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@mrshawke0807
Buffalo, NY Raving since 2018 50 States hopeful/finisher Active 4 years, 9 months agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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(Marathon or Ultra) + Half
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Future Races
Personal Bests (1)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Syracuse, NY | Nov 11, 2018 | 2:00:18 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
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Past Races (8)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiawah Island Marathon & Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Kiawah Island, SC | Dec 12, 2020 | |||
| Detroit Free Press Marathon | Half Marathon | Detroit, MI | Oct 18, 2020 | |||
| Mad Marathon | Half Marathon | Waitsfield, VT | Jul 12, 2020 | |||
| Buffalo Marathon | Half Marathon | Buffalo, NY | May 24, 2020 | |||
| Towpath Half Marathon (OH) | Half Marathon | Cleveland, OH | Apr 7, 2019 | 2:13:16 |
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| Durham Women’s Half Marathon & 8K | Half Marathon | Durham, NC | Mar 17, 2019 | 2:06:00 |
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| Syracuse Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Syracuse, NY | Nov 11, 2018 | 2:00:18 |
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| Wineglass Marathon & Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Bath, NY | Oct 1, 2017 | 2:13:07 |
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Towpath Half Marathon (OH)
A beautiful day on the Towpath
Towpath Half Marathon (OH)
The weather was beautiful on race day; high 50's-low 60's, sunny, and not windy. In Ohio in April you never know what you're going to get weather-wise, so that was … MORE
The weather was beautiful on race day; high 50’s-low 60’s, sunny, and not windy. In Ohio in April you never know what you’re going to get weather-wise, so that was a pleasant surprise!
The only downfall to racing this time of year is the trees are still dead and the race takes place on a bike path, so there wasn’t much to look at for most of the race. The first couple of miles were stunning; the sun was coming up and running over the bridges was so pretty. But as it progressed, it got a little tough mentally with no room for crowds to cheer us on and not much scenery. Personally I could handle it because it was my 4th half marathon, but for a first-time runner that would be hard.
I heard some people complaining that the course is out-and-back, because that meant some points of the race are single-file. You can see the faster runners coming toward you, and if you’re trying to pass the people in front of you it’s very difficult, being single-file. I was not in the mood to PR that day, so I didn’t care and just took my time.
I received very thorough and frequent communication from the race directors prior to the event. As an out-of-state runner, this is very important to me and can make or break the experience. I really appreciated how organized this race was, from pre-race e-mails to adequate parking and instructions, down to the directors placing water stations at every single mile (thank you!). I have zero complaints about the production.
I wouldn’t say the swag is the best I’ve ever received; however, for a small race it wasn’t terrible either. You get a nice tech shirt and a super cool medal. I personally don’t really need more than that from a race.
Post-race was great! They had a DJ, a fun photo backdrop to take pictures in front of, a local brewery passing out beer, and plenty of food options.
It’s hard for me to rank this race amongst the other ones I’ve done because it was so different from my past experiences. I loved the weather and the organization, but the crowd wasn’t very energetic and it was my first time not having people along the way cheering us on.
If you’re from out of town, like me, this is a great location. I had fun checking out the city of Cleveland the night before and doing some touristy sight-seeing after the race. The course is only 15 minutes from downtown, but still in a nature setting.
Durham Women’s Half Marathon & 8K
Decent scenery, not so great production
Durham Women’s Half Marathon & 8K
Pros: - Affordable entry fee. Registration opens at $1 and increases as slots are filled. I caught it at $40, which was considerably cheaper than the other two half marathons … MORE
Pros:
– Affordable entry fee. Registration opens at $1 and increases as slots are filled. I caught it at $40, which was considerably cheaper than the other two half marathons I’ve run.
– Beautiful location. This was my first time in Durham and I was impressed by how clean the city is, how much there is to do there, and how friendly the people are.
– Being an event for women, it was truly inspiring to see women cheering each other on and encouraging each other throughout the event.
Cons:
– I received very little communication from the race organizer prior to the event. This may not be a huge concern for locals, but considering I had to travel there, it was a little unnerving.
– The morning of the race, we started 22 minutes late. This was due to construction happening on the course. We had to wait for a crane and two semi trucks to move. I’ve never encountered this before; it seems as if these kinks could be worked out prior to race day.
– With about a quarter mile to go before crossing the finish line, a police officer instructed me and the runners around me to halt because a train was coming through. This was extremely frustrating and added at least a minute to our times. Again, I’m assuming this could have been avoided with better planning by the organizers.
The course took us through the downtown area, some residential neighborhoods, and a nature path. I enjoyed the changes in scenery. However, this course was extremely hilly. I do not train on hills, as my hometown happens to be exceptionally flat. I therefore assumed that maybe I was the only one struggling on the hills. I did hear some locals commenting on how hilly the course was. It seemed that even for NC natives it was more elevation than would be ideal.
