SweetH20 Sweetheart Half Marathon | 2014

***A full gallery of all runners’ race photos can be found here.***

Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs, GA.  13.1 . . . or so . . . miles of agony, and joy!  This is what I think of every year that I see these runners braving the cold, the slippery trails, the rocks, the river and the trees.  Alternately, I see faces filled with expressions of pain and determination and I look down to see muddy legs, bloody knees . . ., and then a bright smile will pass before my lens and a runner will fly by with arms raised and utter delight on their face.  Sometimes you see a blank face, a runner utterly focused, breathing easy and passing in a blur.  They come in all shapes and sizes, all fitness levels, and yet each and every runner has trained for the race and they all work so hard for each step and each mile on this course.

I love being a member of the Douglas County Rogue Runners and having the privilege of taking these photos.  I stand out there in the cold, thinking, “I’d rather be running in this weather than taking photos” – I happen to really enjoy running in the cold.  But I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything.  I pack up my coffee and some fingerless gloves and head down the trails to my designated spot and wait with excitement for each runner to pass through.  I get to know the faces, I cheer them on and am so proud and happy for each of them.  This year was particularly fun for me – I was first posted at mile 2, so I got to watch as they eagerly pranced through, still on fresh legs and settling in for the journey. Then I moved to mile 11, where they were SO CLOSE to the finish they could glimpse it through the woods before traveling down a steep hill and then back up to claim their prize.  I had the unfortunate task of telling them, “Two more miles, you got this!” when so many were D.O.N.E.  But not a single one stopped.  I saw the bloody knees.  I saw limping gaits.  But not a single runner stopped.  And once they finished many came over to stand with me and cheer on their friends and fellow-runners.  Runners are a family of sorts . . . every runner I know wants everyone else to be a runner, too (me, included).

This is just a sampling of the photos to give a feel for the day.  To find your own (you should be able to find yourself toward the beginning and the end – mile 2 and mile 11), download them, or order prints, click here to be directed to my online gallery . . .  enjoy!!!