For some, it will be also the last one but for others, this is the start of a longer journey. There is a lot of excitement and every year, new people start to train and complete their first marathon. Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.The Pittsburgh Marathon is like a party in the local running community: everybody trained hard, is happy to be around their friends and have a good time. Race Tips Come early for parking, course can be hilly at times but completely doable. Overall I'll definitely be back next year and would recommend this PGH proud event Point state park I noticed after the race, there were less vendors and the crowds were much smaller this year. Swag bags were plastic, unlike the reusable drawstring sacks from previous years. Yes this year we received tumblers and a pint glass for the 5k, which was cool. The long sleeve tech shirt was nice but seemed generic fir a 10 year anniversary. Other years the vendors were highly enthusiastic. All the vendors at the expo seemed to be less than enthused to be there. They could have been a little more creative, than the big Roman numeral 10, they were great quality. it started with the reveal of the medals. As always the course was great as well as the crowds. I was totally stoked for the 10 year anniversary. Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.) I stayed at the industrialist which was 4 blocks from my corral and 2 blocks from the finish line You immediately go up a 200 foot elevation gain hill over half a mile Race Tips First half of the course is mostly flat with the hills starting at mile 12. I spoke with others who have run either the half or full in previous years and said this was not how it had been in the past The organizers declared this "ideal" conditions. Water stations were not where they were advertised and there were 2 water stations before mile 2 Medical Tents were advertised to be at every water station, this was not the case Weather was much worse than expected, bouts of thunder and lightning and downpour along with cold winds. Had to stop at a medical station and had very nice and accommodating EMTs/doctors Dedicated hill runners at mile 12 for motivation Review Signed up for this as my first marathon knowing it'd be a challenge but was known to be extremely well organized and a ton of fun based on reviews. Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.) Other than that, this experience was so awesome, and I will come back again! I basically just looked for all the other people that had "D" on their bibs. There were signs pointing in the general directions, but when it came to actual distinction between the corrals at line up, it wasn't easy to figure out. Also, exactly where the corrals were weren't very clear. I've been to other races (although this is my first half) and I've never seen people have to constantly wait in line (even in mid race) to use them! The 10 Miler in DC probably had at least 3 times the amount of port a potties that Pittsburgh had, and they only had about 15,000 runners this past year. I have a few small critiques, however: PLEASE have more port a potties. The stretch leading to the finish line was almost surreal, and the crowd was SO LOUD that I broke out into a sprint. Everyone was so kind and encouraging and people lined the streets cheering the entire way. The hardest part was the Birmingham Bridge at the end, and then one more up on the Boulevard of the Allies. If you are running on ANY hills at all in your training, you should be ready for this race. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the number of hills (and their steepness), was at most, moderate. I was super nervous and had read the reviews of this course being "very hilly." Being originally from the Pittsburgh area, I had seen the hills and were worried they would be many and steep. I had had some injury setbacks in late winter/early spring, and I wasn't sure if I would be ready for May 7th, but I kept plugging away, feeling like I sort of made all my training by the skin of my teeth. Review This was my first half marathon, after running the DC Army 10 Miler back in October. Custom Race Map & Elevation Profile Service.Request a Race be Added to the Pace Band Page.Request a Marathon be Added to the Marathon Time Converter Tool.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |