Patricia Clarke's Staging Area

I waited for this race for a whole year and signed up as soon as it opened. The race does a great job with communication before, during, and after. I strongly encourage you to follow their Facebook group. The race hotel, The Galt, was close to the start and finish party and most everything else was walkable, plus it is close to the airport. It was very reasonable and I had an awesome view of the Ohio river. The only thing is that they need better food options and a microwave in the room. I did VIP packet pickup but still stopped by the expo. Be sure to check out the Mohammed Ali Center which is walking distance and is a great interactive museum dedicated to The Greatest. Don’t expect a big expo, it’s really packet pickup with a few vendors and of course, bourbon tasting. Louisville takes their bourbon very seriously…lol! I got a wonderful custom shirt made on site that I actually like more than the race shirt, though that is nice as well. You could pick from multiple decals and have them placed on your pick of shirt or sweatshirt. VIP packer pick up was ok. It was at a local bourbon joint and there was….bourbon! lol! and cheese, fruit, and meat platters. It was ok for a one time experience. Race day was wonderful because it started at 8 and was walking distance from hotel. You self seed and that worked out fine. Quite a few people went to the back to start, along with me, a true back of the packer. They started on time and the weather was good running weather, very cool when still but once you get warmed up it was awesome! I rated scenery as tops, but that will depend on if you enjoy running through a couple of parks, one was Cherokee Park, we spent the first few miles on the streets passing the stadium and a few other points of interest. Then, the dreaded hills!! It started in the park area around mile 3 or 4, I think, and lasted through about mile 8 or 9. I decided to walk the hills, so most of the middle of my race was walking. I do run walk intervals as it is. Another runner told me that after those hills end, it would be rolling hills. This ended up being true, except they added a pretty good incline right around mile 13… when I got up that hill, I said to a volunteer, “so they thought that would be funny, huh?” The volunteers did a great job. Water stations about every 2-ish miles, so that helped break things up, and fuel was about every other stop. The route also went through what seemed to be a historic area and in the park, at least I think I was still in the park, there were some very beautiful houses that we passed. The bourbon bash was the after party and it was the best thing ever! You cross the finish and there are bananas and bagels. They also had a place you could get your medal engraved, which my sister got for me. She flew in and got there in time for my finish, which was awesome! Your race bracelet gets you burgoo (a soup), pizza, a beer, and 4, yes 4, small shots of bourbon! The soup was good and the pizza was awesome! Hot, thick and doughy, not that thin, cold, greasy pizza I normally get when it is at races, especially since I am back of the pack. The band was THE BEST! The singer did a wonderful job and came down into the crowd and sang and had people dancing, it was a real experience and I will definitely do this one again. Highly recommend! Even with the hills and me walking them, I still came in around my average time for a half, so that made me very happy as well.

I waited almost a year for this event after coming across it last year after it was run. I was so excited for this race and it did not disappoint. I am a 2 hr drive from Philly, so that was awesome. I paid $10 for same day packet pickup. I suggest using Spot Hero for parking. The race is held in front of the Philadelphia museum, AKA the Rocky steps. I did not run them as I planned only because I would have had to go back across the finish area after the race and I just wasn’t up to it. People really get into the spirit of Rocky, I even wore Rocky/Italian Stallion shorts over my leggings. It was COLD! There were plenty of porta potty’s at the start. The race went off on time and the announcer was great. I ran the 5k, then immediately lined up for the 10 miler. They had wave start and tried to manage everyone, but it was tight at the beginning. There were lots of runners, I am not sure how many. Walkers as well. The course was mostly through a park with lovely scenery even though it was cold. The volunteers were wonderful, most of them cheery and dancing to the Rocky theme/music. There were enough water and Gatorade stops, but it would have been nice to have a couple extra porta potties at each stop. The 5k was not bad at all. I felt pretty good. I am a back of the packer, so my goal was to take it easy and have fun and just make it in time for the 10 miler. I had run 4 half marathons in the last 6 weeks so I just wanted to have some fun. There is a 15 min pace for the 10 miler. There is one huge hill around miles 3-4. I walked it as did many others around me. I have a bad knee and did not want to aggravate it by exerting on a hill that early in the run. It was called Mount Drago. It goes up and then you make a turn and it goes some more. There are no crowds, so if you need that, this would not be for you. The finish party was nice. Sobe water, bananas, some kind of nutrition bar (yuck), Welch’s tropical fruit chews (love). Shirt is ok, but the medals are awesome. The 5k medal is even large and heavy. If you do both races you get a 3rd Italian Stallion medal. I really enjoyed this. Might do it again if it does not cross anything else I want to run, probably just 10 miler though. If you want a fun race with a fun vibe, this is the one.

