Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon
Encyclopedia
The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is a 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) road race in Percy Warner Park, the largest of the Warner Parks
in Nashville
, Tennessee
. It was created to be among the top five most difficult road marathon
s 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 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) . 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. It has since been covered on numerous blogs
. 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. In 2008, four runners broke the previous course record, when Ben Schneider set a new 9:10 minute course record by winning with 2:36:25 on a sunny 30-40 degree day. Ben had successes in 2009, 2010, and 2011 when he returned to defended his title. 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: 36.066255°N 86.900418°W (36.066255, -86.900418).
. According to the legend, the flying monkeys are an endangered cryptid
often confused with large owls and hawks. Before 1939 the monkeys were supposedly commonly 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
.
Female results
Current course record, by gender, denoted by ; prior course record by .
Snaking through the 2058 acres (8.3 km²) Percy Warner Park is the 11.2 miles (18 km) Main Drive. "The 11.2", as the locals call it, winds its way through the tree-shaded Park, covering over 1500 feet (457.2 m) 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.
Warner Parks
Edwin Warner Park and Percy Warner Park, collectively known as Warner Parks, are two major public parks in Nashville, Tennessee. They are part of the park system managed by the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation of Nashville and Davidson County. Percy Warner Park's front entrance is...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. It was created to be among the top five most difficult road marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 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 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) . A runner cannot use this race to qualify for the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
. This marathon was initially dreamt up by a broad array of Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
runners and was first described on an internet message board dedicated to Middle Tennessee runners. It has since been covered on numerous blogs
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. 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
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 2007, the overall male winner cut 4:50 off the course record by finishing in 2:45:35. In 2008, four runners broke the previous course record, when Ben Schneider set a new 9:10 minute course record by winning with 2:36:25 on a sunny 30-40 degree day. Ben had successes in 2009, 2010, and 2011 when he returned to defended his title. The race is run in Percy Warner Park in Nashville, TN
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
- 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: 36.066255°N 86.900418°W (36.066255, -86.900418).
Origin
The marathon's creator asserts that the marathon's name honors a local legend about flying monkeysWinged monkeys
Winged monkeys are characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, of enough impact between the books and the 1939 movie to have taken their own place in popular culture, regularly referenced in comedic or ironic situations as a source of evil or fear.-Details:In the original Oz novels, these were...
. According to the legend, the flying monkeys are an endangered cryptid
Cryptid
In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...
often confused with large owls and hawks. Before 1939 the monkeys were supposedly commonly seen throughout the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, with large populations living in middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
and Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
. The legend states that, following 1939, the flying monkeys were hunted to the point of near-extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.
Results history
Male results| Year | First place | Second place | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ben Schneider 2:38:38 | Gary Krugger 2:55:51 | Feb Boswell 3:00:36 |
| 2010 | Ben Schneider 2:38:27 | Chuck Engle 2:54:43 | Josh Hite 2:55:40 |
| 2009 | Ben Schneider 2:38:56 | Ted Towse 2:50:03 | Josh Hite 2:54:12 |
| 2008 | Ben Schneider 2:36:25 * | Chuck Engle 2:37:25 | Jeff Scovill 2:38:39 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Traci Falbo 3:13:49 | Meredith Smith 3:26:51 | Candice Schneider 3:31:04 |
| 2010 | Traci Falbo 3:21:20 | Catie Caldwell 3:23:50 | Meredith Smith 3:26:52 |
| 2009 | Samantha Wood 3:17:36 | Candice Chappell 3:24:56 | Rachel Randall 3:32:23 |
| 2008 | Wendi Parker-Dial 3:15:31 | Carmen Zimeri 3:42:31 | Sara Maltby 3:43:17 |
| 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 |
Current course record, by gender, denoted by ; prior course record by .
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 (14.5 km) 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 3000 acres (12.1 km²) 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 2058 acres (8.3 km²) Percy Warner Park is the 11.2 miles (18 km) Main Drive. "The 11.2", as the locals call it, winds its way through the tree-shaded Park, covering over 1500 feet (457.2 m) 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
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, various sports and recreation areas, and quiet picnic pavilions. Runners also pass the Iroquois Steeplechase
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
, one of the country's oldest grassy horse tracks.
External links
- Marathon's website
- Elly Foster's Pictures from the 2010 Marathon
- Troy Gizzi's Pictures from the 2010 Marathon
- Houston Masters Sports Association Newsletter with review
- Flying Monkey Marathon Chatter
- Rules for the Flying Monkey Marathon
- Nashville Striders monkey photo gallery
- Marathon and Beyond Magazine Partner
- WSMV story, Bob Bucholtz trains for the marathon
- Vulcan Runner story on the marathon