Run Thru the Park, Lawrenceville, GA-July 20, 2014

Looking for a simple, small town race that embraces nature? Check out one of the Deborah Montgomery races which run in local parks in the areas right outside of Atlanta.

This was the Run Thru the Park half marathon held at Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville, GA. The course is a 2.8 mile paved multi purpose trail around the Ozora Lake. To see pictures and elevations, check out this awesome link.
http://www.atlantatrails.com/atlanta-running-walking-trails/tribble-mill-park-trail/#.U9UiRtjD_ec

The Deborah Montgomery races are not Boston certified and don't even use chips. They keep them so small (cut off at 60 runners) they can clearly keep track of each runner at each lap. This race had 39 half marathoners, six 5kers and seven 10kers.

The course is open to the public as well as their bikes, kids, and pets. Luckily it was a dreary and slightly drizzly morning, so I think that kept most locals home and off the wet pavement, otherwise it could be a more crowded course.

The course runs around the lake with scenic views and has almost constant tree coverage, which is perfect for a summer race in the south! There are 4 laps and an out and back to create the 13.1 mile distance. Surprisingly (I don't know why this surprises me every year in the Atlanta area) it was constant rolling hills. Race day was absolutely perfect weather for a mid summer race, overcast the entire time and temps under 70 degrees!

Packet pick up (a generic Deborah Montgomery Racing tshirt and bib) is 30 minutes before race time. There is no starting line, no national anthem, no starting gun. Just a 'ready, set, go', and a camaraderie of runners that want to get out into nature and enjoy the run. Think of this as your local running club getting together for one of their weekly runs, but you get a medal at the Finish!

I did enjoy the race, despite going into it with lack of training, and walking just about all of the uphills by M8. I was scared going into it that I would be last, but that was not the case. After doing 40 half marathons, its nice to get back to small local races.  Its nice not to have to deal with butt loads of people, being stuck in traffic, fighting for porta potties, tripping over feet trying to navigate the course and water stations. This race is the complete opposite. It was simple. It was calming. It was beautiful. No iPod needed to enjoy this serenity!

Despite all of that, there are things I would like to see improved since the registration is still $50.
The shirt is not 'race specific.' I feel it is more of an advertisement for Deborah Montgomery Racing than anything. Don't get me wrong, it was warned repeatedly on the website they are generic shirts, but c'mon.

Most of us that ran the same pace, ended up being a full half mile short on the distance. (of course, I had to pass the Finish and keep running to get my full 13.1!) This course has been used for previous races, so I'm not sure how the out and back was not placed correctly.

There were only bananas and pretzels at the Finish. I would love to see some improvement on fuel options at the Finish, like chocolate milk, and something hardy like bagels, at minimal. A celebratory beverage wouldn't hurt either. ;)

The medal could use a bit of improvement. I was impressed it at least had a spinner, but it looks like a sticker was just stuck on both sides of it. (pic to be posted later)



 

 

13.1-2:43
HM #40

Show your support by making a donation today!

http://www.donate.breastcancermarathon.com/2015-marathon/melissajohnson

24th Annual Covered Bridges Half Marathon-June 1, 2014

  

 

 

So this race was on my calendar a couple years ago, but without realizing they sell out in literally minutes, I missed out. I strategically had it planned for this year and was lucky to make the cut off! Registration takes place in December, and they sold out this year in 14 minutes!

 

This is a small town race with only about 2,000 runners. There is no 5k, there is no full marathon. Just the simple 13.1 miles that takes you through a few small towns of Vermont.

PRE RACE
There is no Expo or Packet Pick up. There is however, a QnA with the race directors at the local library the afternoon before, and a pasta dinner in Woodstock.

I was thankfully given a comp stay at the Stowe Mountain Lodge, which was gorgeous, but unfortunately an hour and half away from the race. Therefore, I did not get to partake in the pasta dinner.
 

 COURSE

This is an A to B course with a shuttle from the parking lot to the Starting Line and a shuttle from the Finish back to the parking lot. The Starting line was at a very small ski resort called Suicide Six and the Finish was at Quechee Polo Field.

 

Technically the majority of the course is on a slight decline, but don't get that wrong, there are still rolling hills throughout and a doozie of a hill at M8!  

 

The course follows a stream for a good portion of the course making it very beautiful with lots of tree coverage as well. We ran by 3 covered bridges, but unfortunately only crossed over one. And very unfortunately, they did not place the professional photographer at this point, so there are no bridge photos.

