The pet name for Wickham Park Marathon is Brain Boiling Rat Basta*d.

It is so hot, so glaringly sunny, it's unbelievable. Imagine running (death marching) through deep white sand.

What makes it do-able is you go past your car every 3.75 miles, so you can have your own aid station (at that race, I live on defizzed Coke, watermelon and Energice Frozen Gels) and cooler and drop bag/basket of sunscreen, sponges, udder balm, etc.

At the end, (or in the middle!) you can go swim in this kind of icky lake. It feels so good!!! There is also a soccer field watered by some sort of gray water, which you can get into during certain times, and at about halfway, a water spigot to completely drench yourself in.

There are a couple shady spots, but they don't last long. And there have been two fires on the course, so what trees there were lost their leaves. The saw palmetto is expected to be fully recovered by race day.

I know the guy who is the only finisher ever of the 200 mile fun run. He's a rocket scientist, really. From Texas.

I love this race.

Nanci