I was excited to do this race and to go to the expo. I ran the 5k in 2017 as my 3rd one ever. I enjoyed it then and had the same expectation. Although my training had lagged because of leg and knee pain, I decided to continue with my plan to do the Baltimoronarhon, 5k then half. So the expo was pretty good, mostly had race goodies from Corrigan. Packet pickup is smooth. You pick up your bib and bag first then you have to pretty much walk through the whole expo to get your shirt at the end. I was lucky to get to exchange both my shirts because I got a large but they were cut bigger than some of the other Corrigan shirts, so I exchanged for mediums. All of the volunteers were nice and helpful. The weather was pretty good for a run to me. I ran the 5k with not much of a problem and felt pretty good about it. The course is fairly flat. The half did not start until 9:45, which is pretty late but I heard that was so that the elite runners in the marathon would be able to get out ahead of the crowd. Logistics worked pretty well considering it was downtown Baltimore at the Harbor, beautiful skyline and sun rise. My only real issue is that non-runners come into the corrals and are in the way. There were plenty of barriers, but that didn’t keep them from crossing. As part of the challenge, I was able to choose my own corral. It was nice being able to cheer on the marathoners as we waited to start and they passed around their halfway mark. The half and full end up merging around mile 3 of the half. It worked out pretty well. The half marathon course is very illy, which for some reason I forgot because I had done the Charles St 12 miler and the Baltimore 10 miler. Police managed the traffic well and the route was clearly marked. There were plenty of porta pots at the start and unfortunately my bladder was having fun so I had to stop 2 or 3 times along the race and never had to wait for one. I do think there could have been a couple more water stops, but after coming off of OCNJ half a couple weeks ago, I guess I was spoiled because they had overload of water stops. The volunteers and spectators were awesome! The run around Lake Montebello was challenging because by then I was really hurting. Getting to the finish line was my goal because I wanted to complete the King Crab series and the Maryland Double, which involves running events that take place in Baltimore and Frederick since March and major bling. I completed the day with 5 medals! And the huge crown that has a light at the top. This medal is so big, it also has a kickstand in case you do not want to hang it. The finish festival was ok. Regular snacks, though the chips were gone, then I saw many runners walking around with boxes that contained chips and pretzels…had they been allowed to just take these from the tables without regard for those who would not get any? I don’t know what happened. The good thing was that there was homemade Maryland crab soup! Truly a Baltimore thing and it was awesome, they did not give 2nd rate soup just because it was for so many people and for a race. There was a beer garden…I dislike beer a lot, so I got canned vodka and sparkling soda at the hospitality tent for the King Crabbers. Now waiting for the date of the party to celebrate. All in all, a nice time even though I struggled so much. I may have to run again next year because it will be year 20 and it’s a hometown race, which makes it nice.

