Abilene Kansas is the location for the Eisenhower Marathon. This will be race #13 for the 50 Ability Marathons Team and it is said to be a flat and fast course. Which makes sense if you have ever driven or even talked to someone who has driven through Kansas. The further away you get from the eastern border, the flatter the land gets. And when it comes to racing wheelchairs, the less hills there are the faster the race will be.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Flat Plains of Kansas, Abilene is one of the original “Cow Towns” of the Midwest. Thanks to Joseph McCoy, an entrepreneur from the late 1800’s, he promoted the transportation of Longhorn cattle to the east coast. Cowboy’s would herd the cattle from Texas north to Abilene Kansas, along the Chisholm Trail, where they would be put on trains and shipped to the east coast cities. As you can imagine, Abilene was a tough and rowdy town, being the end destination for the cattle drive. Once the cowboy’s got their herd there, they got paid for the job. Of course, with a wad of cash in their pocket and no cattle to tend to, most cowboy’s would “Tie One On” in the local saloon before heading back to Texas. This made Abilene one of the wildest towns in the west and they needed a town marshal to help control the chaos. Two of the more notable marshals in this “Wild West” Town were Tom “Bear River” Smith and Wild Bill Hickok.
Today, Abilene is well known for one its citizens, Dwight D. Eisenhower. His family moved to Abilene from Denison Texas back in 1892 and grew up there until attending and graduating West Point. Eisenhower went on to be a five-star general during World War II and later the 34th President of the United States. Abilene commemorates his life and legacy with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum as well as the Eisenhower Marathon.
Paul, Aaron and Grant visit “Ike’s” High School.
Welcome to the Eisenhower Marathon.
Race Results:
1st (02:01:24) – Grant Berthiaume
2nt (02:25:41) – Aaron Roux
3rd (02:48:53) – Paul Erway