 RACE MORNING

I left the hotel at 430a and what should have been a simple drive was a little stressful as there was a heavy fog cover. The fog broke for just a moment as the sun rose over the mountains at 530a, but then was quickly back.

I arrived to temps in the 40s. Luckily there as a bag drop at the Start so I was layered a bit, but still cold. It was easy to jump on the shuttle, as I planned to arrive for the first bus. Bib pick up was at the Start. Shirts were to be given at the Finish.

Most of us huddled close to the building to try to stay warm and block any wind. It seemed like the longest wait for the Starting time. I had absolutely no service on my phone, so there was little entertainment besides mingling with other runners. Breakfast provided at the start were cold hard bagels, bananas, and water.

I decided to go without my IFitness belt as I wasn't bringing my phone and decided against the pacer. Because of the anticipation of downhill running, I decided I would run by 'feel' instead. However, not meaning to, I left my one packet of GU in my gear bag. And there were no plans of them passing any out on course.

Portal potty lines didn't get long until the last few moments, but never seemed like there weren't enough.

The sun came out right as we lined up to start and was warming up to the 60s. It was a simple start, with no national anthem.

Its a pretty course and I almost forgot there were covered bridges until we approached the first one. The 2nd and 3rd ones were pretty cool as they had some sort of dam/waterfall next to them. I have to admit though, being that covered bridges are completely foreign to me, I was completely disappointed that we ran by them and not over them.


There were local musicians on course, which I was surprised about. There was a huge Team Alzheimer's group, and a Hash House Harriers team in Pink.

Hydration stations were spaced about every 2 miles and were properly stocked.

I found myself really exhausted on this race. I just wasn't feeling it after being up 2 days in a row at 4am....one flying to VT, and the next driving to the race. The weather warmed up nicely, never too hot or cold

FINISH
The Finish was a little disappointing without entertainment. We were provided 1 beer each, but lack of monitoring left some runners grabbing double. There was more cold bagels, warm yogurt, stale cookies.


COMMUNICATION
The communication from the race directors is one of the best I have ever seen. You can tell everyone involved is so super proud of this race. There is a website, blog, email newsletter, and Facebook. All the information needed was provided, and provided repeatedly. There was not a way you did not know what was to take place for this race. I give them a huge kudos on keeping everyone involved.

 

 MEDAL/SHIRT
The shirt is given at the Finish Line and is of nice quality. Its gender specific and a cool design.
The medal is on the smaller side, but still pretty cool. I just wish there was something printed on the lanyard



OVERALL
Overall this is a beautiful race. Its a perfect small town feeling race that has great pride in their historic covered bridges and towns.  Keeping that in mind, if they changed much to be like the bigger races out there, it would lose their unique small town vibe. My only major concern was the lack of professional picture as we ran through the one bridge. Good job overall though, everything was highly organized.
 

HM#39
STATE#17
13.1-2:27

5th Annual Flying Pirate Half Marathon, Kitty Hawk, NC-May 3, 2014

        

This was the 5th Annual Flying Pirate Half Marathon in the Outer Banks, NC, directed by OBX Sporting Events. There were about 1900 half marathoners, 1200 of them being female (Girl Power!). There is a 5k the day before the half. Combine the two and you've just completed the Double Dare Challenge and gained another kick butt medal! Proceeds from the race goes towards the Outer Banks Relief Foundation and the Dare Education Foundation.

I grew up in Virginia Beach where we would drive down to the Outer Banks almost every weekend religiously in the summertime. This is where my best childhood memories linger, so of course I had to jump on it!

FRIDAY

I decided to risk it and drove up after work late Friday afternoon. The 9 1/2 hour drive put me into town after 1am. It was an unusually easy drive up I95 from Florida. But it wasn't quite late enough for the hotel to give me a partial night discount!

I stayed at the John Yancey Inn ONLY because it was the cheapest pet friendly hotel available. I must warn, the Outer Banks area is not known for their hotels. If you are going to come, make sure you get a house rental. No matter where it is, it is very easy to access the beach and/or Sound. I knew this, but I could not find one budget friendly for a solo traveler.

Unfortunately, my discounted pet friendly room was a smokers room! UGH! I didnt think it would be that bad, but it was absolutely miserable. The room and hotel was disgusting. The complimentary breakfast was nonexistent. The service was not accommodating. If I knew better, I would have slept in my car. Which I may have been better off, as it seemed everyone at the hotel was waking up at 5am for the 5k, just a couple hours after I got into the room! Everyone was leaving their barking dogs behind. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep. I tried to ignore the situation and focus on making the best of the OBX and the race.