I completed this race a s part of the B3 series…5k, 10k, 12 miler. I never enjoy bib pick up from Charm City Run.I have tried 4 different locations and though the process is easy, I end up with someone saying something weird to me or giving me a strange attitude even when I am purchasing something. The race itself went off pretty well. I was concerned about having to park and get shuttled to the start, but they had plenty of buses that left on time and there were no problems. Plenty of parking, though I did get there early, at Under Armor and plenty of porta potties at the start. The race had a few major hills, but nothing that can’t be handled. It was weird running down Charles Street when it is normally so bust with cars. Shout out to the police and other traffic controllers because people were not on their best behavior and I saw one person run over a traffic cone that had an arrow pointing toward our turn, another person almost hit a police officer when turning her car around, and another turned up Charles St. and I had to yell and wave at him to tell him he is not supposed to drive up that way. There were many other issues with impatience and so I suggest always double checking cars and not relying on them Stopping or following police instructions. There were spectators, not a lot, but enough to keep it interesting. One little boy had a sign that said “Charles is not in charge” which was original and the cutest thing ever. It might help to add one or two more water stations, but what was there worked and the volunteers did a great job! Why people insist on throwing their cups down right next to the bag is beyond me, but I always make it a point to thank those picking up. I know that the route is probably challenging to have porta’s, but there did need to be a couple more of those. One poor woman ran beside me for a short while and really needed one but I told her it was about 2.5 more miles, I had made a crib sheet with the info on it. The finish party wasn’t bad, but the lines were long. So on one hand it was nice as a slower runner to see the party still had food and people still around enjoying everything, but on the other, the lines for food were really long and there was no demarcation of where the line should be. There was bbq from Mission Barbeque. There were sodas and a truck with popsicles…I think that’s what they were. I don’t know if they were for purchase or free. The bad part for me was after I waited in line, I couldn’t eat…lol! I think the best part of finishing was the wet washcloth…love those things! There was a band that was pretty good at the finisher party as well.All in all, a pretty good set up. Easy walk back to my car.

This was my second half marathon in a week. I am part of the Big Freakin Deal (BFD) and King Crab Challenges and I also did the Nut Job at this race, which is the 5k the night before then the half on Sunday. The race was very organized. Small expo, but it was at the fair ground, which made parking easy and Corrigan gave a wonderful discount for those of us involved in the challenges. You get a button that says “I earned an F today” if you are part of the previously mentioned BFD challenge (run an event in the Delaware marathon, the Frederick Running Festival, and the Baltimore 10 miler for an extra medal) which gets you $5.00 of your total purchase at the expo. They also give a button with a Game of Thrones theme that said “game on king crab challenge” and was worth $5 off as well. The cool thing was that you could use them together, so I purchased a half marathon shirt and a race sticker and got $10 off! Warning, their apparel, including those given as race swag, seem to run small. Even for the Delaware Half, my shirt fit too tight, especially on the arms, with the size I normally get. You get a lovely hooded sweatshirt for the half with the Maryland flag design on the inside of the hood. I had to exchange my medium female for a men’s medium because no women’s large was available, but there were many women’s mediums given back and watching the exchange area, it seemed to be the main issue.
The 5k started on the race track, which is gravel because it is a horse track, and it was a nice course with a couple of hills, but 81% humidity! The next day for the half was cooler, but RAIN! I have trained before in rain, so that was not a huge deal. The only thing was that Mother Nature decided to give us a downpour right before we went to line up to start. So some of us were hold up in one of the buildings, but when it was time to go out as we started to see the line moving at the start, the walking area was a river, so your feet started out wet before you even ran…lol! My Brooks and Balega’s held up well, along with me doing some extra lubing up with Body Glide on my toes and pads of my toes to try to keep blisters from forming. I thought that with the rain, constant drizzle and down pours around my mile 4 and somewhere around 9 or 10, there would not be spectators, but there were some brave souls out, including children. They were on their covered porches and out on their lawns cheering and even giving high fives.
Along the course were many,many water stations with Gatorade, there was a munchkin mile with Dunkin’ munchins, one had pretzels and Starburst candy, another had chips and energy bars. The volunteers were awesome! To say the least. They were friendly and encouraging and I never heard one complaint. Now, the HILLS…so I said earlier I did not mind the rain so much, but throw in the brutal hills and that course was challenging beyond words, especially for me because I had run a half the previous weekend and was undertrained then, so of course I was not going to be trained up in a week! The scenery was nice, mountains in the distance, lovely homes, etc., but the hills were brutal! I do run/walk intervals and after being steady in the 5k and feeling so proud of myself, I had hoped to do the same for the half…no such luck! I mostly walked the last half because my legs got really heavy, I was having a shin problem (besides wearing my normal knee brace to help support my knee), and during the last 5 miles, I felt light headed. It was silly to keep going, but I just kept telling myself I had gone that far and was not going to willingly quit, especially with my challenges on the line. By the time I got to the finish, I gave a thought to going to the medical tent because I really felt bad and had to take the 45 minute ride home. But I decided to get some Gatorade, which I normally do not,like and makes me nauseous during runs, but seemed to agree with me on this day, and have some orange slices and potato chips to help me recover. I actually felt like I was somewhat out of my head. I even got confused about how to get out of the finish festival and walked back into the area of the finish chute and was asked what I was looking for, I said the exit, and it was pointed out with a smart remark about how I should not be coming back in that way after leaving out (this was security, not a volunteer) and I sternly let him know that I was trying to get my mental faculties back. The field where the finish festival was being held was very muddy, so I did not walk across to the beer, which I hate, or the wine, which I would have liked to have tried. I really did not need the alcohol though with my state after the race and with driving. Parking was on the fair ground lots, but I decided to park in a garage that was about a .20 mile walk as suggested by the race coordinators. They provide a detailed runner’s guide. I did not want to take a chance on being directed to park on the grass with all of the rain and getting stuck, which evidently did happen to someone who had help to push his car out. They said the garage was free on Sunday, but it was actually a dollar, not bad for the time I was there and the easy in and out. I also met a nice young lady who was walking to her car and was telling me that it had been her first half marathon. Even though the weather was wet, but luckily not hot and humid, the course was really hard, and I was not at my best, I still managed to be only 5 minutes past my normal half time, so I will take it! I am a turtle, so no I am not discussing my actual time…lol…I felt pretty accomplished given the circumstances and those 3 medals were definitely hard earned! I feel like this particular combination of circumstances was harder than my first marathon last year, the Marine Corps Marathon, but it was well organized just like Delaware and I liked the route (I didn’t mention we ran through Hood College). I might do this one again when I am better trained. I would recommend it.

