Sunday was the 21st annual Los Angeles Marathon. The first one across the finish line won $100,000 + $25,000 + a new car. But this is a person who runs everywhere. Howabout 1,000 pairs of shoes instead?

There has only been one other time in the history of the L.A. Marathon when there was a fatailty. This year there were two. This year there was also the highest number of runners—over 26,000—so statistically it was bound to happen sooner or later.

I did not run the marathon but I was on my feet all day. (Note to self: find more comfortable shoes.) I was downtown at the start/finish area Command Post and vicinity shadowing the director of security for the marathon, Bob Taylor. This was a ham radio event. We didn’t do much all day except deal with the fatality situation and fix a couple of security issues. The folks at the marathon generally know what they’re doing thanks to the many years they’ve done it.

The weather was just about perfect for the runners but a bit chilly for the rest of us with the exception of a few hours midday. It would have been perfect without the breeze; We lucked out not having any rain.

Overall it was a good experience and I recommend volunteering for this event to anyone who wants to feel helpful, whether or not you’re a licensed amateur radio operator.