This was the 6th Annual Gulf Beach half marathon located in coastal Milford, CT sponsored by Shoreline Sharks Multisport Team of New England.
COURSE
The course is an out and back which starts at Gulf Beach, an otherwise 'member only' section of CT coastline that runs through the coastal neighborhoods, down the Silver Sands State Park boardwalk, thru Walnut Beach, towards the Connecticut Audubon and then back. This flat course keeps an almost constant coastal view.
PACKET PICK UP
You had 2 options to pick up your packet, the day before in town at a sports machine shop, or before the race. I opted for the day before so I could sleep in. Race morning seemed to be controlled and not delayed if you wait til then. All we received was a bib and shirt
START
I went to sleep and woke up a little uneasy about parking. I had driven the area the day before, and it was even announced that there were only about 300 parking spots for about 3,000 runners and the rest would be side streets, but make sure to mind the laws as you would be ticketed. Ummmm, that leaves an out of towner a little worried. Luckily I got one of the last parking spots and was also able to stay warm in my car and literally have the start area right in front of me.
There was plenty of porta potties and no lines.
It was a very simple start. I did not even hear a national anthem. They closed the road literally minutes before, laid down the timing strip, and then we were off.
HYDRATION STATIONS
All the stations seemed to be prepared and stocked with water and Gatorade with plenty of volunteers. They even handed out GU at every station.
SPECTATORS
The only spectators you will see are the ones at the end of their driveway and on the beach trying to figure out what is going on. If you are a slower running, the boardwalk starts to fill out with people strolling and you have to call out that you are running by.
RESULTS
It was a nice cool morning and ended up being a beautiful blue sky day, however, temps rose very quickly with no shade into the 70s. I maintained a 3x1 for about 6 miles and went down slowly to a 2x1 and then a 1x1, feeling good the entire time.
Running on coastal road usually means dealing with roads that are not in the best of shape due to erosion, storms and flooding. This is true for any beach town, and was the case here. Unfortunately I witnessed someone almost fall in front of me, another runner complaining to her friend she was running slower because she was scared of falling, and then someone that was actually on the ground with an ambulance. This is a probably a course to go out and enjoy the scenery instead of trying to zip through and get a PR.
All of the roads were also open to traffic. I have no idea why the race starts so late at 8am. The sun rose at 630. If they can not get authority to close the streets, at least start the race earlier so we have less traffic to deal with. It was mostly neighborhood roads, but the cars that did come thru, most were not happy. Besides being honked at, we had drivers that would not even move over. And unfortunately there was no authority to control them.
FINISH
We finished at the same Gulf Beach which was nice to jump into and soak the legs! (its rocky, bring water shoes!) We were given our medal and opportunity for half a Subway sandwich, bag of chips, and cookie. Unfortunately the sandwich was smashed and soggy and I literally counted 10 chips in my bag. There were cold bagels as well (without spread) and they ran out of bananas. I did not see anything to drink besides water.
SHIRT AND MEDAL
The gender specific shirt matches the medal, but unfortunately both lack the date. I do like the medal with its unique twisted cord instead of ribbon. The design is simple yet creative. You can engrave the date on the medal on the back with your finish time, but you can't do anything about the shirt.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This is a Beautiful course, there's no doubt about that! If you are looking for a simplistic race to get in some miles and enjoy the scenery, this would be one to experience.
TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS
Connecticut is very diverse! I flew into Hartford and stayed in the small historic town of Litchfield Hills for the first two nights as I had a comp agent stay at Winvian Farm. Now this is an awesome experience if you ever have the opportunity! They have 18 different cottages that are all different themes, such as treehouse, lighthouse, stable, greenhouse, helicopter, camping, and the one I stayed in 'music.' Set in a woodsy sprawl of land, I even had visitors during my stay!
All of the surrounding towns are so small and historic I felt like I was in another time era. It was fun to explore the old buildings and lots of New England style homes and farm lands! There are hiking opportunities and even waterfalls all throughout the state to explore. I stopped at Kent Falls and unfortunately it was a little dry because of the season, but it was still a nice little incline hike to stretch the legs. Covered Bridges can be found in this area as well such as Bulls Bridge and West Cornwall.
When I finally made it to Milford, I was back into city, but still a small one at that. If you come for this race, I would recommend checking out the surrounding cities. There didn't seem like much to do in Milford. I stayed at the Homewood Suites off the interstate which was very accommodating with a full kitchen set up. Fairfield seemed to have a nice little area with bars and restaurants. Brick and Wood was an awesome pizzeria to check out.
If you like camping or have an RV, you must stay at Hammonasset State Park! I was debating back and forth and they sold out before I could make up my mind. Boy did I regret it once I went! This is a huge stretch of nice soft sand beach and a large campground. With the layout of the land, you actually get to see the sunset over water! Check out Chow in the area if you want some really tasty eclectic food!
13.1- 2:27
STATE #30
HM #66
I am running a half marathon a month as well as running in each of the 50 states all to help spread the word of breast cancer prevention, early detection, and living a healthy lifestyle. Please consider making a DONATION today to show your support. 100% net proceeds go towards the Mayo Clinic and Donna Foundation.