Syracuse Half Marathon
Awesome fall race!
Syracuse Half Marathon
Registration/packet pick-up: Reasonable entry fee. Plenty of options for packet pick-up; runners can get their bib any of the three days prior to the race if they do not want … MORE
Registration/packet pick-up: Reasonable entry fee. Plenty of options for packet pick-up; runners can get their bib any of the three days prior to the race if they do not want to be wait until the last minute. For runners coming into town the night before, pick-up is available the morning of the race. It was organized and there was great energy at pick-up.
Swag: I have only run one other half-marathon. In comparison to my previous race, Syracuse does not offer a lot of swag. You just get a nice hoodie. This was not a problem for me since the registration fee was so low, but if you’re hoping to bring home a lot of goodies, this may not be the race for you.
Weather: There was a light snow fall the entire race. I believe the temp was around 31 degrees. Wind was around 9 mph. The snow made visibility a little tough but the course was not slippery.
Location: Syracuse is easily accessible from the 90, the main east-west thruway in New York state. There are plenty of lodging options in and around Syracuse.
Parking: There were plenty of parking options. I chose to park at Destiny USA and take the shuttle. My family had no trouble parking closer to the OnCenter to come cheer me on.
Aid/water stations: There were plenty of stations throughout the course. It seemed like every turn, there were more people handing out water/gu/tissues, etc.
Course: I live and train in a very flat city. This course was more hilly than I am used to, but I still achieved a 13 minute PR, so clearly it is do-able. There was a long (not very steep) hill at the beginning of the course and a couple more smaller hills toward the middle/end.
Scenery: It is an urban course. We ran through quite a few residential neighborhoods, some industrial areas, and downtown. If you prefer more nature, this may not be the course for you, but personally I enjoyed it because there was so much to soak in and be distracted by.
Pre and post-race: Orange theory fitness did a warm up routine before we started the race. There was plenty of room inside the heated convention center to warm up or just hang out before the race. After the race, there was plenty of food and beverage. Live music, rescue animals from a local shelter, and a lot of other activity going on made it a fun post-race party.
Overall: I would recommend this race, and I would register for it again.
Wineglass Marathon & Half Marathon
Great option for a first-timer!
Wineglass Marathon & Half Marathon
Registration/packet pick-up: This race costs a little bit more than other half-marathons, but it is so worth it! I had friends who tried to register late in the spring and … MORE
Registration/packet pick-up: This race costs a little bit more than other half-marathons, but it is so worth it! I had friends who tried to register late in the spring and were put on a long wait list. Make sure you register early!
Packet pick-up was crowded, just like everything else that weekend. The Wineglass draws a large crowd in general; it’s just a part of the experience. We figured that out the night before the race when we went into town to eat dinner and there was a 2 hour wait at pretty much every restaurant.
Swag: I have run two half-marathons, two ten-milers, and several 5ks and 10ks. This race by far had the best swag I’ve seen so far. I wear the pullover performance jacket they gave us all the time. We also got a cute little stemless wine glass, a mini bottle of champagne, a drawstring bag, and a bunch of coupons to local restaurants.
Weather: The beginning of October in New York is the best time to race in my opinion. The race started out cold, around 30 degrees, but by the middle it was already in the 50’s. Sunny with a light breeze.
Location: Corning is a small village, surrounded by smaller rural towns. There is no direct route from where I live, so it involved a lot of winding, country roads. There also aren’t very many hotels in the area. We ended up booking a cabin through Air B&B. Again, it’s just a matter of planning ahead since so many thousands of runners attend this race.
Parking: I chose to park in Bath and take the shuttle. My family parked at the Glass Museum and walked to the finish line.
Aid/water stations: There were an adequate amount of stations at this race.
Course: Flat!!!! This course was pancake flat. Perfect for a first-time half marathoner like myself.
Scenery: This is a beautiful course, especially at this time of year. Fall foliage surrounds you, and you really get to soak in nature.
Pre and post-race: I wasn’t a huge fan of the pre-race organization. They squeezed all 3 or 4,000 of us into a high school to stay warm, but all the rooms were locked so we had to line the hallways packed very, very close together. I was a newbie so I had no idea if that was normal but after researching and participating in other races, I think it’s a little odd. Post-race, they handed out bananas, yogurt, pizza, and water.
Overall: I would recommend this race for someone who wants a flat, rural course with great crowd support. I felt that it was a great race for my first half marathon. The entire town came out to cheer us on, there were people holding signs and bells almost the entire way. They also offer pacers for various time goals, which I appreciated. Mine was very encouraging and peppy.