One interested spectator watches last year’s Syracuse Half Marathon. (Photo by Karen Bialczak)
They will come thundering down our city Syracuse neighborhood hill again Sunday.
The runners participating in the second edition of the Syracuse Half Marathon are sure to be a colorful bunch.
Cold, too. Forecasts right now are for high temperatures in the 20s.
Don’t drive down our Syracuse street on Sunday morning.
About 1,600 runners have signed up to log the 13.1 miles that loop around our city of Syracuse.
If last year’s participants are any indication, some will be wearing just shorts and a nylon running shirt.
They will look warm, and will be among the first to come zooming down the hill and past the house of my dear wife Karen and I. No expert in running am I, but it very much looks like they are generating their own warming power plant.
Some will be wearing sweats, bottom and top. The smarter if slower ones, I’d say.
There will be plenty of hats. We shall see how original the runners are about the head gear.
I intend to be out there snapping away with the iPhone and/or iPad to post the glory of it all here on Sunday.
I took Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle out in the driveway of neighbor Kelly with us last year, but I do believe that the photo Karen caught inside our house above captured the dog’s eye view best.
To see my post about last year’s stream of runners past our house, click here.
Are you a runner? What’s the most miles you’ve ever run at once? What would you like to run?
Mark Bialczak 
I’m glad Ellie B is being entertained. I ran my first and last 5K in 1998 and managed to lock my truck key in my truck (I mistakenly put my apt key in my sock, instead of the truck key) and then had to ask the nice policeman to help me. I guess running in your cold weather is one way to warm up!
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Nothing quite like discovering you’re locked out of the truck after running a 5K, it sounds like, Kerbey. I see why you stuck to one. And you now beat my by that number exactly. Kerbey one running race, Mark zero. I have walked some 5Ks though.
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All told, you have probably walked a million. But you didn’t get to pin that piece of paper with a number on your T-shirt chest. I will look back on that day like Al Bundy looks back on football.
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Yes, you should, Kerbey. Way to go.
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Great photo.
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It is a Karen classic, Rachel, indeed.
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She caught Ellie B perfectly.
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tell karen i love this picture so much, it’s a classic, really. can’t win to see your pics from this year’s event. i am the worst runner on the planet, i can walk forever but as soon as i run 100 ft, i am gasping for air. (not that a bit of practice wouldn’t help, it’s not my fav exercise though, so i never really put any effort into getting better). i’ve entered 5ks, usually as part of a team for a fundraiser and i’m mostly a walker with an occasional running moment, in those too. i have a funny story about a 5k i’ll post about, thanks for the idea and have fun )
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I do indeed love Karen’s classic photo here, Beth. I fear I will never be able to top that tomorrow. Maybe she will! And, like you, running is not my thing, although I walk at least 30 minutes every day now and sometimes up to an hour. I also like entering the fund-raiser walks, never runs.
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I’ll take a Ellie on a run whenever she’d like to go. You know me with animals. Despite enjoying a good run, I’m not much of a racer.
Don’t ponder what might make a good shot, and let the pic ideas come naturally.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and let’s get our superstitious habits ready for tonight with hope for Syracuse smiles and high spirits tomorrow.
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Karen and I have decided to go with Twin Trees Too pizza and wings for good luck tonight. Tomorrow, I shall shoot, shoot, shoot for a good runners shot. Enjoy, Chris.
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finally, I get to see your famous dog
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Check out the link below for a big shot of my big-shot Ellie B, Martha.
https://markbialczak.com/2014/03/13/im-tired-of-the-red-truck-and-the-unleashed-black-dog/
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My sister runs marathons, in AUSTRALIA, in SUMMER, they are a nutty nutty lot those who run further than I ever intend to walk in one go.
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Yes, a long-distance runner must be wired in a way differently than I, Jenni, no matter the country or season!
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Love that pic of Ellie B! I can see her thought bubble, “I can take these clowns, you call that running?”
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Exactly, Sandra! When I had her outside watching, you definitely kept me holding that leash tightly because she wanted to join the race.
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Love the photo, and you still have snow.
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The top photo is from last year, same exact time of March. Lower photo is this week. So, two years in a row with snow at the start of spring in Syracuse, laflor!
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My brother Rich loves to run full marathons, sometimes he runs 5k’s with his golden retriever. I love this photo of Ellie, Mark! So sweet!
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Wow, your brother is an athlete, Robin. And so is his golden retriever!
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He seems to think it keeps his Golden named “Hamlet,” from being annoying and hyper! His newfoundland stays at home, relaxing… This is going to be awhile until the dog gets too old for the adventure of running! Thanks, Mark, for this comment back to me! Made me smile! Robin
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Cute photo of Ellie B! I would love to have a front row seat to see those runners.
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I am trying to figure out some interesting photo ideas to post tomorrow, PJ.
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That’s fabulous! I so admire worker outers! 🙂 Throw a couple of cheers out for me Mark!!
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I will be cheering for us all, Colleen. I’ll make sure Ellie B throws out a woof for you, too.
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😉
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