SATURDAY
It was a gorgeous day. I headed to the Expo and then did some carbo loading at Duck Donuts, which was one of the best I have ever tasted! Request the maple bacon one!

The afternoon was spent resting on the beach and watching the dolphins and playing with the pup.

I checked out the race start and finish locations, knowing it was going to be super dark in the morning.

I had an early dinner at the Outer Banks Brewing Station, which I was extremely disappointed. Besides the unfriendly pregnant bartender waiting on me, I was surprised the food was served luke warm and without utensils, after they were highly recommended by Guy Fieri and on Trip Advisor.

I grew up appreciating the sunrise on the beach and being able to basically cross the street and watch the sunset over the water as well at the Albemarle Sound. So of course I had go watch the sunset before bed! I walked around the Jockey Ridge State Park Sand Dunes, which I have only done once in my life! These miraculous dunes have to be explored if you are in town, they do go all the way over to the sound to make a perfect sunset location, but it was still plenty of time til then, so I explored the town some more.



EXPO
The Expo was held at a Recreation Center. Packet Pick up was a breeze. The shirt and bag had awesome designs and a 5 year commemorative poster was given. The race group was selling their merchandise and I picked up a really awesome tank top. I was about to buy a hat as well, but was warned we would be receiving one at the Finish!...that was a cool surprise!

They also had a great communications table set up with a layout of the course. I usually, (well, almost never) look at the course before a race. I may glance at it when chosing which races to do during the year, but after registration is paid, I tend to just let race day be a surprise. But for some reason, this table seemed like a great group of folks and they wanted to chat, so I let them explain the course. I was told the last 5k would be on trails and hilly with a brutal one at the end. Ok, thanks for the warning. Save the energy. I was also told there would be GU on course. Awesome!...save some money!


They had some other running companies and cool OBX and pirate souveniors, but being on budget, I just grabbed my free pirate tattoos and headed out.

THE COURSE
The course starts in Kitty Hawk neighborhoods, runs along the Albemarle Sound, by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, and  then through the Nags Head Woods Maritime Forest trails.
This is an A to B course with your choice of shuttle provided....either at the beginning or end of the race. This is also announced as the first half of the OBX Marathon held in November. The course is flat and on paved roads until you hit the last 5k which is on a trail and rolling hills, with a couple short brutal hills at the end.

THE GOAL
Considering I just completed the Lake Minneola half the weekend before, and drove 9 1/2 hours to NC less than 48 hours before race time, my goal for this race was to just enjoy it!

COSTUME CONTEST
There was after all, a Pirate Costume Contest! Yea, that's right! You know this girl is all about costumes! Unfortunately I missed this announcement until the week of the race, so my 'costume' wasn't as dramatic as my usuals. I was happy though and I ended up in the Finals, where the audience cheers chose the winner, which ended up being a Parrot and 2 Pirates group. The Parrot was super cute and hand made, so Im all for them winning! They received a complimentary race entry for next year. Which is fine with me not winning, because we all know, I don't have time to repeat races (except of course 26.2 with Donna!)

THE RESULT
I ran the full first 3miles, with a minute walk break between each mile. I then ran 3x1 until M6, then 2x1 until M10 and 1x1 for the last 3 miles....well, as much as I could on those progressively rolling hills.


It was a gorgeous day and you couldn't really have asked for better. It was very pretty running by the Sound, and then through the neighborhoods with the azaleas in full bloom!

It was cool to run in the Wright Brothers park with the iconic monument. I happened to glance the other way through the open field and saw a huge group of deer coming out of the woods. More and more of them kept coming, and next thing you know, they are running right along side us....at least to
The other group of trees! That was definitely one of the best racing experience ever!

The trails portion of the race was pretty cool and different, but the biting flies were kinda ridiculous! They weren't really biting, but they would circle around you, even as you ran. More of an aggravation than anything.  They warned us of bugs this time of year being in the woods and suggested bug spray. However, even if I did put on bug spray, it would have sweated off by the time we hit those last few miles. It would be a great idea to have some bug repellent wipes or spray cans to use at the hydration station as we enter the wooded area.


SHUTTLE
My hotel was about a mile from the Finish, which was also a shuttle location to get to Start. Shuttles were set to start at 530a. The first ones were a little late, but nothing worrisome. Its about a 25 minute shuttle ride to the Start.


