I was in funky Austin, Texas this past weekend. I am not a runner but hub & I were curious to see what there was to see, so we found the finish line area. It was just after 3 hours into the run. There was a huge crowd, a bandstand, and the energy of the crowd was contagious.
We watched runners cross under the finish line thingee--sort of a balloon-arch affair with clocks inset. We witnessed the exhileration and the exhaustion of the runners streaming by.
As we left--yes, I am getting to the irony now--we saw that the runners were apparently supplied with bananas as well as water and medals as they completed the marathon. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF BANANA PEELS THROWN DOWN ON THE GROUND. I realize these people are worn out, but what about consideration for the other marathoners, as well as their supporters? There were already plenty of people on crutches or being carted away after hurting themselves. It was like a bad joke.
