Country Music 1/2 Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

A good time given the hilly course and lack of consistent training in the weeks leading up to the race. I was particularly pleased with miles 9-11 where I held a 6:42 pace (#11 was my fastest mile of the day!).

The start was chaotic due to the last minute move from a 7:00 gun to 6:45. I had been in the corral for no less than 2 minutes when the gun went off and the crowd started moving. The course takes the entire four lanes of West End all the way into downtown (through 2-3 miles) so there is plenty of room to move if you are located in one of the earlier corrals. With ~32000 people registered I imagine it was not the same for the latter corrals.

I started out at a pace that was smooth and controlled, thus I was surprised to see the first few miles under 7 minute mile pace. I deliberately wanted to hold back so that I could finish the race strong but the pace was too easy. That quickly changed with some large hills coming out of downtown and I was happy to settle into a 7:15-7:20 pace while we made our way out to the suburbs.

The course is pretty much an out and back for the middle 6 miles and it was amazing to see the army of runners coming in the opposite direction. We were splitting a very wide four lane road and there was massive crowding in the 1:50-2:00 pace groups. I am not sure what they could do to thin the crowds out any further before mile 6 but I also wouldn’t want to run in that mess.

At around mile 9 we had made it back to the top of the hill near the start of Music Row and there was a long stretch of gentle down hill. My legs were still feeling fresh so I decided to take drop the pace a little bit to compensate for the prior hills. Mile 10 was generally flat so I pushed the pace a little harder. This point in the race is usually my nemesis, as there is something about the Gulch that makes me want to stop and seek water. This year seemed a little different so I dug deeper through mile 11, pulling off my fastest mile of the race. There is something satisfying about running well in the later stages of the race, especially if you are able to pass a few people.

I paid the price for my speed around mile 12 while also hitting a few uphill sections. The last two miles of the course are forgettable, with a few turns through a deserted downtown area to make sure we get the full 13.1 miles. My last 5K was my fast, so I really cannot complain too much. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more time on Music Row and less time wandering near the Capitol building.

6:51
6:46
7:07
7:19
7:21
7:01
7:05
7:14
6:48
6:42
6:36
7:10
6:57


Push the middle sections a little harder. This could have been a low 1:30 had I not backed off the hills.

Walked around in the finisher's corral, ate a banana and watched my brother finish.


The hills and the temperature. Enough already about the hills. The temperatures started to climb around 8AM and I could feel the difference given I had consumed a minimal amount of fluid during the race. Several runners that finished around me had to be attended to by medics. Kudos to the race organizers for having so many medics on hand at the finish.


Great race - cannot wait for next year!