Greenville Half Marathon & 5K

I signed up for the Greenville Half Marathon in part because it is touted as “The Fastest Half Marathon in the South,” and also because I wanted to run the Swamp Rabbit, which seemed beautiful from the photos I’d seen during my research phase. Admittedly, I was also lured in by the prospect of cute rabbit-emblazoned swag. The course was net downhill, and while I wasn’t expecting a PR, I also knew I wasn’t going to be in a huge hurry because I wanted to enjoy the scenery and document the race.

For the size of the race, I was admittedly a bit surprised by the complete lack of an expo. Not disappointed, just surprised, because it was literally two tables set up in a gymnasium and a row of tables with T-shirts piled high. The volunteers were friendly, albeit the no-frills, straightforward process. I was handed a race T-shirt, my bib, and a drawstring bag, and sent on my way.

The race was scheduled to begin at Gateway Park in Traveler’s Rest, and the point-to-point course eventually would conclude on the TD stage at the Peace Center in Greenville. I had pre-purchased a bus ticket to the start for $20.00, and runners lined up on race morning for the early buses in front of the Peace Concert Hall, for a 5:45 A.M. departure. I once again thanked myself profusely for booking a hotel right across the street from the shuttle departure site, and what would later be the finish line. There was an option for a later bus, and being from out of town and not knowing what to expect at the start line, I decided to play it safe and get to the start as early as possible. I ended up regretting my decision (more on that later).

It was a 20-minute bus ride from Greenville to Gateway Park. When we rolled up to Gateway Park and unloaded from the bus, we noticed two things: the first was how completely devoid of light most of the park was, especially the area around the bank of portable toilets; and second, how cold it was. It was around 6:30 A.M., an hour before the race start, and the temperature was a crisp 36° F. The wind remained steady at a mild 3 MPH, however, it did not make up for the unpleasantness of standing around in a temperature only four degrees above freezing for the next hour. If I had only gotten on the later bus!

The consensus about the porta-john situation being sketchy at best was unanimous, in that no one wanted to do their business in complete darkness, or have to perform the delicate balancing act of occupying one hand by using their phone as a flashlight. We all stood around doing pointless stretches and warm-up exercises until a small orange sliver of the sun crested the horizon, and runners felt confident enough to use the toilet without dropping their phone or other valuable item into the blue liquid abyss.

The start corrals were released in waves, and by the time I actually crossed the timing mat, it was approximately 15 minutes past the race kickoff. During the first mile, we headed north on Main Street for a little while before entering the Swamp Rabbit trail at Tolar Road. From there, we continued north on the trail, for about two miles, before looping around and heading south. During the first two miles, runners crowded each other on the paved trail, continuously jockeying for positions. I did my best not to get stepped on, or step on anyone else. We waved at the other runners who were coming at us from the opposing direction when the first couple of corrals completed their loop around.

We crossed Greer Highway and headed south on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, slowly but steadily making our way towards Greenville. The trail was lined with a canopy of trees for a good portion of the course, and between the trees I could see the many different restaurants lining the highway that we passed along the way. I found the course to have quite a few hills, especially the first 5 miles, though they may have been imperceptible to others.

There were aid stations approximately every 2 miles, stocked with plenty of water and Gatorade, and volunteers enthusiastically offering their support and encouragement. Somewhere around mile 9, my stomach didn’t feel good, and from that point I could only consume fluids without feeling a tendril of fire roaring through my intestines. I’d brought 6 Huma gels with me for nutrition, meant to be consumed every 30 minutes, and my plan had worked for approximately 4 gels. We passed through Swamp Rabbit Station at Berea, which marked the exact halfway point between Downtown Greenville and Travelers Rest.

Prior to reaching mile 11, a cheerfully painted sign let us know we were half a mile away from the Swamp Rabbit Café. Between mile 12 and 13, I was treated to a view of Greenville’s adorable giant steel rabbit sculpture, named Rusty. Rusty is the centerpiece of Unity Park, and of course I couldn’t pass by him without getting a photo. When we reached mile 13, volunteers and runners who had finished were coming at us in the opposite direction, looking for their friends so they could cheer them on for the final push. I got a glimpse of the medal on the necks of the finishers, and couldn’t wait for mine.

The temperature had risen considerably, and it was now in the mid-50’s. I was very uncomfortable in my long sleeve shirt, which had dutifully served its purpose during the earlier part of the morning. Reaching the final mile marker, and knowing I only had a tenth of a mile to go, I picked up the pace and was consumed by a final jolt of adrenaline. More spectators converged on the course, and everyone was cheering and yelling words of encouragement for our pack of runners.

At the finish, I was not immediately christened with a medal, and I didn’t see any volunteers standing by to do so as more finishers came through the corral. We were greeted with the bad news that they had run out of medals, and they would be mailed to us. I was upset, as you can imagine, and this is not something any runner really mentally prepares for.

A kind volunteer let me pose for a photo with a 5K medal, and tucked away the part of the ribbon that said “5K.” It was better than having no photos at the finish line at all. Aside from the lettering on the ribbon and what was engraved on the actual medal, it was almost identical to the half marathon medal, especially from a distance. This anti-climactic conclusion of the race is my reason for the 3-shoe rating, however, I was fortunate that I had an amazing friend who was faster than me who insisted I take his medal with me since he lived locally and I traveled from out of state. This is truly the best part about the running community, meeting lifelong friends and sharing these experiences!