I worked communications for the 500 Mini-Marathon this morning. There are 90+ amateur radio operators working in and around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the west side of Indy, for the health and safety of the tens of thousands of insane people--I mean athletes--who ran the Mini today. This is my third year working the event, stationed at the entrance to the Speedway track, about midway through the course. The race started at 7:30 AM, and my portion of it was done when the track entrance was closed around 10:00. Since the day was cloudy and cool, it was just about perfect weather for the race--until just about the time I was dismissed from my post. Then the sun came out and the runners heated up. I continued to monitor the event by radio long after I was let go
There are always interesting stories to tell. Only one radio call sounded serious...someone on the tail-end bus that they were "working on" and would not let the bus go until the person could be taken off the bus and put in an ambulance on the scene--and that took awhile. Another call was about a National Guardsperson who went down and needed transport to the hospital. (This person was not a runner!) There was a fireman in full call-out gear, including air pack, that walked the course. I saw people of all ages, sizes, and races. There were several people pushing wheelchairs with family members in them. (The regular wheelchair participants start the course before the runners.) One call went out looking for transportation for some parents who needed a trip to the hospital because their diabetic son had been rushed there from home. Another call went out for a runner looking for another runner. (?) And there are always a number of runners who find that they can't finish the course but don't want to wait for the tail-end bus (I guess they expect special shuttle service to the finish line??) Lots stopped to take pictures of themselves and their friends in front of the track entrance, and it was not unusual to see runners talking on cell phones. One fellow--not a runner--tried to enter the track on roller skates! Oh...and at the track entrance, we had "Elvis" and "Meatloaf" singing to us. The Gordon Pipers were a little further down the street. The runners loved it!
And, of course, we had a radio jammer who got his jollies by mindlessly "kerchunking" the repeater and showed his middle school level IQ by blowing a "raspberry" into the microphone when asked not to interfere with the net. And since I teach middle school, I know the mentality!
Once the sun came out (around 10:00), the pit stations were told to put out yellow caution flags so the runners would know to pace themselves. One medical tent toward the end of the course called in that she had overheated runners spilling out onto the ground all over the place. Guess they didn't get the message?
All in all, it was an early day and a successful day. Of course, the usual runners from Kenya won the race. (They always are WAY out ahead of everyone else.) Don't know who the female winner was yet. That will all be on the news tonight...
I'm still eating soft food. My jaw doesn't hurt. I just don't want to disturb the wound where my tooth used to be. But since I was up at 5:00 AM, I think a nap is in order!!
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