Stefanie Kate's Staging Area

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!

The weather, to include the light rain, was perfect race weather — a mild and damp 51° F with a gentle 6 mph breeze. Each corral crossed the starting line to the fanfare of music and confetti, which was a nice reminder of the colorful, exciting, and lively atmosphere that was Tulsa’s biggest party. We started our 13.1 mile tour of Tulsa downtown, which is renowned for the second largest collection of Art Deco architecture outside of Miami. The first mile was a very gentle, very gradual easy downhill, and I savored every minute of it while my muscles warmed up.

Once we hit the neighborhoods of Tulsa, we came across a few unofficial aid stations offering alcoholic beverages and unconventional treats, and my favorite aid station of them all was one in which a woman was offering “nose napkins and mimosas.” The rain had subsided to a barely perceptible light mist, and so I loaded up on tissues and thanked the tissue and mimosa lady profusely. Other runners made their approval known as well, concurring that this had been their favorite aid station.

After mile 1, the journey to mile 2 was a gradual uphill, and all throughout the rest of the course there were frequent elevation changes with noticeable uphill and barely noticeable declines. I hesitate to call them “gently rolling hills,” because some of the hills, especially the last one preceding mile 12, were far from gentle. We ran past some of the most beautiful houses I’d ever seen in the Midwest while we were passing through the neighborhoods of Tulsa, and I mentally made a note of at least two mansions to look up on Zillow later.

Aid stations were spaced out approximately every two miles, and each aid station was manned with friendly and engaging volunteers ready to shower us with water and Gatorade. The course continued through Midtown, and then we ran along the Arkansas River with beautiful views of damp fall foliage before crossing the historic Route 66 around mile 11. There were some great opportunities to get photos with the famous Route 66 sign, and a race photographer was positioned to capture some candid shots of runners in front of the sign.

Mile 11 began in a decline and then we started to ascend again up the monstrosity known as “Crybaby Hill.” My legs were already fatigued from the previous 10 miles’ worth of hills, so by the time I began to crest Crybaby Hill, I was nearly in tears, lending credence to the hill’s moniker. The final two miles took us back towards the Tulsa Arts District, where we finished at Guthrie Green. Underneath the canopy in the finisher’s corral, volunteers handed out warm slices of pepperoni pizza, which had been delivered that morning in heat bags by Simple Simon’s Pizza. It was one of the best slices of pizza I’d ever eaten in my calorie-deprived and muscle-fatigued state.

Before heading back to my hotel for some rest, I swung by the Route 66 Historical Village and snapped a photo of my medal with the iconic sign for which the medal was inspired. 10/10 would recommend this race to anyone looking for a great race in Oklahoma. Pre-race communication and race production were phenomenal, and the expo was fun with lots of awesome vendors!

A Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon Ghost Story: The Lost Toilets of the Land of 10,000 Lakes

While the race on everyone’s bucket list, Grandma’s Marathon, was celebrating 47 years running, the festivities of its equally esteemed half marathon counterpart, the 33rd Annual Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, began in the dark early morning hours of June 17th, 2023, before the sun came up. At 4:30 A.M., the temperature was a damp 52° F, the humidity was about 81%, and the wind, thankfully, was non-existent. My ideal race conditions.

The race organizers strongly advised bringing throw-away layers to wear on the 20-minute bus ride and while hanging out in the start corral, since Minnesota mornings get chilly. All clothing discarded on the course would be donated by the volunteers to Goodwill. The buses began departing at 5:00 A.M. from the convention center, and for those who could not make it onto a bus that wasn’t full, an optional participant train was offered, which also departed at 5:00 A.M. The bus dropped us off approximately 13.1 miles northeast from downtown Duluth on Highway 61, and we were about halfway between Duluth and Two Harbors.

The bus drop-off was one-third of a mile from the start corral, which was at the intersection of Greenwood Road and Highway 61. At precisely 6:00 A.M., the race kicked off and we half-shuffled toward the start until every runner not waiting in line for the bathroom crossed the timing mat. The majority of the course ran south down Highway 61 along Lake Superior, until around mile 10, when we began to enter downtown Duluth.

Throughout the entire course, the crowd support was phenomenal, and the organization and number of aid stations were the best I’ve ever experienced on any course, especially for a large race. I have been accustomed to aid stations approximately every 2 miles or so, but the Garry Bjorklund Half generously had an aid station nearly every mile. In between the sanctioned aid stations, locals came out and were grilling steaks and ribs, offering us water and electrolyte drinks of their own, fresh fruit, and various forms of sports nutrition. One runner later reported snagging a BBQ rib on the course. The Duluth residents and volunteers held up the usual gamut of humorous signs and cheered every runner on. Duluth delivered.

