Police directed traffic; turn left to the finish line

there was a lot bigger police presence than in years past. that was nice. no local drivers terrorizing the runners.

Peter

Rolling country roads for the next five miles

it is a very pretty typical country experience. nice little farms, some raising cows and some not, and some going to seed for lack of maintenance; plowed-under fields resting up for the next spring; road kill rotting in the November coolness; the occasional abandoned car, truck, or farm implement; and empty beer cans and McDonald's soda cups down in the roadway drainage ditches.
Just a little piece of americana there.

Peter

"The Hill" after the dam at mile 42

dang, but that hill is steep. I'm sure *someone* runs up it, but in five JFKs I've never seen anyone do it.
It's an appropriate place to put a big hill though. In case anyone is getting off the trail a little full of themselves for completing 42 miles and still smiling about it, this hill just smacks 'em down.

Peter

The dam across the potomac at mile 42

This is mile 42 on the JFK run. On the C&O canal, this is about mile 85, and about halfway between Locks 40 and 41.
A nice picturesque little place on the river.
http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=choh&parkname=Chesapeake%20%26%20Ohio%20Canal%20National%20Historical%20Park



Peter

This was a photo op with Santa and a cute elf at the Mile 34/Snyder's Landing Aid Station.
I didn't expect this. It was great!

Nice trestle bridge

i wasn't a quarter mile past this bridge when a train came rumbling through over it. this is the second year in a row I've got to hear a big ol' train roaring across this bridge - a powerful sight. wish i had the data capacity to be able to grab a second picture, but not.

Peter

Aid station at mile 23

pretzel sticks, plain m&ms, potato chips, generic chocolatey/vanilla-y creme cookies,

Peter