Meagan Evans's Staging Area

I couldn’t have asked for a better day marathon day here if I tried! The spirit of Huntington Beach + a marathon is pure magic. 😍

I love running, but it is something I always do alone. I have anxiety about a lot of things. I’m anti-social, I put pressure on myself, and I compare myself to other people- so imagine what running a timed race with 17,000 other people triggers in me. I haven’t ran many organized running events because of this, but I had a terrible marathon time 10 years and 2 babies ago, and I have always wanted a decent one.

I didn’t tell anyone I was doing this, so I went to the expo alone. I didn’t feel alone once I got there because It was very well organized and so well decorated! There were fun, vibrant VW buses decorated to the tee and tons of cute photo ops if you’re an instagrammer you can’t miss the expo! Volunteers were eager to take photos for people who were solo like me and the beach vibes were contagious! There were tons of vendors and everyone was so encouraging , it really set the mood for race weekend! The goodie bags, and metals were ADORABLE! I have received so many compliments on my medal, it really couldn’t be better. The tee for the event was a very comfortable long sleeve in a gorgeous blue color! I’m not ashamed to say I have worn it so many times since! I felt prepared and got through it quickly. After the expo, I sat on the beach because hello- Surf City!

The morning of, I was instructed to park at Edison High School for free shuttle to the start! I was nervous about this but the bus driver greeted us EARLY, was very welcoming and took us over before the first shuttle was even scheduled to leave. He provided the right amount of warmth to wake us up and calm our nerves! While waiting for the start, they had coffee and portapotties available. There were so many there was never a line. I met a stranger who was running her first one as we waited for our start and I was even able to help HER relax. She thanked me and I ended up seeing (and yelling for her) in the twenty mile range- Go Camille! Helping her helped me. So many people here helped me.
I said thank you to everyone that shuttled me, handed me electrolytes, was cheering/clapping/ringing a bell/holding a sign/high-fiving me on the sideline. I tapped every single Mario 👨🏻‍🦱 sign that said, “Tap here for a power up 🍄.” There was no shortage of crowd and volunteer motivation I was so thankful! Surf city really knows how to pump a marathoner up- I’m telling you! The mile markers were extra special, and had a community feel. Two miles were dedicate to residents of Orange County who lost their lives in the helicopter crash that also killed Kobe Bryant. At the starting line we put our hands over our hearts and sang the national anthem. Then we had 24.2 seconds of silence for the victims. It was beautiful. And so was the starting line- with a classic VW bus kicking us off!

I took my headphones off as I passed any group playing live music or dancing on the sidelines. There were a lot of aid stations and portapottys available. Every volunteer holding water and electrolytes was motivating Runner’s as well!

I smiled at all the photographers and reminded runners, both faster and slower than me, that THEY were doing a great job. I also received a lot more photos of me than I anticipated!

I literally didn’t see a face I knew until mile 26, (4 hours of running in) so my heart was genuinely thankful for anyone taking time out of their life to look right at ME and tell me I was doing well, and there were so many. The route itself is a great course with beach, park and residential views. It’s very flat so I anticipate you setting a PR like I did if you try this out! Which you have to! The finish line was amazing- organized and snacks galore!

They also provide live tracking so I was able to sign up a friend (without telling her, surprise you’re volunominated to cheer me on!) for my live tracking text alerts around 14 miles in, because I knew she’d text me something that would help! It allowed my parents to meet up with me at the end
Of the race as well because they could anticipate my finish time.

And then I ran just like I trained. My way, for me, until I finished…in the exact time I wanted to! I wasn’t stressed or anxious I just ran, had fun and was nice to people for 26.2 miles! It was beautiful!
I Also didn’t find a pace group but there were plenty in sight!
It’s a real thing, running a marathon. The Surf City Marathon was truly a weekend to celebrate running. With this race you get all the enthusiastic support of strangers cheering you on as if you were family, the fun of running, beautiful views and an excellent chance at a PR. It is set up for success ! Plus you get awesome goodies and the coolest medals around! This would be an excellent tradition to start! Thank you so much Surf city for a weekend I’ll never forget!

It was amazing to see the thousands of people who volunteered their time to help other people come together for one thing. The spirit of a marathon is pure magic, and this is one you don’t want to pass up! 😍🙌🏻

I have ran for fun since highschool, and I’ve done a lot of double digit runs in my life, but I really feel like I’m just starting to figure out how to put it all together… mastering the anxiety and fueling, were huge steps for me. They are just as important as having endurance in my opinion.

It literally took just as much effort for me to EAT and block out the pressure I put on myself, as it did to keep my body moving those last couple miles. And if I would’ve let any of that anxiety get to me the whole thing would’ve been different. I hit no wall, had no cramps, everything literally went perfectly. It got hard, but it was perfect.

Marathoning and running in general is about so much more than the miles.

I’m so grateful that I can do it, and that there are people in the world who come together everyday to help others do things like this.

🥰

The boys and I spent the rest of the day at the beach and they shuttled back with me and other runners on the bus, where we had some really sweet conversations. Harper wore my medal all the way home, he was proud. My thighs are sore but my heart is full! 💥 🤛🏻 🏅

I know most people don’t care or “get” it but if anyone ever wants to talk running, I enjoy it! 🙌🏻