Opinion: It’s my favorite time of the year again. It’s time for the Eugene Marathon. Find your tissues and grab some water because watching marathons will change your life.
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When the porta-potties line East 15th Avenue and Agate Street, that’s how you know something great is about to happen. My time in Eugene last April taught me this. Following the mass gathering of portable toilets, I did some light research, and I finally found what solicited this gathering of traveling restrooms: the Eugene Marathon.
I am not a runner. I have run before, but in my everyday life, I don’t find myself searching for endorphins in exchange for physical exertion. I’ve never had a great appreciation for the sport itself; however, watching the Eugene Marathon last year changed my life for the better. Some speculate I happened upon the meaning of existence after standing by the finish line.
There I was, breakfast burrito in one hand and some caffeine in the other, as people I had never met before jogged into Hayward Field. The excitement around me was unmatched. Friends and families cheered as their loved ones rounded the corner and realized their dreams in Track Town, USA. I sat in awe of these individuals, and then suddenly, it happened. I shed my first tear during the Eugene Marathon.
I had heard the crowd begin chanting. They slowly increased in volume, and I started to distinguish a singular name being encouraged.
“No-lan, No-lan, No-lan!” I heard as I saw people covered with “Nolan” on their shirts and signs. I wanted to chant along with them. The enthusiasm was contagious, and I was beginning to feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins while awaiting the finisher. Then came Nolan. He turned the corner, wiped his tears and pumped his fists as he finished the half-marathon heroically. The crowd went wild. And I understood my place in the universe.
They say watching a marathon can change your mentality, and I’ve never agreed more strongly with a fact. Something about the heavy motivation in the air makes you want to breathe it in and use it for yourself. The feeling of accomplishment is contagious, and appreciating human ability is an unmatched experience.
Elliott Deins, a University of Oregon transfer student, will run the Eugene Marathon this year. It will be his first marathon. After two years of running, Deins is excited by the challenge of a four-hour race.
“I’ve always been the kind of guy that likes to do hard things,” Deins said. After leaving the Navy, Deins rediscovered the enjoyment of running. “It’s kind of like meditation for me. I use it to organize my thoughts.”
Although he is a little nervous for the race, he looks forward to the finish line. Before living in Eugene, Deins did not know it was called Track Town, USA. After learning the history of running in Eugene, Deins is excited to end his first marathon inside Hayward Field.
Deins will join the thousands of other runners on April 30 as they realize their accomplishments and as I spectate with amazement. My excitement is fierce. But the excitement of the runners is greater than I could ever imagine.
As Deins thought about crossing the finish line, he considered what would happen next. “I’m really excited for the phone call that I’m going to make to my mom as soon as I finish,” Deins said. “I’ll probably make a dumb joke or something.”
It sounds hyperbolic, but to say the Eugene Marathon changed my perspective on life is not an overstatement. I will never get tired of victories. Whether it is Lightning McQueen pushing The King over the finish line in “Cars,” or Elliot and his alien flying on a bike across the moon, victory is emotional. And the Eugene Marathon reminds me that triumph exists all around us. I have found it outside the gates of Hayward Field.
