A thoughtful city neighbor is ready to greet the runners.
The runners for the second edition of the Syracuse Half Marathon this morning were greeted by 13.1 miles of city streets that had been kissed with a a spring layer of snow during the wee hours.
The temperature was 17 degrees.
And yet they came fast, strong and bundled pretty good against those elements, streaming down the Eastwood neighborhood of my dear wife Karen and I.
The race started at 8 a.m. at the downtown Ocenter. By 8:25 a.m., the lead runners had galloped down the hill in front of our house, at about the five-mile mark. The first woman was only a minute or so behind.
The last runner came down the hill 45 minutes behind the leader.
Neighbors were still at the curb to cheer her as she waved and ran.
In between came 1,600 runners of various sizes, shapes and speed. The mood was surprisingly warm.
I was out snapping hundreds of pictures with my iPad Air.
The first runner past the five-mile Mark was leading by himself.
The hill on our street is daunting.
Police kept intersections safe.
Some runners were not that bundled up.
And down our hill they ran.
Neighbors cheer the runners on.
At times the runners traveled in big packs.
The snow wore off the streets, and the sun came and went.
Taking an urban turn.
And onward through the loop they go. See you next year.
Mark Bialczak 
Pingback: Syracuse Half Marathon Race Recap | UpstateRunner
Mark – great photos of us neighbors cheering everyone on! Glad I found your blog!
LikeLike
Welcome to the online me, neighbor. I’m glad you found your phot here! See you on the block soon, my friend.
LikeLike
I love the tutu. I’m sure the support cheered these runners on their way. Great to see lots of photos.
LikeLike
Yes, the tutu snuck its way into the corner of my frame, fortunately. Thanks, Rachel.
LikeLike
Great pictures! Feels like I was there
LikeLike
Thank you, Joe. The iPad took better photos than the iPhone does, I think. It was so cold, and I couldn’t wear gloves with the touch-screen shutter button!
LikeLike
It really does look like fun but again, to cold for my old bones.
LikeLike
Almost me, too, laflor!
LikeLike
“Five mile Mark”. 🙂 Hahahahahahahaha! I love the cheering section. How nice everyone was so supportive and in good cheer. 🙂 Kudos to the runners!
LikeLike
Those runners were a hearty bunch for sure, Colleen. Us half-dozen enthusiastic spectators on my little block, too!
LikeLike
Syracuse seems like a nice place to live. You Yanks are not all that bad after all.
LikeLike
It’s pretty cool here, Kerbey, thank you. Well, still cold, actually. Spring, summer and fall are quite lovely, when they get here. And, please remember, I am a Met, not a Yankee, please and thank you.
LikeLike
I don’t mean baseball; I mean regionally. But sorry, you Mets are okay by me. Even without your commas. Even with Guy Fieri hair.
LikeLike
I know you meant regionally. Mets fans still have a problem being called a Yankee.
LikeLike
Ya don’t say? And down here, we call everyone north of Dallas a Yankee. Let me practice: Met Met Met. When I say that, I think of the Metropolitan, which sounds like Neopolitan, which is ice cream, so that makes me happy. Was Dwight Gooden a Met?
LikeLike
Dwight Gooden was a New York Metropolitans. Yes, that was the full team name when the franchise started in 1962. Dwight, though, pitched in the fabulous 1980s. Neopolitan ice cream makes me happy, too, Kerbey.
LikeLike
The photos are quite excellent and artistic in their appearance of the road and its surroundings. I like the perspective in the second photo from the top, particularly! Great post, Mark! Smiles, Robin
LikeLike
Thank you, Robin. I am working hard on becoming a better iPhotographer. I think my iPad takes better pictures than the iPhone, quality-wise.
LikeLike
I’m hoping no one slipped on the snow, and the running kept them warm. Great photos Mark. That hill is something else when snow is on it.
LikeLike
I didn’t see one slip and I was out there pretty much from first to last runner, except for a minute when I came inside to drink a cup of coffee and get Ellie B to come outside with me for the last part of the race. Thanks, Angie.
LikeLike
Wow! Great photos!
LikeLike
Thank you, PJ. It was as fun as it was cold.
LikeLike
I can’t believe that girl was out running in shorts!! I got cold just seeing that!!
LikeLike
My fingers were freezing trying to push the shutter button on my iPad, Jolene. The touch pad won’t work with gloves on. I quit feeling bad for myself seeing that woman in shorts run past me!
LikeLike
hahahhaa……yeah no kidding!!!
LikeLike
wow, i really admire the whole community’s effort to be involved in this big event. this is amazing and i am in awe of those in summer running gear, toughing it out, over ice and snow. great pics too, mark. )
LikeLike
Some runners looked very unseasonal, Beth. This year I crept up and down my street to get more angles of the event. I took 250 shots!
LikeLike
wow, you were brave too, a battlefield photog.
LikeLike
Didn’t get run over once, Beth.
LikeLike
glad you did not take any shrapnel.
LikeLike
Nice photos, Mark!
LikeLike
Thanks, my running friend. Did you today?
LikeLike