West Philly Runners: Testing Our Mettle

Running means so many different things to different people, and it is by its nature a very personal experience. Yet, once in a while we get run together as a team, sharing that experience. We have a bunch of these kinds of team races coming up, starting this weekend, that bring us together as a team.

Most apropos is the Lenape Survival Challenge, on Saturday, where we'll be partnered up so that we can end the 4.5 mile run with another 2.5 miles of canoeing with our partners. Our collective tribe, made up of ten 2-person teams, will vie against other tribes for the championship.

The following weekend is Broad Street, which is fun and hand-on-heart patriotic as much as it is a test of willpower. We are planning to come together after the race as a team at one of the runners' houses (probably my house at 5019 Hazel) for a post-run BBQ.

Two weeks later, on May 18, is the 26x1 mile Marathon Relay. Make sure you check out the details of the poster competition.

And ending the Spring team races is the ODDyssey (costume-optional) Half-Marathon on June 9. At last check, we only needed 4 more runners on our team to get our own Port-a-John and we already have enough to get our own post-race beer tent. Team costumes are being conceived right now, so chime in if you have any ideas.

Penn Relays

Don't forget the Penn Relays, because sometimes it's fun to watch other people run while you sit around and eat popcorn. Some runners are planning on going to the distance night on Thursday, beginning at 5:30pm. The steeplechase starts at 7:30 and is super fun to watch. Duc also pointed out a sweet Living Social deal for a 3-day pass to the relays, which is worth it if you plan to go to more than 1 day.