My Profile
@rdnugent
Charlottesville, VA Raving since 2023 Active 7 months, 2 weeks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Marathon | Half Marathon | Pittsburgh, PA | May 7, 2023 | 2:41:06 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|
Past Races (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Townsend, TN | Sep 8, 2023 |
|
|
|
| Pittsburgh Marathon | Half Marathon | Pittsburgh, PA | May 7, 2023 | 2:41:06 |
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon
Meh.
Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon
I realize that this was more of a regional race and wasn't going to have the "wow" factor that some other races do, based on its size. And that's fine. … MORE
I realize that this was more of a regional race and wasn’t going to have the “wow” factor that some other races do, based on its size. And that’s fine. But what it overpromised on was “panoramic views.” I get that it was pretty foggy early on, but even as the fog lifted, the only real views I had were of a secondary, Appalachian road covered in by trees. There was a short stint where we were parallel to a small river, but that was about it. Honestly, I’m originally from SW PA, and most of the route just looked like a backroad near my hometown. That’s about it. Also, (and I say this about most other races, as I see many other comment on this as well)….MORE PORT-A-POTTIES, PLEASE! It’s disheartening whenever you have to stop mid-race to go to the bathroom, only to have more than a few minutes’ wait to have to stand in line for a potty. Seriously – I saw at one stop that there was only ONE potty. That shouldn’t be the case when you have over a thousand runners. Lastly, the course was hard to run on, and not because of massive hills or anything. It had to do with the constant, sideways pitches of the roads that leaned severely to the left and right. Honestly, this was non-stop from about mile 5 to mile 9 or 10. I’ve never had my ankles hurt so badly from a race. Lastly, not a fan of the “we don’t hand out paper cups with water in them for the sake of the environment” schtick. Again, you should go through as many preventative measures to keep your runners from having to stop. The runners had to literally stop and fill up their own cups. Really? Just clean up the mess afterward like every other race does across the US. There’s no “horrible impact” on the environment if you just clean up afterward. On a positive note, the logistics of parking and shuttle and race waves and such were run very smoothly. Everyone was very friendly. But I felt there was a lot of low hanging fruit to have made it better for those who travel long distances (and spend a lot of money) to come and run this race. My recommendation is that if you need a half to run in late summer/early fall and you’re local, this is a decent race to run. Otherwise, I would spend my travel and money elsewhere. Pretty underwhelming.
Pittsburgh Marathon
Perfect race for a first-timer!
Pittsburgh Marathon
It was an honor to return to my hometown to run my first half marathon! I've been a short distance runner for years, doing 5Ks and a few 10Ks here … MORE
It was an honor to return to my hometown to run my first half marathon! I’ve been a short distance runner for years, doing 5Ks and a few 10Ks here and there. But I ran my first 10 Miler in DC in October, and it inspired me to try a half marathon. My training was truly down to the wire, as I was dealing with some hamstring strains back in March, but after some PT, I was able to do enough training to be ready. My goal was simply to run the whole thing without having to walk or stop, and I was able to reach it! First, the atmosphere at the race was electric and so positive. I was super nervous beforehand, and after walking out of a neighborhood church (which was extending their building for bathroom use), a priest standing outside said hello and asked to pray for me before I ran. I was really touched by that! Thousands of people lined the streets to cheer, hold hilarious signs, and to even perform music for those running by. I had read before that this was a particularly hilly course, but honestly, I didn’t think it was that bad. I remember maybe two or three hills before that last, renown stretch at mile 11, but the rest of it is relatively flat. I think as long as you’re incorporating at least some long(ish), gradual hills (not necessarily steep) in your training, you’ll be fine. The stretch at the finish line was almost surreal. Thousands of people were cheering, and it almost felt like a movie! If I were to describe the atmosphere of this race, it would be electric, positive, and extremely welcoming. The only critique I have is that it didn’t have nearly enough port-a-potties. I saw people waiting in line for them everywhere – even in the middle of the race! I promised myself ahead of time that I’d rather pee myself than have to stop (and thankfully, it never came to that.) But seriously – you should have double the port-a-potties next time! If you are a first timer, this is definitely a good race for you. The key is to start slow, keep slow, and speed up if you have any left in your tank toward the end.