START
Taking the first shuttle to Start, meant there was lots of time before the race time, which meant mingling with the other pirates. I was surprised there weren't as many people in costume as I thought there would be, so I was receiving lots of compliments.

There were plenty of porta potties and I never saw them have a long line, even as everyone was arriving. They had coffee, but no water nor food. My stomach was full when I left the hotel, so I took a risk and didn't eat breakfast. I was starting to wonder if this was a mistake when we lined up, but I think it was more of a hydration issue. Unfortunately the first water station wasn't until M3!


HYDRATION STATIONS/AID
The water stops were ridiculously far apart. The weather was in the upper 60s and sunny. A good portion of the course was shaded, but I still believe water shouldn't be this far apart. They did make up for it in the size of the cups, but drinking that large of a glass of Gatorade or water at a time leads to cramps as you try to continue to run. GU was provided twice on course which was perfect. Aid Bikers paced the course making sure runners were okay.

A couple of spectators had tables set up...one with Bloody Marys and Gummie Bears, another with Mimosas....but now that I think of it, I don't know if the Mimosas were being handed out, or if I just begged for one! ;)

SPECTATORS/CHEERLEADERS
There were a good amount of people cheering on the runners in the first half of the race, for this 2500 runner cap race. There are no spectators in the wooded trail portion. A lot of spectators would yell out "Pirate!" when they saw those of us dressed up! In return of course the sword had to be drawn and yell out an "Aaaarrrrrrrrhhhhh!" Some of the spectators even joined in on the dressing up!



THE FINISH
The very end of the race was a killer trail hill and then down to the line.

We received a hat at the finish line with our medal. They passed out bananas and pbj graham crackers, which I haven't seen in years, but was super excited for!

Over at the Post Party Jamboree, they handed out free egg and cheese biscuits and 2 beers. There was a pretty good band playing as we waited for the awards.

They had a kids activity area and well as corn hole area if you wanted to play


SHIRT

MEDAL

AFTER
I took a few hours to rest on the beach and then headed to VA to meet my mom for dinner. After a goods nights rest, I made the long drive back home.


OVERALL
I would highly recommend this race! They have great communication via email and Facebook, as well as on their website. This could easily be a family event with the 5k the day before! The Outer Banks are listed as one of the top beaches of the Nation and you wont be disappointed if you turn this race weekend into an extended vacation to explore this beautiful coastline! (in a house!) If you have time, make sure you go North towards Corolla to see the wild horses! Or go a little south to hang glide off the Jockey Ridge sand dunes!

STATE #16

HM #38

13.1-2:39



Lake Minneola Half Marathon-Clermont FL-April 26, 2014

This was Lake Minneola half marathon located in Clermont FL. (aka Lakes County) There are several small lakes in this part of  Central Florida and I have quickly learned, several local events including Triathlons (which I hope to one day accomplish).  This event was hosted by SommerSports.

I decided to save on the money and wake up Super early to drive the 2 and half hours before race time. It really was an easy drive…..well, it was a little scary when I hit really thick fog after I got off the interstate on the back roads in the middle of nowhere, and then seeing the Bear crossing signs! Whaaa?! 

I arrived a little after 5am. I had made myself an egg Sammie (which I never eat before a race) and ate it around 4am. I forced myself to eat the banana when I arrived. The granola bar I brought as well, had to wait.

Parking was a breeze right at the start! Packet pick up was set to start at 530a…..but we were quickly told it would be at least 30-45 more minutes. Race time was set for 7am for the half marathon, and 730a for the 10k and 5k.

Prior Communication

There seems to be very little activity with Sommer Sports in the social media world. The websites that had the race information was very minimal, and seemed there were a couple other sites advertising wrong info. I was definitely feeling a little confused being an out of towner, and not getting pumped up the days leading up to the race.

Speaking of being an out of towner, everyone I told I just drove in for the race thought I was Nuts! But I actually enjoyed myself. (and driving 5hours just to run 13 miles! HA!)

Start

The positive of being at a recreation park, is there were public bathrooms….Real toilets!  And there were a couple buildings, so really not much of a line.They had porta potties as well if needed.

The race was combined with a city health event called FitnessPalooza. All sorts of tables and trucks and canopies were being set up in the dark. Not knowing the layout of the park, it was hard to figure out where the Start actually was. I quickly found the Finish, and kept walking and walking and walking, and finally stumbled on the Starting Line. It was 5 til 7a, yet there were only about 10 of us!

