My Profile

@hacanrun

Albuquerque, NM Raving since 2020 Active 1 year, 9 months ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):

    USA Fit Albuquerque

  • Rave race:
  • Race that's calling my name:

    Golden Gate Half

  • I run because:

My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Future Races (0)

Race Distance Location Date Paid

Past Races (6)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
Half Marathon Charlevoix, MI Jun 18, 2022
Half Marathon Virginia Beach, VA Mar 20, 2022
Half Marathon Sedona, AZ Feb 1, 2020
Half Marathon Denver, CO Oct 20, 2019
Half Marathon Montgomery, AL Mar 9, 2019
Half Marathon Albuquerque, NM Oct 21, 2018

My Raves

Some long hills, but they were gradual and great going down. Lake views, scenic. Lots of shade and cool breezes. Water stations appropriately placed. We were worried the trail along … MORE

Some long hills, but they were gradual and great going down. Lake views, scenic. Lots of shade and cool breezes. Water stations appropriately placed. We were worried the trail along the highway would get crowded, but it didn’t. Plenty of room. No lines at portapotties in the race. Friendly spectators, though not tons of onlookers until the end. Downhill finish with people cheering you in. The last mile was downhill and a great way to finish strong.
No swag other than a shirt.
Free parking, not crowded. Packet pickup was a breeze. Some bananas and packaged food, water and chocolate milk offered at the end. Coffee for sale.
Great places to eat afterward.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
2

2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

Great race past lighthouses, through nice neighborhoods with cheering and along the boardwalk at the end. Among the swag was a finishers hat and a blanket, which was great for … MORE

Great race past lighthouses, through nice neighborhoods with cheering and along the boardwalk at the end. Among the swag was a finishers hat and a blanket, which was great for the beach party at the end.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5
My Media

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Sedona was my fourth half marathon. We came for the warmer weather and stunning scenery and this half was wonderful in those regards. The blue skies and red rocks were … MORE

Sedona was my fourth half marathon. We came for the warmer weather and stunning scenery and this half was wonderful in those regards. The blue skies and red rocks were beautiful and visible from different angles throughout this out-and-back course.
The expo was pretty small. No freebies, save for tourist maps. There were some $50 shoes, mostly in sizes 7 and 13. Some runners got great deals! After the expo, we wandered around the park, which was surrounded by beautiful scenery, so that part was the treat.
In the morning, we decided to take the shuttles. Turned out all right, but …
Race organizers: The first shuttle passed us by and left us standing in the freezing morning air. A second one wasn’t going to stop until we jumped up and down waving our arms. The driver even said to us that we should have waited for the third one! There were only four people on his bus, so no reason not to stop. You need to train your shuttle drivers. Also, we were from out of town, so information was needed on how much time we should expect the shuttles to take in the morning. Even a “be at the shuttle stop an hour before your race start” or something like that would have helped. That was a big question mark for us in getting to the race on time that could easily be provided next year. The shuttle maps were great. Despite the problems, we support the shuttle effort! Good idea!
The race start/finish was well-organized and easy to use. No lines for anything before the start. There was a great atmosphere and good music at the starting line, plus a great view!
Being early in the season and viewing the elevation map in advance, we were not trying to PR at this race. Good thing, too! Those hills were steep and numerous. The thing about an out-and-back is the glory of the downhills is tempered by the knowledge that you’re going to have to run back up them. We ran 5×1 for this one, and despite the steepness of some of the hills and the long, gradual inclines, we managed to keep to our regular walk breaks and not take extras. There was a final hill at about mile 10-11 that had a steep bit and then a gradual incline for the whole mile, maybe longer. Be ready for that. We were, and we knew once we finished that, we had a nice downhill and one smaller uphill to the finish. The small uphill to the finish was psychologically tough, but once you see the finish line, you power through.
The only problem we had with the course, being slower runners, was the hill before the half turnaround. Runners were crowded on half the road, despite there being little traffic there. You had 2-hour finishers barreling down the hill, while slower runners were walking up it or running up it. That was a dangerous situation and I think you could have closed the other half of the road on that hill for a short time to provide more room for the runners.
That was one blip though. Overall, people were friendly, the aid stations were great and created a festive atmosphere. We loved the Vikings! Plenty of water and gatorade, bananas and Gu … and port-a-potties.
After the race, we hung out and had a craft beer, chatting with other runners. We wanted to get massages, but even long after the race the lines were too long. I think this is typical, so we weren’t surprised by this. The race finisher shirts ran a bit small, but the volunteers made it easy to exchange sizes. The medals were all right, nothing special.
Also, Sedona is a beautiful community. If possible, give yourselves some extra days here to explore, hike, bike and enjoy the restaurants.
Thanks to all the Sedona volunteers for putting on a great race!

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
5
SWAG
1

1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?