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@HeatherT
FRANCE Raving since 2021 Boston Marathon finisher Active 9 months, 4 weeks agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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Half Marathon
Marathon
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(Marathon or Ultra) + Half
Marathon + Ultra
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Future Races
Personal Bests (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall University Marathon & Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Huntington, WV | Nov 7, 2021 | 1:35:48 |
| Route de 4 Chateaux (Route of 4 Castles) | 18.5K | St-Rémy-les-Chevreuses, France | Nov 20, 2022 | 1:34:14 |
Future Races (5)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Scottish Run | Half Marathon | Saltmarket, United Kingdom | TBD | |
| Marathon Poitiers-Futuroscope | Half Marathon | Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, France | TBD | |
| Marathon de La Rochelle Serge Vigot | 10K | La Rochelle, France | TBD | |
| Semi de Paris (Paris Half Marathon) | Half Marathon | Paris, France | TBD | |
| Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich | Half Marathon | Valencia, Spain | TBD |
Past Races (5)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semi Marathon de Chartres | Half Marathon | Chartres, France | Mar 19, 2023 | 1:39:33 |
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| Route de 4 Chateaux (Route of 4 Castles) | 18.5K | St-Rémy-les-Chevreuses, France | Nov 20, 2022 | 1:34:14 |
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| Marshall University Marathon & Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Huntington, WV | Nov 7, 2021 | 1:35:48 |
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| Greenbrier Half Marathon, 10K and 5K | Half Marathon | White Sulphur Springs, WV | May 8, 2021 | 1:39:44 |
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| NYRR RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Brooklyn, NY | May 18, 2019 | 1:36:38 |
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Semi Marathon de Chartres
Well run 5k, 10k, Half Marathon
Semi Marathon de Chartres
Historic Chartres hosts a wonderful mid sized late winter event. This was one of the best organized races I have ever run and certainly the best so far in France. … MORE
Historic Chartres hosts a wonderful mid sized late winter event. This was one of the best organized races I have ever run and certainly the best so far in France.
Parking is often difficult here, but local authorities were on hand to give access and spaces to race participants. The three events, 5k, 10k and Half, went off like clockwork. The course was mostly flat, but had some challenging sections with cobblestones and some slippery turf/trail due to a light rain. The community crowd support was amazing.
The half was a 2 loop course that went through town and park like areas. There were a variety of t shirts to choose from and Pro Timing was quick to text results after you crossed the finish line. A great buffet of snacks and beverages was provided after the finish.
What was extraordinary was how efficiently the awards ceremony was handled. Division winners were named and called into a staging area. They were then presented by groups, Open men/ women, all masters men/ women, Youth and emerging athletes. The result was a quick, fun recognition for the top performances. Nice gift baskets with local delicacies and gift certificates to a running store were given. Everything was done in time for lunch in a great atmosphere of celebration.
Route de 4 Chateaux (Route of 4 Castles)
18.5K Road/Trail race in Chevreuse
Route de 4 Chateaux (Route of 4 Castles)
This fall, I have been living in Saint Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, 40 kilometers from Paris. The big running event here is the Route de 4 Chateaux, which features one of the most … MORE
This fall, I have been living in Saint Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, 40 kilometers from Paris. The big running event here is the Route de 4 Chateaux, which features one of the most beautiful and challenging courses I have ever run on (and I have been racing since 1974). I’m a roadie, not a trail runner, but I was fortunate to be able prepare for the event in the woods with the local running club, CIV Chevreuse, so I could attempt to stay vertical on the course. The French are serious trail runners, tough and fearless in the wild! The first time I was out in the Foret of Miridon, I was glad to be with a group, as we encountered some wild boar (sangliers) and the terrain was difficult.
The first 10k of the course is on paved roads with some cobblestone sections, winding from St Rémy (at the end of the RER B from Paris) to Chevreuse. The area is dominated by the Chateau and Domain de Coubertin, historic family home of the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic games and the region takes it’s athletic heritage seriously with extensive bike paths, hiking trails and sporting facilities. The course is rough and hilly, but there is great support from the locals, as well as an army of enthusiastic volunteers. The chateaux (where we were entertained with live music) are situated in or near the woods and you will run on dirt paths, gravel, mud, mud with boulders, slippery wet leaves in mud, more uphills and steep muddy downhills before you head back to the finish. I wore some lightweight, flexible trail shoes to run in. This is not a course for your carbon plate racers.
There was a water station near one of the chateaux near the halfway point. Finishers receive a t shirt and snacks, including madelines, chocolate, dried fruit and spice cake. There was a drawing for a couple of mountain bikes and the overall and age group winners received bottles of champagne and bouquets of flowers. I won the M6F division, Masters female over 60, and I made good use of the bubbly later that day to recuperate.
