Dunkin Donuts and the Bellin Run

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I went to bed at 3 AM. I had a wonderful sleep for as long as it lasted, which could have been a few hours longer. I started hearing voices. I thought it was my son and grandson being loud around 6:30 this morning. My son worked until 6, so I didn't think anything about it and went back to sleep, only it was not a sound sleep because the voices kept me from going back to sleep. Then I realized it wasn't coming from inside the house but outside and my brain went to what day this is. And nothing made any sense. Every year since I've been here and most likely a lot longer than that the Bellin Run has been on Sunday. Today is not Sunday. It's Saturday. I live 3 blocks from the hospitals of which one of those is Bellin Memorial Hospital. Across the street from the hospital is a large park. In that park not three blocks from my house a lot of people gathered and some loudmouth with a megaphone or microphone or whatever began shouting to all those who could hear him that the festivities for the Bellin Run was about to commence. Very few people have heard of the Bellin Run, but it's race partner is well known - the Boston Marathon. Both are run by the same organization. The Bellin Run is a 10K race and is also an international race as the people who win this race are generally from Kenya. At least that's who I've seen the winner is more than anyone local. So I'm awake a mere 5 hours after I went to bed. And as I was sitting here getting started with my day, not by my choice this early in the morning, my son and grandson came home with some Dunkin Donuts and my favorite donut - the Cruller - they look like wagon wheels, and what I've generally referred to them as. Yes, I like those more than chocolate donuts. So I'm sitting here eating my wagon wheels and venting about being awake at this ungodly hour as I get ready to do my Daily Bible Study. Just to give you an idea of how famous this run is, it ranked among the top ten largest timed runs in the US in 2009. Many elite athletes have participated in this event - among them current and former Olympians and national marathon champions. The first Bellin Run was held in 1977. Seven countries beside the US have participated in the Bellin Run - Kenya, South Africa, UK, New Zealand, Portugal, Germany and Tanzania. Kenya has won it 16 times and Tanzania once. Kenya won it the last four years. It will be interesting to see who will win it this year. So there is a little history of the Bellin Run that woke me this morning and not tomorrow. Thankfully it is a beautiful cloudless blue sky for the event, and they are getting it underway before the heat of the day which is supposed to be in the 90's today. Have you ever participated in any kind of marathon or race? Thanks for reading. Image is Public Domain from the run in 2013 - Wikimedia Commons