Packet pick up had multiple options. Two days before the race, they had packet pick up at a running store in a Baltimore suburb. They also had packet pick up at a hotel near downtown Baltimore the day before the race. Lastly, they had packet pick up the morning of the race. I had gotten a hotel room the evening before the race in Baltimore so I stopped on the way in to pick up my packet. I made it 15 minutes before packet pick up closed. It was well organized and super quick, I'm pretty sure I was in and out of there in 5 minutes. I was also able to pick up a packet for a friend.
Our hotel was a couple miles from the start line and right on the race course. Of course, that meant that the road would be closed and the hotel warned us that we wouldn't be able to get out of the garage between 6am and 11am on race day. So we left the hotel bright and early at 5:50 am on race day. The half marathon started at 7am. There was plenty of parking right by the start line so we were able to stay warm in the car until closer to the race start. We paid $10 for parking but there seemed to be street parking options as well. We liked having a spot in the lot though and not having to worry about finding parking and how far away it would be.
We left the car only 15 minutes ahead of the start time. I love that you can do that with smaller races like this! We had a beautiful sun rise while we were waiting for the race to start and then it started pretty much right on time at 7:00. The 5k and 10k started at 7:15 I think. There were no corrals or anything, but there were pacers holding signs and people were asked to line up where they felt would be the appropriate time. There was a DJ at the start who was full of energy and there was even an accordion player playing Chariots of Fire. That was a fun little touch.
We lined up near the back. This wasn't a goal race and I was specifically using it to work on not going out too fast during a race. The plan was 8 miles at an easy pace, picking it us for the next 4 miles, and then picking it up even more for the last mile.
As you can see, this is a pretty curvy race. There are a lot of little twists and turns in the course. For the most part, the turns were well marked and the volunteers were well placed to show you what direction to go. This was especially important for the back of the pack because there were definitely times that I felt like there was no one else around us. The course had changed a bit from the first year and there was this weird extra loop that the half marathoners did around mile 3. We looped back toward the finish line (which always sucks) and basically ran on the same section we would run on again at the end of the race. You can see that on the map where mile 3 is between miles 12 and 13.
I didn't mind this change since it meant that the turn around point was at an earlier location and we got to skip the only big hill that was on the course in 2016. I'm all for keeping the elevation flat. But that section was confusing. They had signs and volunteers, but I almost missed the turn anyway. I'm pretty sure I saw people cut the course there, and I don't think it was on purpose. I'm sure they were disappointed at the finish when there watch would have read more than a mile short.
The first 3 miles or so were city streets. Then the extra loop was by the water, which was nice. Then we were back on city streets around mile 4 and ran through the neighborhoods of Canton and Fells Point. There was no crowd support but they were still charming neighborhoods. We ran by the water from miles 5.5 to 7 and then a slightly more industrial neighborhood. The turn around was around mile 8.5, right after the Under Armour headquarters. We were back by the water around mile 9.5, back through Fells Point, and then finishing up running the path by the water where we had run earlier. The roads we ran on were all closed but the promenade area by the water was of course still open so on the way back, since it was later in the morning, there were more tourists, people walking their dogs, out for their own runs, etc.
I'm happy to say I was able to stick to my plan and get negative splits! I took it was until mile 8, picked up the pace, and was still able to pick it up even more for the last mile. And I felt great at the end of the race, as opposed to the last half marathon where I felt horrible at the end. That one was super hilly, but I think I had also gone out too fast and that affected the whole race.
They had plenty of music going on at the after party, and a nice spread of food from Panera. We didn't stay long after we finished since we had a breakfast reservation nearby and figured we'd just get food there.
My pros and cons are pretty much the same as last time.
Pros: Easy logistics with the small field, scenic course by the water for a lot of the race, relatively flat. It was well organized, with plenty of water stops and volunteers.
Cons: This race doesn't have some of the excitement and fan fare that big races have. Also, much of it is on the promenade which isn't closed so lots of non-race foot traffic, especially on the way back. And if you're in the back of the pack, there are times when there aren't that many other race participants around. The course does have a lot of twists and turns. And the parts by the water are brick. It was well maintained but my friend felt that the varied surface hurt her feet a bit.
Post race selfie
But overall, I'm a big fan of this race. I would definitely consider doing it again and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a Baltimore race as long as you don't mind that it doesn't have a lot of fan fare.
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