Clarence DeMar Marathon Tour

We dropped off Ethan at UMass for the Fall Semester yesterday and decided to head up to Keene, NH to tour the Clarence Demar Marathon course. The race starts in the tiny town of Gilsum at the Gilsum Historical Society. We had a bit of difficulty finding the race start - it's easy to drive right by Gilsum - but after a couple of wrong turns we eventually found the start. Not long after the start the course crosses the Gilsum Stone Arch bridge:

It's a beautiful bridge that my pictures don't really do justice:

Here are some views looking off the bridge at the Ashuelot River. The course continues down the road at the right and follows the river:

And the other side:

The course winds its way along the river generally downhill (rivers don't flow uphill) through some very pretty, shaded country. It's not all downhill but rather rolling and the pavement isn't always good so I'll have to watch my step. We didn't stop and get any pictures along the river but here's one out of the car that gives a taste of the scenery:

 Around mile 9 you come to the Surry Mountain Dam and do an out and back along the dam. Some shots off the dam:

more of the dam:

more of the dam again:

The second half of the course flattens out and is not quite as scenic - you are no longer running along the river but it's still a nice course:

We drove through the famous cemeteries (famous if you follow the DeMar marathon) with their steep but short hills in the 23rd mile. Eventually you end up at Keene State College for the finish. The town of Keene already has banners out welcoming marathon runners:

One thing I didn't realize about the course was how twisty and turny it is. There aren't many long, straight stretches like you find at Disney World. There are also a number of loops and double backs where you will see other runners coming in the opposite direction. I kind of like that because it keeps things interesting to see other runners. It's a good thing I've been running hills up in Wenham because, while there aren't many big hills on the course, a lot of it is rolling.

The course is very scenic, about which my pictures don't do justice, and I can't wait to run it. Three weeks to go.