My Profile
@naturally.crunk.llove
Madison, WI Raving since 2015 Marathon Maniacs Active 8 years, 4 months 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon | Marathon | Houston, TX | Jan 18, 2015 | 3:06:48 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|
Past Races (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California International Marathon (CIM) | Marathon | Folsom, CA | Dec 6, 2015 | 3:09:44 |
|
|
| Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon | Marathon | Houston, TX | Jan 18, 2015 | 3:06:48 |
|
|
California International Marathon (CIM)
not as great as hoped
California International Marathon (CIM)
Seeing the high Boston qualifying rate and that it's a net downhill, I thought this would be the race. The rolling hills in the first half are TOUGH. They just … MORE
Seeing the high Boston qualifying rate and that it’s a net downhill, I thought this would be the race. The rolling hills in the first half are TOUGH. They just keep coming. Any individual hill is not a big deal but if you don’t purposely take the first half slower (not just negative split slower), you’re going to feel it. I think the high BQ rate has to do more with selection bias (people who want the qualifier come to this race).
The biggest problem for me is that they don’t provide a full sports drink like Gatorade on the course but rather an electrolyte drink, Nuun, and GU. What this means is you have to consume extra GU vs other races in order to match your carb intake. There were also a couple aid stations that were too short (1/2-2/3 as long as others) and where the GU was too close to the water (you didn’t have time to get it in your mouth and then grab liquid). Hopefully they can fix that easily.
The finish area doesn’t have much to eat, compared to my experience in Houston. This year Whole Foods had tomato soup and naan and there was free non-alcoholic beer. Houston gives you a full breakfast. There wasn’t anything available for purchase at the finish either unfortunately. The site said there was a shuttle back to TowneSuites but it doesn’t exist, don’t know if that was a fluke this year.
Start line area is good though. Shuttle buses (school buses) from town will drop you off 1-1.5 hrs before the start. Plenty of port-a-potties, just get lined up by 6:30 and you’ll be fine. Start line is not super crowded.
Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon
best-run marathon I've done
Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon
I've run the half twice and the marathon 3 times in Houston. Run 3 other marathons and this is still hands-down the best executed. Flat course. The only real hills … MORE
I’ve run the half twice and the marathon 3 times in Houston. Run 3 other marathons and this is still hands-down the best executed. Flat course. The only real hills are some underpasses (but they come around mile 23-24 so beware). Aid stations are smooth.
Start line isn’t great, they now do corrals and entry to the faster ones close 15 min beforehand. There aren’t many port-a-potties inside the corrals, so you need to make sure to get to the bathroom with PLENTY of time to spare. Weather is usually great for Houston, starting in the mid-50’s (once you start, you’ll feel great in short sleeves and shorts).
Finish area is great. No other marathon has the food Houston offers, which is less than before but still gives you a solid breakfast (free). It’s also in the convention center so you can escape the elements. There’s a reunion area to find your friends/family afterward. Finisher shirt and mug, not all races have additional swag post-race.