs, Photographs of Knoxville, Sunsphere, Wedding, World's Fair Park

People Watching in the City

Posted on September 23, 2011 Written by 2 Comments
Macaw on Union Avenue

Isn’t the people watching in a city one of the best things about the whole experience? In some respects we have a pretty homogeneous downtown population. It’s a mostly white crowd with a large contingent of twenty-somethings and a large contingent of fifty and sixty-somethings. Fortunately, there are exceptions and I hope the exceptions grow.

Alexia Pantanizopoulos and friends play Beatles and more

A little percussion helps – busking on Market Square

It’s not that people watching can’t be interesting in Walmart – there’s an entire website devoted to it. It’s also the only activity that helps me survive the rare drudgery of a trip to the mall. What else could save time spent in that artificially-lighted wasteland? For me, people watching is about the only attraction in that sterile environment. I can’t even get a decent cup of coffee in a Knoxville mall.

Sheila and the Sandwich Board – Union Avenue

Man taking matters into his own hands.

This was one of the most interesting sights of the month. This older gentleman, decked out in his suspenders and suit pants is painting the curb in front of the City-County Building with yellow spray paint. I assume he felt that curb is some sort of hazard. I wonder if he would be commended by city officials or arrested for defacing public property. Still, you have to like it: If you think your world needs to be changed, change it!

Lovers at World’s Fair Park on a lazy Sunday morning

A star in her own mind.

The World’s Fair Park is a great place to see some odd or simply interesting people. It seems to be the place for quite strolling or dangling your feet in the water (even if a tractor is looking over your shoulder) with the one you love. I also discovered the young woman pictured above giving a very enthusiastic performance to the audience in her head. I might try that sometime. I’ve also seen an acting class on the stage and sometimes the Frisbee skills displayed on the lawn are superb.

Bill and the Boy

Bill and the Boy

Kind a cool moment led to the two pictures above. I like sitting with Bill for a few minutes now and again to catch up on the gossip in the city and see how he’s doing. This particular day we were talking about Worship in the City and I commented that surely the crowds must be good for his busking business. He told me that it wasn’t, that the fundamentalists acted like he has a disease and avoid him. As he railed against religious people in general, the young boy approached and asked him if he’d like a sandwich from Subway. He carefully took Bill’s order and scurried back to his mother and the two walked toward the deli. I’m not sure if it changed Bill’s assessment of anybody, but it was pretty sweet.

So, the city is different. Stroll a few blocks and you might just as well run into some of Knoxville’s most wealthy citizens and homeless people. You’ll likely see musicians, whether you recognize them or not, Knoxville is full of them. You’ll see the cool and the hopelessly uncool. Lovers and the lonely. It goes on, but you’ll almost always see something you didn’t expect if you keep your eyes open. That would generally require more of us to unplug our ear buds, stop staring at our smart phones and unglue them from our ears. Be here, now, right?

I’ll hopefully see you all at the Hola Festival on Saturday. Have a great weekend in the city.

Filed Under: 1 Market Square, Buskers, City People, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, Knoxville Tennessee, People Watching, World's Fair Park

Knoxville Through the Eyes of a Child

Posted on September 19, 2011 Written by 5 Comments
Vegetables at the Market Square Farmers’ Market

This weekend promised to be packed with Urban goodness. When Saturday arrived, crisp and cool, and Urban Toddler made the scene, we set out for some large fun. I get a bit frustrated when I hear people say that they would love to live downtown, but what kind of place is it for children? Well, let me tell you about Saturday as an example.

Market Square Farmers’ Market on a cool Saturday morning

The first stop along the way had to be the Market Square Farmer’s Market. Urban Toddler loves picking out the vegetables as she cruises in her stroller or runs about. This week was about the flowers. Her stroller was all decked out. She also loved the blueberries when they were in. Last week she ate over half a pound while we were out. She also wanted a cool apple cider in the little plastic apple and a confection from Rick’s Breads.

Urban Toddler and Urban Daughter in the Sunsphere

From that point decisions had to be made. Krutch Park offered a cook-off with local chefs using ingredients from the Market. It was tauted by brochure pushing teenagers promoting the family-friendly atmosphere and children’s activities. That has to be the choice, right? But wait – what about story time at Union Avenue Books at 11:00?

World’s Fair Park Playground

More friends: More Fun

We left it up to the little princess-in-waiting and she picked “none of the above.” She decided she’d rather go to the playground at the World’s Fair Park where she had a blast. Excellent choice. We did manage a stop along the way to ride the elevator to the top of the sunsphere and look out at the city from the observation deck. It’s free and open most of the time. At the playground she was joined by another half-dozen or more urban children, while others frolicked in the large fountains.

Urban Toddler loves the slide: World’s Fair Park

After that it was Urban Naptime followed by a certain football game of interest. The day was capped off by a birthday party for B.B. King who turned 86 this week. This particular Urban Toddler’s favorite book is “One Shoe Blues” by Mr. King. She often insists that we play his music on the ipod and she was majorly bummed that B.B. did not show up for his own party. After her bath she regained her mojo in time to dance into the night to the sweet sounds of the blues.

Not Happy: B.B. King didn’t show up for his party!

So, the day was a smashing success downtown for one Urban Toddler. Others probably enjoyed the children’s activities in Krutch Park, caught story time at Union Avenue Books and rocked some serious fountain time when the afternoon grew warmer. Many of them probably caught the free family-friendly movie on Market Square the night before. Not a bad warm-up weekend as the little tykes get pumped for next week’s Hola Festival.

Dancin’ to the Blues

Filed Under: Children Downtown, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, Knoxville Blogs, Knoxville Tennessee, Sunsphere, World's Fair Park
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