Considering packet pick up was running late, the race seemed destined to be late. But they actually did ok, we were only about 5 minutes off schedule. (I don’t know if this affected anyone…if we started without them. But then again, you should be on time).

The Course

The course basically loops around Lake Minneola. To make up some distance, for the half marathon, we did about 7 miles off the lake, and actually found some pretty steep hills. I like to call this the Florida Mountains, since it is probably the largest hills I have seen in FL so far (and Ive covered a lot!) It was about 2 or 3 hills…just enough of a challenge to keep you entertained, since there were absolutely no spectators. All of this is hilarious though, because the race description claims the course is Flat…..uummm…. WRONG.    

It was a very peaceful course. We started and finished at the lake. The first 6-7 mile were on some sort of ‘pavement trail’ which also kept it shaded, which was Good!  It was over 70 degrees, humid, and no wind at all!The roads we did run on, were closed on our half so it was fine with the very minimal traffic. When we ran around the lake, there were lots of trees for the first part to keep us cool. The second part, the sun was at our back, which was better than running into it. Still, I did see the ambulance drive by. And I also passed by someone laid out on the ground. Florida races are just dangerous any time of year. (its only April people, yet already 90degrees!)

Regardless of the heat, and hills, the course is beautiful. I kept telling myself, ‘this beach girl could live at a lake!’

There were only about 400 half marathoners, so it was never crowded.

The Plan

Considering I overdid it just a couple days before the race in the weights room,  leaving my left hamstring feeling super tight,  I decided to just enjoy the race and not worry too much about time. I did afterall, wake up at 2am for this race! I would be insane to think I could PR! Especially in this heat! I did a 3x1 for the first 5 miles, a 2x1 for the next 4 miles, and a 1x1 for the last 4 miles. I actually felt pretty good at the end of the race, except for the fact that my leg never really loosened up too much.

Hydration Station

Water and Gatorade was provided and was stocked well enough for this small event. No gu or fuel was provided. The stations were about 1.5M apart. I really wish hot weather events would realize they need to have hydration at every mile. I was actually fine myself, for the most part. I ended up dumping water on my head towards the end to stay cool.

The Finish

We were handed a medal and a water, and all I could see was an Icy Station! Sweet! I walked over and realized they were selling it! Oh, so this must be part of the FitnessPalooza. I walked around to the different vendors and chatted with some. A lot of them were doing challenges to win prizes, which I giggled because who wants to do a burpee challenge after running 13 miles in the heat?

Then I quickly  realized I never saw the finish line food! It was basically hidden. I spotted the Muscle Milk and watermelon (YES!) and bananas and tubs of Pasta. Awesome, I thought, Im starving! Wrong! Absolutely nothing to eat it with! Oh how I almost just stuck my hand in the pasta dish and walked away! Luckily some of the vendors gave away some freebie samples that held me over. 

To cool myself down some more, I walked over to the lake to soak my legs. I almost wanted to jump completely in, but I refrained, basically because no one else was!

I quickly learned the bathroom had a shower as well! Perfect! I could clean up before my drive home. Oh, how little did I know it was only ice cold water!

The Shirt

The shirt is the brightest neon yellow I have ever seen. It almost hurts to look at it. But I guess it will come in hand for night training runs.

The Medal

The medal matches the shirt in design…but not yellow. Lol

Challenge

There is a challenge that includes this race and the Orange Blossom Half, if you are interested in claiming some extra bling.

Overall Thoughts

I am super please with the race because it was pretty and simple. It was an easy drive from Jacksonville. I love to support smaller events, but not have the proper food at the finish line is just unacceptable. I really hate that it ended that way, because I was super happy with everything else….well, they didn’t have beer either, but you know, I had to drive home anyways. Lol

HM #37

13.1-2:26

Coral Springs Half Marathon-March 29, 2014

This was the Coral Springs Half Marathon and 5k benefiting LisaBoccard Breast Cancer Fund. There were about 411 half marathon participants and 657 5kers.

I drove down from Jacksonville Beach to stay with friends who live in Homestead, which was about a 5 hour drive. I broke up the monotony of the drive on the way down and back with a beach pitstop! I love checking out new beach towns!

PACKET PICK UP

On the way down I stopped at the Packet Pick up which was held at a small local race store called Runners Depot in Coral Springs. This was a small race, so packet pick up was available the morning of the race as well.

