Broad Street Run, 2023
This year's Broad Street Run was horrible. I consider myself a runner. Of all the weather challenges runners face, the biggest one is rain. On a cold day. Not a drizzle, solid rain. I mean the downpour we see where we get half an inch of rain in less than an hour. Or a steady pattering that goes on for hours. I was fortunate to take some pictures during Marine Corps Marathon in DC a few years ago. I remember a downpour so bad during that race that my friend wanted to give up on the race and leave. She persisted and finished, as women always do, but I digress. Even during that race, the rain eventually stopped and the sun came out after an hour. But this Broad Street Run felt different. The morning felt gloomy and very discouraging. It rained the days leading into race day. And when the rain started, it didn't stop until after the race. Most runners had to deal with it at some point in their run. Maybe it wasn't too bad for the elite, can we appreciate that dude who finished it in 45 minutes? Sheesh!
As you will see in the photos below, and I hope you can see how depressing the day felt. I settled in the middle of Broad Street near Locust St, a point 6 miles into the course. I wanted to find some shade when it rains, but I couldn't. I wrapped my camera in a plastic bag to avoid getting drenched in the rain. I stood in the rain and took pictures for as long as I could. A nice family offered me some shelter under their umbrella while they waited for their friends to pass us. They were confused and surprised that I was taking photographs in the rain even though I wasn't hired by a media outlet. I do this for me. And my running fraternity. The words I hear from my friends that a picture I took helped them re-live the race is the compensation for my work. If you're seeing this and want to buy me a coffee, I'd appreciate that too (Venmo - Goutham-Radha).
Scroll down and see some pictures of the beautiful faces as they raced down Broad Street in pouring rain. Please share this album with your friends and ask them to share it with theirs. I hope the people who ran the race can see the joy and jubilance on their faces. You will notice that there are some pictures that look blurry and out of focus. I wouldn't usually put these pictures on my page. But I left them in this album to highlight the dreary conditions during the race. You can notice the raindrops falling. You can see the runners breathe heavily to deal with the overwhelming humidity. You can see warriors beating the elements, cruising toward the finish line. Great job, Runners!
