Baltimore Half Marathon Race Recap (Baltimore Running Festival Part 2)

When we last left off  I had just finished the 5k, and was hanging out between that finish and starting the half marathon. (I recommend you check out the previous post for all the context about the Baltimoron-athon!)

My dad and I had plenty of time between the races to grab our checked bag, stash our 5k medal, refuel for the half marathon, and cheer on the marathon runners!

The marathon had started at 8am (30 minutes after the 5K), so we were able to see a bunch of the marathon runners as they ran back through the Inner Harbor, which was really fun!!!

Around 9:30 we went to our corral – 3 – and waited to start.  The first wave went off right at 9:45, and it took about 10 minutes for us to cross the start.

They had a countdown and confetti for each wave which was really cool.  It was 63 degrees and sunny as we started, so I knew we were in for a warm run.

Luckily, the city of Baltimore brought it! There was so much crowd support and the energy was awesome!! The course was definitely more hilly than I expected though, and early on I started to walk up the hills to pace myself smartly for the weather.

Around mile 7 we looped around a lake, and it was a really cool site to see runners the whole way around it – in front of me, and behind me.

The heat continued to rise, and I noticed a few runners stopped on the side of the road (fingers crossed everyone was okay).  As the heat increased, my pace slowed down. I focused on hydrating, fueling, and enjoying myself.  The spectators brought so much energy, and the course gave a great tour of the city.

I finished in 2:38:41 – no complaints!!  Right after I crossed the finish timing mat, I saw Blue, the mascott of the running festival, and had to grab a selfie. 🙂

Then I got my 13.1 crab medal, and my special Baltimoron medal!!! Plus lots of water, gatorade and snacks to eat once my appetite came back.  And another official photo.  I tried to refuel with electrolytes immediately because I knew I had sweated a ton, and looking at these photos I can really tell that it looks like I lost some water weight over the course of the race.

Since I knew I had a bit to wait for my dad, I grabbed a vodka based drink in the beer garden to celebrate 16.2 hot miles, and the awesome energy and scenery at the finish. YOLO.

Between the gatorade and the mixed drink I felt great, and rehydrated, so once my dad and I met up I grabbed one more photo by the Harbor with all three medals.

We walked back to our hotel and showered before walking to the parking garage where our hotel had parked the car. The traffic was crazy leaving the city (since the marathon was still going on — those runners were troopers!!), but since we used the Waze app, we got out in no time. Always use Waze! 🙂

Overall, the Baltimore Running Festival was a great experience, and the shirts, medals, and perks are top notch. I loved starting and ending at the Inner Harbor – it really allowed folks to spread out so it didn’t feel totally jam packed – and it provided some gorgeous scenery.  I hope to be back to run it again soon — hopefully in cooler weather. 🙂