We were provided a white tech shirt (which I am still unsure if the logo was supposed to be crooked. Which may be, because the medal ended up that way too....driving this type A personality a bit bonkers! lol) and the usual plastic drawstring bag with a couple goodies of some sort of energy chocolate, biofreeze, sunscreen, etc. I tried to purchase some GU, but instead was forced to take it for free because the machine wouldn’t scan. Thanks Runners Depot! :)

 

After making it to Homestead, we had a quick tour of the Everglades and the biggest and most unique fruit stand I have ever been to!-Robert is Here! It was so awesome, I went 3 times in my 2 night stay! And got to experience Gunanbana, a cancer fighting fruit from S America, as well as an awesome key lime shake!

 

A couple other Running Buddies came over and my host made us lobster mac n cheese for dinner….a Perfect SFL pre race meal! We tried to call it an early night, as the race started at 6am, and we had to be up at 330a with the hour drive!

START

Our group made it to the starting area about 530a, which was perfect time to use the Pink Ribbon porta potties (with personal bathroom attendants that cleaned after every use!....Welcome to SFL!!), snap a couple pictures and head to the starting line!

All of us were running the half, except one doing the 5k, which started an hour and half after us!

This is a small town race, and the speaker system used at the start was horrible so we couldn’t hear a thing. I think they were giving a warning about staying hydrated with the humidity. We woke up to about 100% humidity and I found myself at the starting line already sweating and thirsty. Temps were predicted to rise into the 80s.

GOAL

My plan was to just do a 'run a minute, walk a minute', as I had not run much since the 26.2 with Donna marathon last month. However, 3 of us had a nice slow and steady pace for the first 3 miles, so I held on before giving into walking.

From there I did a 1x1, but still ended up catching back up to the other 2 girls who were running a few miles at a time before walk breaks. Around M10ish one of my friends was having a rough time with the humidity and slowed down considerably, so I decided to just stay with her, as I hadn’t seen anything regarding medics or first aid at any of the stations. I was having a hard enough time hanging onto my 1x1, with me not doing any distance running in the past month, so I was happy to have a buddy to take it slow with. No need for injuries! No matter how bad you want to perform well at every race, you have to listen to your body first and foremost! There are a lot of things that can happen during a race that is out of your control, and weather is definitely one of them. The best thing to do at that point is to focus on the positive things happening around you. And be happy that you even have the opportunity to be out there running!....or walking!!

COURSE

The course was not necessarily a scenic one, mainly running by some neighborhoods and down a few major streets, but they definitely had it very organized with probably the most police officers I have ever seen in a race!...and Cute ones at that!...talk about motivation to keep running!...at least to the next intersection!

HYDRATION STATIONS

The hydration stations were properly stocked with volunteers, however I would have liked to have seen the tables every mile, not every 1 ½-2 miles, being so hot and humid SFL. And also Gatorade at each one, instead of every other station. But again, this is a small local race, so the majority of runners are probably used to running in this heat. Also a few tables were set further away from the runners, on the grass or sidewalk, and volunteers would run back and forth from the table and bring it to us on the street. Not sure why they didn’t just put the tables on the street. (?) GU was also provided at least twice on course, which I was pleasantly surprised with so I stocked up for the next race, as I already had plenty for this one. (always say Yes to the free GU!)

SPECTATORS

There weren’t many spectators for this race. Most of the cheering came from the cops or volunteers, which was nice. Except 1 bike patrol and 1 officer that told us we shouldn’t be walking! Unbelievable. Don’t worry, I asked right back if they ever ran a half marathon before! And you know the answer to that one! ;)

FINISH LINE

The finish line was not much to speak of. There were bagels, bananas, oranges, water and Muscle Milk. No beer, which is not uncommon for it being a ‘health’ event, but we came prepared with our tail gate supplies! They did have a couple local food trucks, if you wanted to purchase some food, which was unique.

 

MEDAL

The 5kers got a pink lanyard and large medal, which my friends liked better than the half marathons. Our was literally the size of my thumb! I do like the design myself, but I wish it was a bit larger and had the pink lanyard as well for the cause. The 5kers also got a colored shirt and race bib which made it all seem like the 5k was more involved with the charity. I questioned this later and found out these used to be separate events and just recently joined forces, so that could have something to do with it.




Overall, I had a fun time with my Running Buddies. If you are in the area and looking for a small local race dedicated to a cause, check this one out.

HM#36

13.1-2:37