The Half Marathon

We went to a Half Marathon in Charlotte, North Carolina this morning because a family member was running in the event.  It is called "The Craft Beer Half Marathon & 5 Miler."  I thought it would be fun to get a nice photo of the person we came to see, so I started shooting some of the runners as they came by, just to get in practice for shooting quickly when the moment came.  I was practicing focusing and following runners as they approached the finish line.  Suddenly I saw this guy moving up fast, and passing the woman on the left.  I got one glimpse of his blue reflective sunglasses, and knew this dude was SERIOUS about his running, so I started shooting, although I have no idea of who he is.  He is in terrific shape as you can see, and he was MOVING.  What I love about this photo is the contrast of this serious runner, and the young woman to the left in the photo with a smile on her face.  There were actually two races on the same course today.  The Half-Marathoners started at 8 AM and then there was a 5 mile race as well, which started 15 minutes later, and what is happening here is that the male runner who has run 13 miles is is passing this woman who is finishing the 5 mile run.  The contrast in their expressions is what makes this shot!