Spring Hill Half Marathon, Spring HIll, Florida

Race #1 for 2019, check. That’s about it, really. The race organizers called it “Marathon Mania” and offered a Marathon, 50K,  Half Marathon, 10k, 5k, and Kids Cupcake Run. I guess I was expecting a bigger crowd, but I think maybe there were 300 of us in all, for all distances? On the bright side, no big lines at the bathrooms. Pre-race winning!

No matter, I love the small races where there’s no starting chip time, everyone begins the same. Crowds are small and folks are friendly. Big races have their place in the world of running, but going local can be just as satisfying.

I didn’t do much prep for this race and planned to treat it more like training. I had a nice meal at home the night before but had trouble (again) sleeping last night. The alarm went off at 4:30 and I was out the door by 5 for the hour drive to Spring Hill. It was brisk upon my arrival at Anderson Snow Park to say the least.

The race went off a few minutes late due to lines at the check-in tent. These smaller races sometimes utilize the timing tags you have to attach to your shoe. People who may have picked up their bib the day before still had to check in to pick up their tags. Small races like these don’t have pacers or a corral really. Just a start line and a bull horn. Ready, set, go.

The course was a simple out and back on the Suncoast Trail. You had to cross a few roads (better look both ways, kids) but overall it was flat, straight, and what many would consider “easy”. There were turnaround signs for each of the race distances but no additional timing mats. I thought that was odd since this race is supposedly a Boston Qualifier. It appeared to be the honor system at all the halfway points (at least the ones I could see up through the half).

I kept a fairly steady pace of 10:15-10:30 throughout. Surprisingly, I didn’t stop to walk. Slowest mile was mile 10 but had some faster splits thereafter. I munched some Clif-Bloks and listened to music. There were so few people stretched out over the course, it definitely ‘felt’ like a training run rather than a race.

Not exactly sure of my final placement yet but my official time on the piece of paper after the race was 2:14:56. Sounds good to me.

Next up for me is the St.Pete Beach Classic weekend where I will be running in all four races offered, which when added up are a full marathon (Marathon Challenge). Why run one when you can prove yourself a lunatic and run them all?!?

I hope you all have a great week as you start the new year. Enjoy your runs!!