A great day, a great race

Blessed with near perfect weather, the 2011 News and Sentinel Half Marathon and Two Mile Races are now in the history books.

The day started early for many - volunteers were out before dawn getting the starting line and finish line ready for the races. Hundreds of water stop workers were in place a little after 7 a.m. at locations all over town, and law enforcement officers and volunteers blocked dozens of intersections.

By 7:30 a.m., Third and Juliana streets were filled with runners and walkers who by 8:10 a.m. were heading out in two directions to test themselves on the two mile and half marathon courses.

It seemed as though most people involved with the races had a great time. Having been involved with the last 10 events, I think it was one of the smoothest yet. The fact that the races go so well is testament to the hundreds of volunteers that work countless hours to make sure the needs of the nearly 2,000 people participating in them are met. Without them, the races would not be possible.