Skylon Marathon
[assistant editor's note: Charlie Wojcik was one of our two winners in the "Lost Races of the Last Millennium" contest. This is his take on the Skylon Marathon… enjoy! We did!]
Possibly you've run it? For those who haven't, that's one more thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The fact that the International marathon known as "Skylon" exists no more should be cause for celebration. It's not. Just like sauerkraut, cucumbers and spicy food, it keeps coming back. Today's "Casino" marathon embodies all the joy of the original Skylon.
The Skylon/Casino may not be the worst marathon, but it does carve out a great portion of your time due to the fact that the start and finish are about 18 miles apart and in two different countries. Pre-race logistics are a nightmare. Unless you're a "frost back", your packet pickup is in a foreign country. You "pre-clear" Customs and Immigration the day before the race, forcing all but the locals to spend a night in the Niagara Falls area.
If ever there was a good reason to run away from Mistake On The Lake I, the Skylon seems like it. It takes about six miles to escape the grip of Buffalo to arrive at the U.N. flags on the bridge. It is here that whatever kind of race you are having, gets worse. The turn to follow the Niagara River current to the Falls is postponed for a short lap of Fort Dreary Ontario. Running away from Fort Erie is where you get the wind. This wind is so strong that it seems impossible to fall forward even if you tripped.
In addition to keeping the finish line at bay, the strong headwinds provide you with two temperature zones. You are hot and cold at the same time. The only thing to distract you from the wind surge is the seemingly static Niagara River as it rushes toward the Falls much faster than you. Hours of running into the wind finally carry the spray from the Falls to your face. Who cares? You just want to finish, get out of the wind tunnel, find your transportation, and come to America. The Casino (Skylon) is waiting for you. Come to Canada eh?
-- Charlie Wojcik
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