I had a dream the other night that I made my triumphant return to the marathon. That’s not necessarily a weird thing for a dream since it is something I would like to happen at some point in my life. But the details in this “dream marathon” were so strange. So weird, that I felt compelled to write them down so I can remember them and laugh at them.
- Shortly after the marathon started, all participants were stopping at a train station and boarding a light rail train. Not to cheat, that was a required element of the race. And if you didn’t get to the station fast enough to board the first trains, you had to wait. And when you did make it on the train, they were so crowded with people standing and sitting and hanging all over.
- After getting off the train the runners ran through some city streets for a ways until turning and running through the doors into a rec center. We then raced through the hallways and had to climb across a ladder thing that was positioned above an olympic-sized swimming pool. If you fell off the ladder into the pool, you had to start over. They had a zip-line thing where you could load your gear into a basket to send it across the pool to avoid getting it wet.
- Upon emerging from the pool everyone had to run through the halls, into a narrow staircase down to a basement, where we had to answer trivia questions. If we got the trivia question wrong, they had kids there throwing big foam blocks at us. Each runner had to answer 5 questions correctly to advance.
- Next we ran out of the building and into the streets, until we reached an aid station. This aid station had watermelon for everyone to eat and it was also the shoe-change station. Everyone had to change into a different pair of shoes at this point. Everyone… this was not a questionable item. I have no idea if these were shoes that we turned in at the beginning or if the shoes were just provided for everyone.
The race carried out in a fairly normal fashion from this point on in my dream. I remember finishing the race in five and a half hours in my dream and being upset at my time. But if I’m looking at it from a completely awake view, that is pretty amazing considering all the weird stuff they required of participants.
I’m pretty sure the race was taking place in Phoenix, although I’m not 100% sure.
Have you ever had any bizarre running-related dreams?
Jill Will Run 
Hi Jill – love your *dream* and it would be amazing to run one like that, huh?
My craziest dream – was that I was running, period. The night my son challenged me to run a mile (and I couldn’t) – I had a dream that I ran a marathon.
At that time, it almost seemed like the craziest and scariest thing in the world to have cross my mind.
Now, my dreams are not as scary
Back in high school, having a dream that I was running would have been strange in and of itself! 🙂
You must have eaten something very strange for dinner; or you are watching too much reality TV. Maybe both:)
Now I wish I remembered what I ate that night! LOL!
I think you’ve been watching too much Wipeout! I think you might be on to something, though. How about a Wipeout marathon (or half)?
That’s it! Too much Wipeout watching. But I agree… that’s definitely an idea! These mud races and obstacle races seem to be getting more and more popular lately! 🙂
haha. this is quite a random dream!! thank goodness this isn’t a real race format 🙂 the ‘weirdest’ running dream i’ve had is when i show up late to the start (by hours) but they give me my own special start so i can still run the race…
Your “special” start! 😉
I agree with everyone who has suggested that you’re watching too much Wipeout. That show is mesmerizing and addictive, though, so who could blame you? Before my first marathon I had a dream that I was running a marathon with the Aztecs (?!) and it consisted of running from one point to another, over and over again. At the end, my younger sister was there, and said she’d come to run the last mile with me. So we ran it together. It was very strange.