I missed out in the race last year because of the weather, so I was looking forward to it this year. I had searched specifically for chocolate runs last year and this one came up. I was not crazy about some of the items in the plastic mug at the end because I can’t eat or don’t like most of it, but the medal, jacket, hot chocolate, and chocolate during the race sold me. I opted for bib mailing so did not get to the expo, maybe next year. My bib and jacket arrived about 2 weeks before the race. Hooded jacket is soft and wonderful with thumb holes and came in handy for the chilly morning. I decided to wear a short sleeve under it because it was expected to warm up a little and I did not want 2 long sleeves.

The time before the race was nice with a place to buy merchandise and a few other tents. There was an excellent DJ and plenty of porta potties and I was very surprised that there were no lines to speak of with so many people. The start was in front of the “Rocky” steps. I would suggest using Parking Panda or Spot Hero to prepay for a spot. There were no traffic issues even with so many people, construction, and yes, my fear, road closed right in front of me and I couldn’t make my turn to the garage. Be warned…many one way streets.

The corral system worked very well. It kept everyone from getting all bunched up. My sister and her boyfriend did the 5k as walkers and they were in corral Q and took about 30 min to get to the start. I was in corral T of the 15k and it took at least that to get to the start as well. It did not seem like it though because the people were friendly and the announcer was entertaining. I enjoyed the scenery. Museums and statues, trail run mostly and you could see the water with rowers, berry blossoms, a huge field of daffodils, etc. No, there are not huge cheering crowds, but those who were there gave it their all. There was a ton of volunteers…thank you!…I just think there should have been one more water/porta potty station, there were 2. And yes, there was chocolate given at the water stops, along with Nuun, which is my favorite. I thought that they created way too much trash though between the water cups and the little p,astic cups used for the chocolate. I think they need to come up with another idea, to include the large plastic cups at the end with the hot chocolate and fondue type recovery items. I am a turtle and I have been nursing a sore knee and quad, so I knew it might be a challenge keeping the 15 mm pace. There was a pacer for that time and so I had my first experience with that. I loved it! She was wonderful! We did mostly a brisk walk with some spurts of easy running to maintain. I stayed with her for 3 miles then switched to my usual run/walk Intervals and ended up,passing the 14 mm pacer. I knew that a bladder break was coming and I needed to be farther ahead so that by the time I rejoined after the break, I hoped to be back with the 15 pacer, it worked out great! I hate potty breaks because it really throws me off so I spent a few minutes getting back on groove and was able to finish a little ahead of the pacer and without any knee or quad pain! I was so happy about that! Be warned, there is a small incline at the end of the course. And of course, the wonderful chocolate bar medal!!