My one big criticism of the event was the start. There was no seeding of runners gathered on the narrow road well before the 9:30 start time. The gun didn’t go off until 9:45 and a large mob of runners was allowed to stream in through the side in front of starting line. I had to put elbows out and run like hell not to get trampled. I didn’t see a timing mat at the start, although there was one at the finish, and there was no indication of chip vs gun time. My Garmin was spot on with official results so I must have been in the right place when the race started, but I feel for the people a little behind me who were in the worst of the crush.
A few things to keep in mind if you want to run a local race in France: Medical certificates, signed and stamped by a doctor, are required for entry. the “Certificat Medical” is good for a year and can be found on line and uploaded with your race registration. 4Chateaux opened entry late in September and filled 2500 spots quickly. Most events have Facebook pages where you can message race organisers or get a heads up about registration and event details. Route de 4 Chateaux used a third party registration site, Onscrit, to process payment and Medical certificate compliance. If you are going to France and want to jump into an event, plan ahead. Bon Courage et Bonne Course!
Marshall University Marathon & Half Marathon
Small Town Half and Full Marathon in WV
Marshall University Marathon & Half Marathon
If you are a 50 stater looking for a fast time in cooler weather, this is your best option for WV. The half is 1 loop of a 2 loop … MORE
If you are a 50 stater looking for a fast time in cooler weather, this is your best option for WV. The half is 1 loop of a 2 loop Marathon course, mostly flat. There were a few small tricky sections of rough, uneven road, a couple of short uphill grades and a death drop ramp into the stadium before running up and down the football field to the finish. The long straight stretches were not particularly scenic, but good for momentum. The Ritter Park section had fallen leaves on the gravel path so footing was a bit slippy. There were some mile markers on the course and I noticed a timing mat/display at 10K (10K split provided).
Coming back after a 2020 cancellation, race organization seemed a bit last minute, but they pulled it off. Most pre race communication was through Facebook. On the course, there were good competent volunteers and police doing traffic control. A results snafu was addressed within 48 hours (initially, gun, but not chip times were posted). This could have affected award placement for AGs and was a potential issue for full marathoners going after a BQ. I was able to start fairly close to the actual starting line. My gun time was 1:35:52 and my chip time was 1:35:48, a small difference. Runners further back on the starting line had as much as a minute or more discrepancy, which could make or break getting into Boston if you are doing the full marathon.
Age group top finisher awards were beautiful Blenko Glass pieces that one could choose off a table right after the race. The finisher medals featured the Marshall University buffalo. Swag bag for half included a lunch bag, cotton t shirt, local coupons, pen, chapstick, etc.
I saw no healthy food options post race. There was a grill with hot dogs, etc and beer.
Pandemic precautions were minimal to non existent. No mask, test or vax requirements for participants, but most aid station (water, Gatorade, but no gels) volunteers were masked and gloved. I saw only one volunteer masked at the indoor packet pick up. I live here, am 63 and made sure I was tripled vaxxed in time for the race and wore a buff at the start and when in a crowd.
Approx 1000 participants combined in the half and the full. A fair number of enthusiastic spectators out on the course on a cold morning were very much appreciated.
Greenbrier Half Marathon, 10K and 5K
Non Trail Half in WV
Greenbrier Half Marathon, 10K and 5K
Course on paved golf paths, road, some dirt/gravel and grass. Not a fast course due to the many twists and turns and weird little hills here and there. My garmin … MORE
Course on paved golf paths, road, some dirt/gravel and grass. Not a fast course due to the many twists and turns and weird little hills here and there. My garmin showed 13.27, so no, I didn’t run the tangents on this one! Pandemic era race was run following safety guidelines. I did not attend post race function indoors because though vaccinated, at 63, I am still being careful. Swag and age group medal were nice. Stayed at the Hampton Inn because the Greenbrier is ridiculously priced.
NYRR RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon
Worth the hype
NYRR RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon
Ah, Brooklyn. It was tough to get in (refresh the registration page and give NYRR all your money before it sells out) and a challenge to get to on the … MORE
Ah, Brooklyn. It was tough to get in (refresh the registration page and give NYRR all your money before it sells out) and a challenge to get to on the subway from Manhattan to get there in time with the massive crowds (crowds! remember them?), but it was beautiful. Prospect Park’s hills weren’t too bad and the long straight stretch for miles in the later part of the race took some focus, but you were in good company the whole way. When you hit that boardwalk, the fun begins and there were plenty of Coney Island establishments to celebrate in. I hope this race, and all events, can come back strong when we are done with the pandemic. Put Brooklyn on your bucket list!