JFK 50 Mile Tips

Hard Fought Lessons

I was wondering if any of you JFK veterans could fill me in on a few things. Is the race support pretty good?

JFK as changed from the event where you needed a crew to one that you don't. First time crewing at JFK can be harrowing. Crews can easily end up in Virginia or West Virginia while you are tooling down the tow path. Also, the traffic at Crampton Gap (first check point--~8 miles) is now getting pretty hairy, I think. (I really don't know. I've gone through there 14 times but always on my feet, not with a car.)

The weather is not going to be hot, the aid is frequent and good. I would not add another thing to worry about--a lost crew. If you do have a crew, try to get her or him out on the course (er, roads) ahead of time. Also, be sure your crew leaves before the start. He or she needs to be ahead of the field through Boonsboro and up to Crampton's to get a good parking place. (I should say that I do use a crew, but Brenda has long experience there from the days you had to have a crew. I couldn't keep her away if I wanted to, and I don't want to.)

The stuff you would need falls into the category of clothes, not supplies. The aid is fine. The weather can be all over the ball park. Likely below freezing to start, windy on the AT, possibly warmer on the C&O canal and then anyone's guess over the last 8 miles to the finish. Light jackets, gloves, etc. are valuable to have available.

If you want to save your handler some hassle, have him or her meet you first at Weaverton Cliffs (~15 miles). I will give you my secret crew access here, but don't tell anyone else. Your handler can drive through where the aid station is, turn right and park in a church parking lot with the car's (or SUV's) trunk facing the road you will run down. You can pick up aid there, walk about 50 yds to route 340, cross 340 and then pray that you don't get caught by a train on the other side.

Most of the stops along the canal are good for crews. The last 8 miles are no longer very good. (I know that Mike Spinnler feels very strongly about making that 8 miles more traffic-free. He has kicked the crews off that part of the road which is fine, except that it's the locals that were the problem in the first place and they still get to drive by.) The last 8 miles go quicker for you if you don't have anyone around to feel sorry for you anyway.

Look at JFK as a great adventure filled with history and tradition. Enjoy the AT, the varying tow path, and the rural Maryland countryside over the last 8 miles. Don't feel sorry for yourself! (I speak from experience in this. I have let myself wallow in self-pity several times and it wasn't fun.) Just put one foot in front of the other and think about the warm shower in Williamsport. (Be sure to pack a bag for the finish with real, warm clothes, a towel, soap and shampoo stolen form a motel, and shower shoes. Unfortunately, with the renewed large fields, the showers are not as hot as they once were for us middle of the pack finishers, but it still feels good.)

An improvement over the last few years is that they have marked on the pavement each of the last 8 miles. It can be disconcerting since some of the miles seem to take a long time. (It seems to take forever just to get to the 8 mile mark *after* you get off the two path). Look at it this way, however. The 3 mile to go mark is on a hill. You can walk that. The 2 to 1 mile mark always seems short to me. More good news. Finally, you don't have to go all the way into downtown Williamsport. You turn right early. Also, after you turn right, you go through a signal. This is your last chance to freshen up. Catch your breath here because once you go over the little hill ahead, they can see you from the finish line and, of course, you can't walk any more. But you won't want to.

The Towpath. You can get into a discussion with many people about how boring the tow path is. Avoid these. It's not boring. It is an ever changing panorama of beauty and history. Look for the caves that the citizens of Sharpsburg hid in during the Battle of Antietam. Look at Harper's Ferry. And if you think you are running in a straight line, watch your shadow.

It's probably better not to look at the mile posts as you go by. At least I try not to. But if you do, the one you are looking for is MP 84. You get off the tow path about .25 miles past that one. (If you were ever a teenager, you will, of course, want to pay homage to MP 69. It's there, but, of course, looks different because it had apparently been stolen and had to be replaced.)

Final comment. JFK is not the Marine Corps Marathon. Don't drop your cup (or anything else) on the ground. Thanks.

Good luck at JFK. See you in the 500 mile club in 2006!

(Feel free to contact me offline if you have any more specific questions.)

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Anstr Davidson
Arlington, VA
10/12/1997
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