It was great hearing my name at the end as I crossed the line and unlike so many other races for those of us toward the back, they had plenty of finisher mugs left. They contained a banana, melted chocolate, hot chocolate (which was excellent!), some kind of wafer, a small bag of pretzels, a marshmallow, and a rice crispy treat. I did not eat most of it, but love chocolate and was so glad to be in an event that did not involve beer—I hate beer! The music continued to be great and the atmosphere was lively and fun. My sister, her boyfriend, and I walked a few blocks to a local place to eat. The area is nice and there were people out running, walking dogs, and on the way back to my car, I saw a couple of baseball games going on for children. I can’t recall the name of the restaurant, but I wasn’t too crazy about the food. No buggy though, the day turned out great and the event was very well organized and I am sure I will do it again! And the free pics came in within 24 hours, don’t worry if you get the email link the same day and there are no pics. That happened to me, but they came through the next morning.

This was my first marathon. I was so excited for it after all that running that I never thought I would do. I think I signed up for the challenge of getting in. I got in by being fast enough with my fingers to register for the 17.75k and completed that, it was my longest run yet after only having run for almost a year. I was having knee trouble and it was the most challenging but rewarding 11 miles ever. I enjoyed commiunicating via Facebook in a group call Women of MCM, they are awesome and I suggest joining them if you are going to do this event. I made 2018 my MCM year and it was full of firsts for me…10k, which came after the full and half…lol…, half, full, 8k. I did the Distinguished Participant and picking up that medal was a wonderful way to cap everything off.

I went all out for this race. I booked a long weekend in National Harbor, paid for the Carbo-dinning in dinner the night before the race, paid for my sister and her boyfriend to watch the race from the new observation deck building that included brunch, and the expo was an all out blow up on my credit card…lol. That expo was awesome! Tons of people if you go when they first open and confusing because lines are not roped or anything, but eventually you make it in. When I first saw the shirt, I was excited, but later realized it was not exactly the best. It has become a joke of sorts that the MCM organizers embraced with a funny video.

Since I stayed in national harbor, I had to take a shuttle to the start, which went smooth even though it seemed the driver was not exactly sure where to go. It was cold. There were many photographers asking to take your photo and tons of porta potties. There was also a prayer service if you wanted to participate in that. The start line was exciting with a Sky diver, the howitzer going off, and 30k runners! It would have been nice if they could find a way to keep non-participants out of the start corrals!!

Overall, the course was not so bad, I rated the difficulty based on it being my first and that you have multiple time markers that you have to beat, namely “beat the bridge”. It is horrible to think that you get to 20 miles and could get sidelined after all of that if you don’t make the cut off. When I realized that the pace car was right on my tail, I almost lost it. Then I pulled myself together and just ran until I couldn’t see it anymore. Then I spent the rest of the race just trying,to make sure I was going to NOT see that car again, so I have no clue about the scenery or seeing the various monuments (I have seen most of them before already since I live in Md). I have no idea where I was most of the time…it’s all a blur. I knew my time would be close because I am a turtle runner, but I had no idea it would be so stressful. The Blue mile, for fallen soldiers, was very somber and respectful. It was such a wonderful part of the race to recognize those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It made running 26 miles seem like it was not a big deal in the whole skeem of things.

