Twin Cities Marathon Finishers!!

Congratulations Jonathan and Josh on finishing your 1st marathon!!

The weather today was not ideal for runners or fans, but they made the most of it and ran well. Here are some pics of the marathon parts of the weekend.

Jon picking up his bag...with his bib number and computer chip for his shoe.

Josh picking up his stuff too.

The cheering section :-) They got the free thunder sticks, but then were too cold and wet to actually use them along the race :-)

Our first spot...mile 2! We were able to park very close, just across the street. It was COLD at 8 o'clock this morning!! The complaining from the kids began already :-)

Alecia's Dad (Byron Link) went into a bus stop across the street with the boys and Elianna. It helped keep them out of the wind a little bit.

Jake and Andrew wanted nothing to do with pictures!

Alecia and her mom, Denice Link.

The first racers we saw...the wheelchair racers. They are amazing!! This was quite a hill for them to have to start racing. I was glad we were able to see them here, because they finished way before we got to the finish line!

The first group of runners.

The first female runner.

Way to go, Josh!!

We spot him!

Hey everybody!!

Our second stop was at mile 10. It was really raining. We were wet and cold. Eli did NOT want to move from this spot! It was a good thing traffic was stopped...he was right in the middle of the intersection! I didn't get many pics at this stop...I was trying to protect the camera, hold an umbrella and keep my kids dry :-)

Our next stop was between Mile 19 & 20(after a not so quick potty break at a gas station...only 1 bathroom and a lot of people needing to stop!). This is only 2 blocks from my brother and sister-in-law's place, so we were able to park in their driveway, which was very nice! This was just after the runners had crossed the Franklin Ave. bridge. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, but the boys had had enough! Jake, Andrew, Eli and Elianna stayed in the van with Alecia's mom and watched a movie. Connor came with us to cheer them on!

This is CJ Peterson, the son of one of my coworkers. Connor spotted him as he ran past! Elianna said she had seen him at mile 10, but didn't know I was looking for a CJ. :-)

Looking good, Josh!

Waving to Alecia, Dad and Byron.

Jon taking advantage of the water station.

A hug for his Mom and son.

Off he goes!

Mark, Sara and Henry came down to cheer on Uncle Jon :-) My Dad also made it just in time to see Jon go past. He also saw Jon a little later by Ayd Mill Road.

The finish line!! Josh could hear the kids and I, but couldn't find us :-) The finish line was quite crowded. We had actually thought that we had heard Josh's name announced when we were walking towards the finish line, but it must have just been a name that sounded close. So I was surprised when I saw him!

Congratulations, Josh!!
The view up John Ireland Blvd. Once they turn the corner at the St. Paul Cathedral, it is downhill and straight to the finish line!

He made it!! Way to go Jon!!

A happy, but sore person!

And he made it!!

Trying to warm up and take in some snacks.

The finishers!!

Update: I forgot to include their times. I guess some people like to know that kind of info :-) Josh finished in 4:06:26 and Jon finished in 4:42:31.

I love this shot with the Capitol building behind them :-)

Proud kids :-)

Here's a big jumbo tron that you could watch the runners cross the finish line. If you notice, there is a wheelchair competitor just finishing at this time. He was an older gentlemen who had a lot of persistance!!

Following the race we went to Perkin's so the guys could get some carbs and protein back into their bodies. After that everyone disbursed and went home. Jon came home and took a nap :-) As did I! Jon is pretty sore right now. He did take some ibuprofen and has been stretching. He's planning to go to work tomorrow...

Thank you for all your prayers as they competed today! It was not the best of conditions and we were thankful that they both finished and did not suffer any major injuries or illnesses. Thank you to all the family and friends that came out to support them and cheered them on!! They heard you and it made a huge difference!! Thanks!!