Mile 4 is where my chip time, quite literally, went in the toilet. I had to pee, and I decided my options were to suffer now or later when it came to the porta-potty lines. If I held out until mile 8 or 9, the lines would be just as bad, the temperature would be warmer, and at that point I’d likely be desperate. My bathroom pit stop added 11 minutes to my official finish time.

The bottom line is there were not enough water closets at each location, and for 9,000 half marathon runners (16,357 total participants when the full marathoners joined us on the course), there were two porta-potties every two miles with lines that exceeded a ten minute wait at each stop. Hopefully in the future this is something that is addressed, as it’s my only complaint about an otherwise totally spectacular event.

The first 5 miles of the course consisted of rolling hills, which to many were probably imperceptible, but I felt them. Anyone who says this is a “flat course” is lying to you. It’s not flat, but it’s not uncomfortable, either, and even though I felt the gradual inclines and declines, my momentum was consistent the entire way until Lemon Drop Hill. At mile 9, we reached the infamous Lemon Drop Hill which is the steepest grade on the course. As we crested Lemon Drop Hill, we ran under a sign that encouraged us with, “Only 4.1 miles to go, great job runners!”

There was a giant billboard-sized television screen set up off to the side after Lemon Drop Hill, where loved ones of runners sent them videos of encouragement as they passed by. Many of us passing by and watching the recorded motivational videos got teary-eyed. I thought this was a beautiful surprise for those runners whose loved ones made the videos for them, and who needed the encouragement this close to the finish.

The production of this race, the swag, finisher’s festival, and expo were all spectacular, and pretty much the best of any race I’ve done thus far. I tremendously enjoyed the expo especially, and had the opportunity to not only gorge myself on spaghetti at the Spaghetti Dinner, but I got to meet Kara Goucher, which was one of the best experiences of the weekend. All in all, I’d do this again… except maybe hold my bathroom breaks until the end unless the bathroom situation is improved.

The Anthem Shamrock Half Marathon marked State #9 for me on my 50 states journey. The event was celebrating its 51st year on the morning of March 19, 2023. It was 44° F at the start of the race, and actually cooled down to about 40° F by the finish. The wind remained a consistent 15 – 17 mph throughout the duration of the event, and felt even chillier the closer we got to the water.

The starting line was on 42nd & Atlantic Avenue, which was approximately a 1.3 mile walk from my hotel. All of the roads in the surrounding area that intersected with – or directly involved – the race course were shut down, so driving to the start was not an option. Spectators waved to us from their condo balconies and front porches as we passed their homes and colorful apartment buildings, which flanked both sides of the residential street.
There were aid stations approximately every 1.5 miles, with volunteers offering water and electrolyte mix.

In addition to these sanctioned aid stations, there were also “dehydration stations,” where Virginia Beach residents offered runners beer and other adult beverages on the go. Some runners enthusiastically took them up on the offer, sloshing beer along the course. The flat, scenic coastal course took us north up Atlantic Avenue for about two miles, and the course then shifted left onto Shore Drive, where we looped around the historic Fort Story for about 6 miles. We actually did have to enter the military installation’s gates, and everyone who had a visible race bib was waved through. While on Fort Story, we passed by the site where John Smith, Christopher Newport, John Rolfe and the other Jamestown colonists first landed in America in 1607, and also passed by the Cape Henry Lighthouse – the oldest standing lighthouse in the United States.

There were active duty service members who were doubling as race volunteers, and they made sure we felt welcome while we passed through Fort Story. Fort Story was significantly windier than the rest of the race course, and I felt the temperature drop slightly as we exited the base and headed back onto Atlantic Avenue, where we now faced a slightly offensive headwind. I could see King Neptune looming in the distance at mile 12, only a mile away. The absolute longest mile.

We sprinted down the boardwalk to the tune of hundreds of spectators cheering on either side for the finishers, as the announcer called out our names. The Finisher’s Tent had live music playing, and friendly volunteers cheerfully served cups of Murphy’s Irish Stew and Yuengling Beer.

On a final note, packet pick-up was at the Shamrock Sports & Fitness Expo at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The Expo had an abundance of vendors and some pretty fun photo opportunities, and the swag we received for registering for the race and finishing the race was exceptional. Finishers received a unique, soft finisher’s blanket, and a moisture-wicking Anthem Shamrock Half Marathon baseball cap, which were both handed to us after we collected our medals. Each participant got a technical long sleeved T-shirt, which I proudly wore on my way home.

10/10 would recommend this exceptionally fun race with an exciting beach finish on the boardwalk. I definitely plan to do this one again sometime in the future.