Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon

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The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is a 26.2 mile road race in Nashville, Tennessee. It was created to be among the top five most difficult road marathons in the United States, and was designed to be somewhat anti-establishment and grassroots in character. In particular, the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is consciously not part of any running series and is neither certified nor sanctioned by the USATF, but is the standard 26 miles 385 yards. A runner cannot use this race to qualify for the Boston Marathon. This marathon was initially dreamt up by a broad array of Middle Tennessee runners and was first described on an internet message board dedicated to Middle Tennessee runners. The original organizers included Trent Rosenbloom, The Nashville Striders, Peter Pressman, Diana Bibeau, and others.

The marathon was inaugurated on November 19, 2006, with 97 runners. In the inaugural running, the first place male runner finished in 2:50:25, and the first place female finisher in 3:11:05. The marathon's second running took place on November 18, 2007 with 174 runners from 29 states, 2 Canadian provinces, and one from Italy. In 2007, the overall male winner cut 4:50 off the course record by finishing in 2:45:35. The race is run in Percy Warner Park in Nashville, TN - one of the country's largest public city parks. It is one of the hardest road marathons in the country according to many runners.

The marathon starting and finishing line is located at 7201 Highway 100 South, Nashville, TN, 37221. Coordinates: 36°03′59″N 86°54′02″W / 36.066255, -86.900418 (36.066255, -86.900418).

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[edit] Results history

Male results

Year First place Second place Third place
2007 Chuck Engle 2:45:35 * Jeff Edmonds 2:58:17 Pete Mueller 2:59:29
2006 Jeff Edmonds 2:50:25 Richard Bailey 2:55:54 John Brower 2:56:31

Female results

Year First place Second place Third place
2007 Michelle Didion 3:20:13 Emily Ryan 3:39:55 Tanya Savory 3:44:19
2006 Jessica Southers 3:11:05 * Wendi Parker-Dial 3:14:17 Erin Barton 3:55:07

Asterisk denotes current course record, by gender

[edit] The legend

The marathon's name honors a local legend about mythical flying monkeys. Middle Tennessee runners, walkers and bikers tell of the mythical Harpeth Hills Flying Monkeys that are reported to live in Percy and Edwin Warner Parks in Nashville. According to the legend, the flying monkeys, named the after the geologic region where they reside, are an endangered species and are only rarely seen by humans. Many tell of flying monkey sightings being confused with large owls or hawks. The local legend complements the Story by Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the movie The Wizard of Oz (1939 film), and tells of a period before 1939 when such monkeys were seen throughout the Southeastern United States, with large populations living in middle Tennessee and Appalachia. The legend states that, following 1939, the flying monkeys were hunted to the point of near-extinction. As a result, the flying monkeys no longer fill the skies and may occasionally attack humans around dusk and dawn. Some runners tell stories of sightings, with the flying monkey spotted perched high up among tree branches in the predawn light or aflight, wings spread beneath the setting full moon, enjoying a few moments of a lost freedom.

[edit] The Warner Parks

The Warner Parks, one of eighty parks owned and operated by the Nashville Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, are located in southwest Davidson County in the Harpeth Hills. The Parks comprise a vast rolling woodland in the heart of the Nashville community, and are situated just 9 miles from downtown. Surrounded by urban and suburban settings on all sides, the Warner Parks include the adjoined Percy and Edwin Warner Parks, together encompassing nearly three thousand acres of forests, fields, hills, valleys and wetlands. The Warner Parks together make up one of the largest city parks in the country. While the parks have walking and nature trails, the singular draw for runners is their extensive network of paved running routes.

Snaking through the 2,058 acre Percy Warner Park is the 11.2-mile Main Drive. "The 11.2", as the locals call it, winds its way through the tree-shaded Park, covering over 1,500 feet of elevation gain and loss with grades of up to 10-12% at times, with occasional open fields and densely-forested glades. The route goes by scenic overlooks of Nashville, various sports and recreation areas, and quiet picnic pavilions. Runners also pass the Iroquois Steeplechase, one of the country's oldest grassy horse tracks.

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