BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Sunday, my son and I woke up at 4 a.m. to get ready to volunteer for the Buffalo Marathon. I wake up every day before 3 a.m. for my job so it was like sleeping in. For a 14-year-old to wake up at 4 a.m. during a long weekend was a little more difficult.
We made it to our designated volunteer location which was Mile 2 of the race course. We had a fantastic spot on the corner of Delaware and Cleveland. 40 members of the Buffalo Triathlon Club woke up early to make sure the runners had water and Gatorade at Mile 2! It was a cool and foggy morning as we poured thousands of cups of water, and Gatorade, for the runners. Once we were settled with the drinks we started making signs and putting inspirational quotes in chalk on the street.
The starting gun went off at exactly 6:30 a.m. and the first runner was at Mile 2 in ten minutes. The leader was running a five-minute mile pace!!!
Thousands of runners running the marathon, half marathon, and relay ran by us. I had my Gatorade in a cupcake holder which held 12 cups. My son and I handed out hundreds of Gatorades to the runners going by. I was drenched in the sugary drink, but it was well worth it.
After the final runner passed we began cleaning up all the cups that ended up on the ground. You would never have known that thousands of cups were in the street as the Buffalo Triathlon Club did a great job taking care of all the garbage.
If you have never volunteered for a race event I highly recommend it. It was an amazing time and I never would have imagined this would be so rewarding.
