Below is the course overview provided in the runners information packet for tomorrow’s Big Sky Marathon. I’m not great at math… as repeatedly evidenced by my ongoing attempts to relearn Algebra I and II to help stave off memory loss. I’m… not great at solving for X. Or Y. And Z? Forget about it.
But even I know that the range below is a bit… mathematically troubling. Also troubling as it all kind of makes my head explode.
So Section One is estimated to be between 8 to 10 miles. And Section Two is estimated to be 4 to 7 miles (that’s a big range). And then Section Three is 10 to 12 miles.
That means the 26.2 mile marathon course could be as short as 22 miles… and as long as 29 miles. I know the distance fluctuated in the past but we can blame the Queen of England for our current standard.
And I don’t know… I guess I feel like maybe the estimates shouldn’t be that wide of a range. If you take the averages of the ranges we’re closer — 9 + 5.5 + 11 would make 25.5 miles. But this all still feels like I’m trying to teach myself that freakin’ algebra all over again.
Sigh. Maybe I should flip a coin about tomorrow. I think I have my lucky double-headed 50 cent piece with me. Now all I need to do is ask the right question.