With 1,785 runners completing the 5k race and 5,051 finishing the half marathon, another 2,540 crossing the marathon finish line and 2,344 involved in the team relay...Saturday's 2007 Baltimore Running Festival was a venue for 11,720 runners to enjoy the October weather and earn a well deserved congratulations! From my perspective running the half marathon, this was one of the most enjoyable Baltimore Running Festivals we've had so far. The half marathon course features the great neighborhood support you find throughout the city plus the beautiful loop around Lake Montebello that gets you pumped for the ever challenging climb up 33rd street. For me, the race, whether I'm running the half or the full marathon, always seems to turn on how I feel at the water stop on 33rd Street, which is mile 9 of the half marathon or mile 22 of the full marathon. If I still have some energy at this point, I know I have a chance for a decent time. This year I felt good all the way up 33rd Street and the zig zag onto Guilford and then 28th Street and finally Howard Street provided a nice change of pace and a chance to enjoy a comfortable finish. My friend Joe Brandli, who has completed a couple of Ironman triathlons, was my pacer. He's much more efficient than me at the water stops, drinking while he's running and usually leaving me in the dust for a while. But thanks to Joe I was able to finish in 1:51 even after doing a couple 9:45 miles as we navigated the large crowds at the start of the race. Joe beat me by about a minute and surely could have finished much faster if he wasn't running with this slowpoke. Thanks Joe! And thanks to our wives, Laurie and Mary Ann, and my son Stephen for coming out to cheer us on...that's what it's all about!

On Sunday morning Joe, my wife Laurie and I got out to cheer Joe's wife Mary Ann and 30,000+ other runners and walkers in the Race For The Cure in Hunt Valley. We were with fellow members of Hunt Valley Church and the cross country team from McDonogh School handing out water at mile 2. Joe and I agreed that standing with outstretched arms holding water for two and a half hours was probably more tiring than running the half marathon! But what an inspiration to see all the people with so many courageous stories to tell...congratulations to them too!

All in all...a great running weekend...now we need some rain!

Tom Tasselmyer