My Profile
@amcrowell44
Raving since 2025 Active 1 year, 1 month agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
50 States Map
Half Marathon
Marathon
Ultramarathon
(Marathon or Ultra) + Half
Marathon + Ultra
Other
Future Races
Personal Bests (1)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington NC Marathon | Marathon | Wilmington, NC | Feb 22, 2025 | 2:39:10 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|
Past Races (3)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington NC Marathon | Marathon | Wilmington, NC | Feb 22, 2025 | 2:39:10 |
|
|
| Baltimore Running Festival | Marathon | Baltimore, MD | Oct 19, 2024 | 2:50:43 |
|
|
| Yuengling Shamrock Marathon | Marathon | Virginia Beach, VA | Mar 17, 2024 | 2:53:38 |
|
|
Wilmington NC Marathon
Fast and flat, great for first timers
Wilmington NC Marathon
** Stay near the start line the night prior so that you do not have to worry about the bottle neck of cars going to the island before the race. … MORE
** Stay near the start line the night prior so that you do not have to worry about the bottle neck of cars going to the island before the race.
Pre race: Plenty of bathroom options at the start, I showed up at the last minute (island traffic) and was still able to get into a porta potty very quickly.
Race: The benefits of it being a smaller race is that you do not have to fight your way to the front of the start if you are nervous you will get caught behind slower runners. The first 10-11 miles allow you to run very consistent paces due to the minimal elevation changes. The cons of a smaller race is that you may be running alone for large sections, especially when the half marathoners split off. There is a quarter mile section at about mile 12 that is dirt and gravel that I was nervous about, maybe more mental than anything.. but I am not sure what would happen if it were wet/ rocks get stuck in the crevice of super shoe. Once you hit 13, it is a straight shot to the park section. At this point, me and another runner were working together and I am glad I was not alone.. because we almost took a wrong turn before going into the park. The park section is confusing because it is an out and back that is not clearly divided or marked. There are tight turns in this park section that do not help your momentum… at a point in the race where it is starting to hurt. once you leave the park, it is a straight shot back to downtown Wilmington. The race directors cannot control what spectators do but with .2 miles to go, a group walked right in front of me and I had to yell to get their attention so that i did not run them over. Maybe there are more secured barriers or volunteers to ensure people are controlled?
Post race: Everything that is expected was provided, including thermal blankets which were great since it was a cold day. I waited for my friends to finish and left not long after so I can’t comment a ton on this part.
Race shirt: I am laughing because I have seen the race director defending the decision to give out cotton shirts to finishers on several posts saying the technical shirts get “stinky”. Is the race director running in cotton shirts everyday? My technical shirts are not stinky.. so it must be the quality tested/used prior.. or the runner! My response is… give the people what they want! I will not wear this cotton tee… but the technical tees I have gotten from other races are in my training gear rotation and probably serve as some minimal form of advertising for the race.
I would recommend this race to people who could drive to Wilmington, NC easily and who are either beginners or maybe looking for a flat race.
Baltimore Running Festival
This is a tough one
Baltimore Running Festival
I think Baltimore is about 10 minutes slow compared to a pancake flat course. The race takes you through some good areas and some not so good areas of the … MORE
I think Baltimore is about 10 minutes slow compared to a pancake flat course. The race takes you through some good areas and some not so good areas of the city.. At the start line I got advice from a man who was local and who had raced it before and he said “On paper the first few miles are the hardest due to the elevation gain, but you better save a lot for miles 15 through 20” that was great advice… and was a good reminder at the start line to not push it early. Around mile 5 or 6 another local told me that though the last few miles seem easy on paper.. there is an uphill at mile 25 that will kill you mentally if you are not ready for it. He was also right! I was so thankful to run into these people at just the right times.
Overall, the marathon is pretty big but not the most organized event I have been a part of. There is an intersection coming into and out of the lake at miles 20-21 that was confusing for me since I was by myself with nobody to follow and there was not anyone directing at that point. I think it was a lesson learned in knowing the street names on the race route. I did like the crowd support and the UA long sleeve given out. This is not a PR race, but a solid Maryland race if you still have to check the state off of your list.
Yuengling Shamrock Marathon
JA Racing puts on a great event
Yuengling Shamrock Marathon
This race is giant and could definitely use more porta potties at the start line, though I always cut it close to the starting time so I don't have to … MORE
This race is giant and could definitely use more porta potties at the start line, though I always cut it close to the starting time so I don’t have to stand around.
I had done the Shamrock half marathon before but this was my first marathon ever. The first half of the marathon is certainly better than the second half in terms of crowd support, scenery, and the second half also features one of those tight turnarounds that I hate. I have heard that most years there is a brutal headwind on the boardwalk at miles 23-24 but in 2024 the wind wasn’t bad at all.
I love this race, JA racing puts on a smooth race every single time and the hats were really cool. They were limiting the uncrustables to 1 per finisher, which I get.. but maybe the marathoners should get an additional 1 since they ran double the distance?
This was a heartbreaking race. My BQ time in 2024 was 3:00 and I ran 2:53:38… the cutoff was then lowered by 6:51 which meant I missed going to Boston by 29 seconds… or just over 1 second per mile pace. I don’t think I could have done much more, the race and the course set me up nicely and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to run a Virginia marathon.