The last .2 miles or so of the race was probably the worse, those Marines love their hills and there is one leading up to the finish. I waved at the “host”, like he told us to at the dinner so I could get my name called, but I never heard it. The finish was not the best for me. There were only a few of us crossing at a time because we were over 6 hours, which I kind of did not anticipate but potty breaks mostly got the better of me. The reason it was somewhat disappointing was because the Marine who gave me my medal acted like he did not want to hand it over! He looked to the person next to him like he was trying to figure out what to do and I looked at him and raised my shoulders like “what?” He finally put it in my neck…not the experience I had expected. Took many pictures with the photog at the Marine Corps Memorial but somehow those pics never showed up, it could not have been a bib problem because my bib was clearly visible. There was pretty much no finish festival at this time. It is called the “People’s marathon” because there is no,prize money and there are many ways to get it, which is awesome, but no love for those of us slower runners who still meet the time cut off. All I could do was rush to bag pickup after they announced that we had better do so before they left. The best thing was that my sister and her boyfriend were there and they had the Coke I had texted her to please get me. For some reason around mile 23 or 24 I think, I just had a dire need for a Coke…lol. It was awesome to,see them and I was excited even with the challenges…and realizing that my medal did not close the whole way because there was a piece that was broken and propping it open a little. Can’t really see it when it’s hanging though.

I was able to easily maneuver the metro so that I could get back to the station where the shuttle would return me to National Harbor. There were many of us, so it was not difficult. Funny seeing so many people limping and shuffling. No problems even though I had been nervous about this part. When I got home, my mom had prepared my requested pancakes and ham and cheese omelette and surprise…my family presented me with a beautiful award to commemorate my achievement! I was so honored…best thing ever because they had to get it engraved and that means they believed that I could do it!!

Overall, this was an awesome experience! The MCM is special even though some of it did not go as well for me. I think I will do it again once I can work on getting my pace up a bit, but I kind of like being a turtle so take thing in and not worry about placing or a PR, but I don’t want to be stressed about whether I will finish. The race was organized and the excitement was palpable throughout the entire weekend. The crowds were supportive with many signs and some had their own snacks and water to hand out. There were some even chanting “beat the bridge” as we got close to that point. I had read that this was a good first marathon and I would agree, but just be mindful of pace. So many people did not seem to have read about it! Had no idea what beat the bridge was! It is an honor to #runwiththeMarines.

I decided to do the 5k instead of the half because of a continuing knee injury. Packet pickup was easy and quick at Fleet Feet. Parking was a breeze! Plenty due to it being located in a shopping center. The music and festive decorations (balloons and such) made for a fun atmosphere. There were people with dogs, a children’s event and booths, so it was a good family event. There were multiple vendors with freebies and things to try and Dunkin Donuts had some kind of coffee shots, a water station along the route, and munchkins at the end.
The 5k route was not bad. There were a few people out watching from their porch and some had signs of support, which were fun (“run like you stole something”). It was a partially closed route through a residential area of nice town homes and houses. The event was for the UMD cancer center, so there were people supporting cancer survivors and honoring the memories of those lost. One water station was setup in honor of a veteran who had lost his battle with cancer and the motorcycle club had all of their 3 wheelers lined up, they were beautiful and the members thanked us for running and gave out water and Gatorade. It was funny that when right before the first mile, 5kers see a sign that says 10 miles, obviously for the halfers, that happened a couple of times as the route is shared. The halfers start at 8, they were late starting, and 5k at 8:30, we still started on time. 5kers are guided to a left turn because going straight will take you on the halfers route.
I heard someone say that there was a shortage of volunteers, but everything still went smoothly and there was plenty of support and people directing you on the route, and they were friendly and encouraging. I loved that they are getting instant results, so they call your name as you cross the finish! Nice medal. The 1/4 zip long sleeve is nice, but seems to run big. I got a medium and could have probably used a small. There was cold water, cold towels, carrot cake/bread (?), potato chips, bananas, and munchkins at the finish. One of the vendors had fresh popped pop corn, which I love as a recovery snack.
This was an awesome, fun event! There was a man walking on stilts and the photographer was really cool about taking special photos, so I got a few with my mom, who attended as a spectator and loved it. I recommend this race! There were a couple of hills, but nothing that really bothered me. The weather held out, but it was humid, although there was a breeze every so often, so not too bad. I think because I was enjoying the day so much, everything else was just icing on the cake. I signed up during the week before packet pickup, so this was a last minute decision for me and I am so glad I decided to do it.