Our final Olympic event was the men’s marathon which was held on the last day of the Olympics. We met another American near PKU at the 29 KM marker of the route. The security was tight and orderly. Basically, we had to stand several feet back from the barricade behind a rope. The crowds slowly gathered as the morning went on. The race started at 7:30 am and we expected the runners to get to our spot between 8:30 am and 9 am. It was getting close to 9 am and there was still traffic on the street. Soon, we saw several helicopters overhead and there was no more regular traffic. The police vehicles came first. Then a truck towing a huge section of bleachers packed with photographers. Then the lead runners came through. I recognized the Ethiopian and Kenyan colors but didn’t recognize the Moroccan colors. The runners were on a blazing pace and within seconds they were out of sight. Moments later a larger group of runners came through and we cheered for every runner whose country could be identified. Some running uniforms had the country emblazoned across the chest. Other uniforms were just of the colors making it difficult to identify the country. We cheered and cheered. “Russia! Russia!” “U.S.A! U.S.A!” “Chile! Chile!” “Mexico! Mexico!” “Bahrain! Bahrain!” “Uganda! Uganda!” “Spain! Spain!” “Australia! Australia! Oh wait, Austria! No, thats Australia! Australia!” When the mid to later runners came through many of them looked tired. Some seemed to be having a good time though as we got some waves and thumbs ups from the runners as they passed us and heard the cheering. After the race, we realized that the crowds were somewhat passive and that we were making the most noise. If I had known the crowds were going to be that quiet, I would have made sure to bring a cow bell or drum! In any case, it was fun to watch these incredible athletes. You have to respect the stamina and endurance of these runners who can keep up that kind of pace two thirds of the way into the race. When the last runner came by, the cleanup crew immediately followed to take down the signs and barricades. That was our cue to go get some brunch and reflect on these exciting Olympics.