Baltimore Half Marathon
October 18, 2014
State: #19 (Maryland)
Lifetime: #48
Another race recap that is very overdue! Since it was so long ago, I'll keep it pretty short and to the point.
We headed down to the race on Friday afternoon (it was on a Saturday AM) and after checking into the hotel, headed to the expo. The expo was held at the convention center which is right near the Inner Harbor (which is also where the start is). Our hotel was maybe a 10 minute walk from the expo (and less to the start!).
The nice thing about this race is that the marathon starts first and then the half joins them in the middle - well, it was nice for us, I am not sure the marathons like us joining fresh when they were at like 17. I know I wouldn't have!
The half was supposed to start at 9:45, but because there had been a chance the Orioles might have had a home playoff game, so they moved it an hour earlier. Even an hour earlier, 8:45 was still a pretty nice start time! I got to sleep in and race - love it.
After a short walk to the start from our hotel, we got in the corrals. The race isn't huge and the corrals had plenty of room. The race started promptly at 8:45 and off we went!
Based on the course profile, I knew the race would be hilly. I just wanted to take it easy and go based on how I felt. I felt pretty good the whole time and was able to keep my pace faster then I expected.
The course went through a variety of different Baltimore areas and was a great way to see the city. I admit, I haven't seen much more then the Inner Harbor. I really don't remember a ton of specifics (this is what happens when you wait 2+ months to write a recap...).
The course was hilly, but only a couple where really bad. I just tried to let me legs dictate the pace. My continued speedwork seems to be really paying off!
The very end of the race runs right by Camden Yard which I won't lie, was definitely something I was looking forward too. It was a highlight for me!
After finishing and collecting my medal, I made my way to the finishers food. This was awesome! They had a wide variety of food and let the runners take as much as they wanted. The volunteers were really nice and helpful. Races couldn't do it without the volunteers, so thank you!
They also have a nice finishers festival with food vendors, a beer tent (all finishers got 2 free beers) and bands. It was a really nice day out and perfect to spend some time hanging out!
Overall, I really liked this race. It was well run, the course was challenging but not impossible and had a fun post race party. If you are looking for a race in Maryland, I recommend it!
Results
Official: 13.1 miles, 1:53:00, 8:37 pace
Garmin: 13.32 miles, 1:52:59, 8:29 pace
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