It was a beautiful fall morning as the sun rose on Richmond this past Saturday. The leaves, along with the locals, were out early to spectate the latest running of the Richmond Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 8-K events. According to the internet, about 20,000 people were expected to run in total. The energy was largely positive as I found my way to the starting corral. Lots of familiar sights and sounds presented themselves as I waited for the crowd to slowly migrate forward to the starting line.
Once I stepped across the chip start, I found an easy pace that allowed me to listen to my body and legs...especially getting into a rhythm initially and letting that dictate the first portion of the race. The crowd support was welcome, and again the energy carried me for portions of the run. Just seeing signs and hearing people cheer really made me smile and appreciate all that this pandemic has taken away. The simple pleasure of having a cup of water handed to me in-stride and hitting a power-up poster are little things I truly look forward do on race days, and today was no exception!
I actually used the 2:15 pace group to keep a solid step rate, and was pleased to discover that I actually finished in 2:14:52! The pacer was really just motivation, so it was neat to finish with a goal accomplished! The last two miles or so were pretty much down-hill, which made for an interesting and exhilarating finish! While no medal was given at the finish line due to shipping delays, the infamous blanket WAS there, so that made for a satisfying reward amidst the snacks and sunshine!
Overall, the Richmond Half Marathon was a nice run with a great finish. Richmond definitely comes out to support the runners, and the hilly course provides for many small challenges, scenic moments, and a fun finish!
-a
