Sunday, September 28, 2014

Surftown Half Marathon, Westerly RI

This Surftown race blog post is long overdue, but I have crossed another state off of my "Do A Race In Every State" list!  Two weeks ago, I participated in the Surftown Half Marathon in Westerly, RI. I was in the area for a family wedding and there just so happened to be a race being held (with a super cool medal as a bonus)!

My friend Jen joined me for the trip and participated in the 5K. We were able to do packet pickup on Saturday for the Sunday race, and stayed only a few blocks from the start line and oceanside at the Pleasant View Inn.  The race was put on by Hartford Marathon Foundation Events and capped at 1800 runners for the half marathon and 600 runners for the 5K---and it was sold out a few weeks before race day!
 
Jen and I pre-race on a beautiful morning.

Packet pickup on Saturday was at the Knickerbocker Cafe downtown Westerly. The cafe was very poorly lit inside and my friend Jen and I both felt as though packet pickup was a little disorganized and confusing. However, we secured our appropriate bibs and race swag!

Swag


Race morning was beautifully sunny and cool!  Air temp was around 50-60 degrees--my kind of racing weather!  The half marathon began 15 minutes before the 5K, and headed out along the coast. Unfortunately, the coast was not visible the whole run as sand was piled high on the beach blocking the view. Regardless, there were some breathtaking views of the ocean and beautiful Cape Cod style homes.  The website described the race as flat and fast. However, I would beg to differ!  There were certainly hills, but nothing out of this world. Watch Hill was by far the toughest climb of the race, around mile 10.  Miles 11 and 12 were kind of monatanous and felt as though I was running on a country highway in MN. Maybe it was because I was ready to be done running.  Thankfully, there were plenty of water stops, music, and entertainment throughout the course.

The home stretch!

I ended up with a time of 2:20:25. Certainly, this was not a PR for me. However, considering that my training wasn't quite where it should be, that I was exhausted from all our travels and exploring, and that I was dehydrated from the wedding festivities the evening before, I was happy!  Also, this was the longest distance I have ran since my injury in April. Most exciting of all is that my foot and ankle seem to be back to "normal", without pain. 

Love the surf board mile markers!

Post race there was quite a spread available including clam chowder, fruit, granola bars, and more!  Racers also received a free beer at Paddy's Beach Club and free admission to the Misquamicut Fall Festival. 
 
Post-race at Paddy's with our complimentary beer!

If you are looking for a great race in Rhode Island, give Surftown Half Marathon a thought!