The Kansas Half Marathon is an annual half marathon and 5K in beautiful Lawrence, KS. The course features some of Lawrence’s iconic landmarks and as few of Lawrence’s iconic hills as possible! The half marathon features downtown Lawrence, the river, and the Baker Wetlands. The course has approximately 500 ft …
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The Kansas Half Marathon is an annual half marathon and 5K in beautiful Lawrence, KS. The course features some of Lawrence’s iconic landmarks and as few of Lawrence’s iconic hills as possible! The half marathon features downtown Lawrence, the river, and the Baker Wetlands. The course has approximately 500 ft of elevation, most of it early in the route.
Since its inception, the Kansas Half Marathon has helped offset costs and increase access to affordable health care services for those that are uninsured/underserved in Douglas County. We kindly invite you to partner with us for this annual signature event. Together, we can engage all people, regardless of fitness level, to run with a purpose; supporting health care for all.
Heartland Community Health Center is a local safety net health care provider committed to expanding health care access for all and providing that access in an integrated, accessible, patient-centered model with a focus on improving the quality of life for our patients in Douglas County and neighboring communities.
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Not a bad race.
I got to the race location pretty early and parking was super easy. If you aren't familiar with the area, the maps in the race packet make it super easy … MORE
I got to the race location pretty early and parking was super easy. If you aren’t familiar with the area, the maps in the race packet make it super easy to find your way around.
Packet pick-up was easy. The only options however were the day before and the morning of the race. The swag was a so-so t-shirt (the design was cool but the quality of shirt wasn’t great), a small case for band aids and a sticker.
The race starts in historic and beautiful Massachusetts Street. After a few blocks, the course turned on to residential areas with lots of potholes and roundabouts. The course went on to a gravel path and while on the path, which was not very wide, you have to do a hard 180 degree turn. There was a section of the course through a park with not a whole lot to look at. The part of the park was concrete but the path was very wide.
The course was the perfect amount of challenging for a half marathon. A lot of turns and not too flat and not too hilly.
I was beyond impressed with the community turn out between the volunteers helping out blocking intersections and aid stations as well as the amazing spectators. The amount of signs and people cheering was so great and made for a super fun experience.
Somewhat hilly run through neighborhoods
This is a small race mostly through the neighborhoods of Lawrence. The race has great volunteers and had someone stationed at almost every intersection or turn so that it was … MORE
This is a small race mostly through the neighborhoods of Lawrence. The race has great volunteers and had someone stationed at almost every intersection or turn so that it was always clear where to go.
Regarding the course: The race was in the rain, which is out of the control of the organizers. About a quarter mile (or less) was on an unpaved trail and it was very muddy, so I wish that part could be eliminated. I also think it would be good if part of the race was through the university campus.
The metal was really nice and the long-sleeved t-shirt had a good design. It is just a regular t-shirt, not tech material. The post-race snacks were also good.
The race included free photos and the photos were really good. I’ve done other races with free photos and the quality of the photos weren’t that great and there weren’t many photographers on course. Not so with this race. Well done.
Overall well organized, small race.
Nice Race!
This was a medium sized race, in a nice sized town. The packet pick up was easy and no frills. The long sleeve shirt provided to race participants was nice … MORE
This was a medium sized race, in a nice sized town. The packet pick up was easy and no frills. The long sleeve shirt provided to race participants was nice and the medal is great as well. Unfortunately, it rained, so the course was WET! We were on a few blocks of pea-sized gravel, which was awful with all the mud and rain already. This is a modestly flat course, which was appreciated with all the other environmental challenges, and the view of the wetlands would have been great, but the need to cross an overflowing river was a bummer. Understandably these are things outside of the race control, its all part of nature and the challenges of outdoor running. While there was not a ton of spectators, those that were out there were very supportive and helped along the soggy miles. Overall, it was a nice race.
Kansas Half Marathon
This is a smaller race, but it was really well done. Packet pick-up was at Ad Astra Running, which was really convenient for purchasing last-minute items. The shirt is comfortable … MORE
This is a smaller race, but it was really well done. Packet pick-up was at Ad Astra Running, which was really convenient for purchasing last-minute items. The shirt is comfortable and looks great. The medal is one of my favorites. It’s high-quality and well-designed.
Race day was organized. There were food trucks with pastries and hot beverages. There were a couple of other tents as well. For a smaller race, I was impressed.
There is a soft 3:30 limit. They say that they will keep the finish line open longer, but you may have to move to sidewalks if you fall behind that pace. They had pacers up to 3:00. The pacers, as always, were great. I followed the 3:00 pacer and she was able to help me push through my mental blocks and finish stronger than expected.
The course itself was nice. There were a couple of really pretty parts. There was one place where the course turned back on itself that was really confusing. I think it wouldn’t have been so bad if we had been at a faster pace. When we hit it the faster runners were crossing on their way back.
There were 7 aid stations each with water, Gatorade, and port-a-potties. The last aid station also had gu packs. The volunteers manning the aid stations were enthusiastic and helped push me forward.
The one thing I would change about this race is the mile markers. The markers were painted on the roads and sidewalks. This was OK, except it was easy to miss. Seeing the mile markers helps me mentally. I would have preferred if they were signs, but in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t that big of a deal. I am sure it made post-race clean-up a lot easier.
Great race!
Great staging area and race organization. No issues following the route. The route winds around Lawrence’s great downtown and along nice paved trails. Many fans along the flat route. A … MORE
Great staging area and race organization. No issues following the route. The route winds around Lawrence’s great downtown and along nice paved trails. Many fans along the flat route. A fun race with lots of fast finishers!