My Top 5 Favorite Half Marathon Races

As I navigate a hazy running future with my knee, there is the possibility that that half marathons will no longer be part of my racing calendar.

Truth be told, I’m actually better at races that go between 6-10 miles.  Those races don’t take near a toll on me as much as thirteen plus miles.  Nor do they require the same degree of mental focus as the longer half marathon.

That’s likely the reason I prefer the half marathon.  For me, they represent the ultimate challenge in competitive racing from both a mental and physical standpoint.  That’s also why a successful one carries a greater feeling of accomplishment than the outcome in a race of fewer miles.

With all of that in mind, this would seem a prime opportunity to share some past experiences with My Favorite Half Marathon Races!

5.  1983 Eastern Oregon Half Marathon.  They say you never forget your first experience at something new.  That’s half true.  While I don’t recall either my exact time or place in this event from decades ago, what remains spray-painted in my memories are how one corner on a lonely highway along a meandering river gave way to yet another long corner in what seemed an endless race.  That and laying on the ground less than an hour afterwards from dehydration.  That one experience scared me off half marathons for thirty-five years.

4.  2024 St. Paddy’s Half Marathon.  What makes this one stand out for me was the preparation that went into it.  Not only several weeks of solid training along with a careful racing strategy, but so many other seeming minor items.  Eating a banana four hours before the race for fuel.  Wearing my racing shoes the Saturday before to be certain how they’d feel.  Researching how to loosen up a tight pectineus muscle.  All that attention to detail resulted in my fastest half marathon in nearly two years.

No time to check out the beautiful scenery with a wicked hill awaiting on the Fueled By Fine Wine Half Marathon.

3.  2019 Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon.  This was my second time running this one - a course through gorgeous wineries not too far from my alma mater in western Oregon.  No humidity and mild temps proved a July treat coming from Iowa.  Goal was a better time and place than the previous year - a low bar as I ran that race on a bum hamstring.  The 2019 version turned out a tough, but a thoroughly enjoyable race, capped off by hearing my name as I crossed the finish line, as well my being from Urbandale, Iowa and that I was the first grandmaster.  Those aspects alone would have sufficient to call this race a clear winner.  But as icing on a seven-layer cake, at least a dozen area wineries participated in a post-race tasting under a huge tent.  Better still, several of them recognized me from my visits the previous day. It may not be heaven, but that portion of Oregon comes pretty damn close.

2.  2021 Drake Half Marathon.  This one stands out for several reasons.  Because we were still dealing with COVID restrictions, they limited the race to 500 participants.  Given that smaller field, my projected finishing time had me in the elite corral for the start.  Here I was, for the first time ever, at 60 years old, going into a race as an elite runner.  Of course, there was no way in hell I would allow myself to not finish in the top twenty as a result.  That meant that even when I felt pain on the side of my left knee, I would not slow down for those final four miles.  The resulting time awarded my best time ever on that course.  But not knowing at that time about IT bands, that effort carried a stiff price as I spent several weeks dealing with that injury and a couple others that stemmed from my stubbornness.  Looking back and knowing what I know now, I can easily say that I would not have changed a thing about this race.

The finish line for what became my best half marathon.

1. 2019 IMT Des Moines Half-Marathon.  Easily the most emotional race I’ve ever had.  The Monday before this race, we unexpectedly lost a wonderful miniature dachshund named Dylan.  As any pet owner will easily attest, such a loss is always painful.  Even with several days to attempt to deal with his absence, that race seemed to provide an unintended outlet for everything welling inside of me.  All I knew that chilly October morning was that time each mile seemed unreal.  I couldn’t be going that fast.  Still, something inside me continued pushing me to maintain that pace.  I finished with a time that was the best in my age group for not only that year, but the previous five.  I’ve never approached this time since and hope I don’t run under those circumstance again.

That encompasses over forty years of a distance that I swore I’d never run again after than initial experience.  Although I can accept it if I've run my last half marathon, I do hope to add a few more to this list in the coming years.

What about you?  Any half marathon experiences you’d like to share?  Feel free to add them into the comments below or on Facebook.

As for my next post, I've quite an update on my knee to share with everyone! See you then!