Go to the thesaurus and look up the word “exceptional.” Copy and paste all of the adjectives for this and you now have a description of the Space Coast Half Marathon. This was the third fantastic event in a row and the last one prior to the Goofy weekend. What a way to end the pre-marathon training events!

The event was the most organized one I have ever come across. From the minute you pulled up to the registration booth to the time you finished, the event organizers, volunteers and all involved had everything set up to the letter. There was also a strong feeling that the runners were both wanted and appreciated. WE were doing THEM a favor, so to speak and they could not have been more gracious.

The event began with a 6-7 minute video of NASA accomplishments, from John Glenn’s walk to the Discovery disaster to the shuttle launches. I can’t say I have great interest in this area, yet I felt a nationalistic pride in the amazing accomplishments of my fellow Americans. Speaking of which, former astronaut Mike McCauley from the ‘89 flight was there to offer words of encouragement and humor, as well as run the event. “The rocket I went up in had 4 or 5 million pounds of thrust. I think this crowd has about 10 million!” referring to the 438 marathoners and about 1500 1/2 marathon runners.

The countdown to the race began with, what else, a replay of the countdown from a rocket blastoff, all shown on a big screen at the start line. The rocket blasted off at zero as did we. The first mile or so was a winding section through the small downtown area. Despite a 6:30 start time, there were surprisingly large numbers of well-wishers lining the streets. Additionally, a number of miniature astronauts were hung in the trees. Nice touch.

The majority of the race had nothing short of breath taking scenery. The race was an out-and-back, and ran parallel with the Indian River. Just across the river was Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral, NASA’s home and launch base. To the right were some of the most majestic homes I have ever seen. They weren’t large homes as much as small hotels. I would love to have lunch with some of these owners and find out how they cracked the code, so to speak.

Miles 2 through 5 in particular were surreal. Dolphins would gently bob up and down in the water, careful not to disrupt the mirrored surface of the water. I wanted to take my sneakers off, grab onto a fin and see where my new friend would take us.

Huge osprey would sit in exotic pine trees as if they were the self appointed caretakers of the water ways. The pelicans and other fishing birds were busy gathering breakfast, leaving the scent of fish to permeate the air. The sun was just starting to creep above the landscape while the full moon was getting ready to end her night’s work. The scene was something out of a seafaring novel.

The course itself was relatively flat and fast. With the exception of an odd midpoint turn (we ended up doing a modified figure “8″ versus a simple “U” turn), runners moved at a quick stride. Only a few dropped off the course, deciding to come and fight another day.

The end also was filled with class and excitement and. . . . the piece de resistance’. . . .TANG. How funny and appropriate is that! I didn’t even know they still made this drink but lo and behold at mile 12.5, happy volunteers were passing it out.

The course ended in the center of town in a grassy public park area. There was a 0.1 mile loop to the finish line, with the announcer calling out both names and congratulations in the same breath. Once the line was crossed, a volunteer ran up with an event towel and a medal. Class act all the way around.

The post-race food was more of a feast — pancakes, bacon, grapefruit, banana, bagels and peanut butter, organic raisins and a host of breads and other goodies. The water and other fluids were cold (they were cold on the race itself as well) and the smiles were abound.

I loved this event as you can probably tell. This group of 2000 or so runners was the most upbeat, high energy, pleasant, friendly group I have ever come across in any event. The course was simply beautiful and brace yourself, yours truly pulled a PR of 2:46. This shocked me as I had a hard, terrible run on Friday (3 pieces of key lime pie for Thanksgiving — not a really good idea for running the next day), a 10 miler on Saturday and was a little drained for this event. Nonetheless, the sights and energy provided needed “fuel” for this remarkable race.

Looking for a GREAT event? Consider the Space Coast marathon. It will meet if not exceed your high expectations!

Side note: I would like to thank Bob Brubaker, our marathon coach from last year. The lessons from last year’s training are still being experienced. The one that came to the forefront recently was:

• Bob led by example and the example that I became aware of recently was “train like a pro.” It did not matter if you are a professional or simple do this like me,  for a life experience, act like you belong. By getting up and committing to being on the Trail at 6am every Saturday, it allowed me to prepare my body for an event. Running 15 miles at 10am or whenever you feel like it is the amateur’s way. Running 15 miles in a way that mirrors the event(s) you are training for is the way the pros do it. Do it the right way and you reap the rewards, starting with finishing the event.

In the past, I thought of training on the one side of the coin, and events on the other. Now I realize they are part of a continuum. Thanks Bob!