Got up at 4am to make the 6am start for the Long Beach 26.2 mile marathon! There were about 3,500 two-wheelers, and I was the only unicyclist! I was expecting at least a couple more, so unless they just got a really late start, I was it! About 25,000 runners started at 7am.
There was the expected bottleneck of bikes at the starting gun, and it took me a good 5 minutes just to get pass the start line, since I was about 1/2 way back in the pack. It took about a mile after we started for things to open up enough to get up to speed.
I was passing lots of bikes on the the hills, and the spectators were going wild! I filmed this video while I was riding, and rode the entire 26.2 miles non-stop, with no dismounts or falls. (Got lucky!) Even with the filming and the slow start, I managed to finish in 2:08. (corrected from 2:04) I was pretty happy with that.
I dedicated this to my brother Gary, who was recently diagnosed with a very rare form of Leukemia.
I did the bike tour as well but was in the back with my wife and 3 kids, who were on those 2 wheeled thangs (actually my 7 year old was on one of those one wheeled additions attached to the back of my wife’s bike).
It was great. I can’t believe you already posted a video.
We saw you going the other way about halfway through and yelled “Terry!” but you were filming at the time in the middle of a pack of bikes and were probably distracted. You were probably entertaining the front of the pack and we were picking up the rear. We finished in about 3 hours which included a couple “potty breaks”, so we never would have caught up. Lots of cheers for unicyclists. I got a few “another unicyclist!” comments. The best one was towards the finish line when some guy looked at me and looked surprised and said “I just told my buddy next time I want to do this on a unicycle and suddenly you rode by…I didn’t even know anyone did this on a unicycle”. Maybe next year more unicyclists!
Thanks. I started riding about December or 2005. In some ways this 26 miles was more challenging than the 100 miles I did this past June. For this one, my speed was faster, and I did it non-stop. For my century, my average moving speed was about 2mph slower, and stopped to stretch quite often, even after the first 6 miles, then again at about 15 miles, then every 10 miles or so. That’s probably why I felt so [relatively] good after I finished, lol! :o
Glad you did make it Loren! I was constantly looking for any signs of other uni riders, and was even asking bikers passing me-that had started long before me-if they had seen any other one-wheelers, and they all said no, so I thought I was the only one on a uni.
Thanks Hans. Yeah it was a bit tricky getting the tripod out of the holder, extending it, angling the camera each time, powering it up, then reversing the procedure and putting it back in the holder, and doing it while riding, lol! :o
Yeah, I didn’t realize you were there either until we crossed each other on the end of Anaheim Blvd for me (or the beginning on the way back for you). UP to that point no one said “another unicyclist!” (many said “a unicycle!”), but towards the end of the ride I got a few of those “another unicyclist!” comments. I think because there was about 2500-3000 bicyclists between you and I one had to be towards the back to realize I was there. No one in the back had seen you either.
But I will say, those on 36"ers stand out. You were head and shoulders above the bicyclists and easy to spot.
And all of the best to your brother. Hopefully he’s a fighter like you.
You are a monster Terry! Liking your Go-Pro and the audio sounds pretty good.
Best to your brother and thanks for keeping a lot of us inspired to ride and ride and ride.
What length were the cranks …114?
Shug/Sean
Thanks Sean. I have the 110/125 dual moments, and used the 110 hole.
PS: Thanks Loren and Sean for the kind words for my brother. Gary’s doing well so far and is in great spirits. I think his amazing positive attitude and sense if humor is doing wonders! I wrote this for him:
“My Brother”
By Terry Peterson
10/1/10
My brother’s been there for me all of my life,
Through depression and hardship and unbearable strife
Whenever I needed his help night or day,
He’s always been just a phone call away
A positive role model and generous friend,
Humble and caring, with a keen ear to lend
No matter which hand might be dealt by the “gods”,
He knows in the end, that he’ll beat all the odds!
A musician, a pilot, and entrepreneur,
Gary does it with style and flair;
He’s one of a kind; a true renaissance man,
With great wisdom and knowledge to share
So keep fighting the good fight, and don’t ever stop,
You’ve inspired many more than you know!
If I could pick just one brother, there would be no other;
Cheers to you Gary John; Love ya bro!
Even with the filming and the slow start, I managed to finish in 2:08. (corrected from 2:04) I was pretty happy with that. 
