Race Recap: Runner's World Half Marathon & Festival

Disclaimer: I received free entry to Runner's World Half & Festival Grand Slam race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Post-race, I was able to jump on Athlinks.com and claim my race results. You can check out how I did it here, and while you’re at it, jump on and make an account too. Don’t forget to add me as a friend so we can go head-to-head in future races!

We had all heard or seen the trend about multi-race events where people run several races throughout a weekend. I have always been opposed to them because I couldn't figure out how you could possibly train for all those races and still perform well. I was given the opportunity to run the Runner's World Grand Slam through Bibrave and I didn't want to pass up this opportunity to try something new.

The Destination

The race was held in Bethlehem, PA which is a city rich with history and culture. The race was held at the old Bethlehem Steel complex. Right across the street the expo was held at ArtQuest. Packet pickup was easy and fast on the first floor with the vendors up on the third floor. All runner received a long sleeve tech shirt, Grand Slammers received a 3/4 zip sweater, 5 and Dime runners received Runner's World logo Balega socks, and Hat Trick runners received a trucker cap. The number of vendors at the expo was smaller than I imagined, less than 10 vendors. I expected a race of this popularity and size to be bigger.

Friday Trial Run

After we picked up our packets at the expo we took the shuttle to the Trail Race start. I loved the idea of the shuttle since I was in a new city and didn't want to get lost on my way to there.

Before the race started we got some trail tips from the Altra sponsored Pros which was helpful. The race itself was very fun and the perfect distance to get the weekend started. There was pizza and popcorn to snack on afterwards, which I thought was a neat idea, even though I'm vegan and don't eat cheese.

Click here for my trail run recap from Bibrave.com.

Saturday 5K and 10K

Today is when things got real, two races back-to-back. The 5K start was delayed by 10 minutes as they made sure the course was safe and blocked off from traffic. I was nervous when starting this race because I didn't want to push too hard and burnout before getting to my 10K so I tried to keep my pace moderate. Even though I ran faster than planned it was still far from my full effort. The course was pleasant and I took everything in because I knew that the 10K and half course were going to build onto this course. In the last mile there was a small climb up a hill followed by a quick downhill before the home stretch.

Click here for my 5K recap from Bibrave.com.

We had a quick break after the 5K to snack, hydrate, and use the bathroom before starting the 10K; which started promptly at 9:30 am. As expected the beginning of the course was just the same as the 5K. It wasn't until we crossed the bridge that the course differed. There was a nice scenic path that the course took by the creek before we got into some hills. I love me some hills but I was still trying to be conservative with my energy. There was a nice long stretch of downhill that felt great running a bit faster and knocking some time off. When I came up to the final hill, that I knew was coming, I climbed faster than the 5K because I conserved some energy.

Click here for my 10K recap from Bibrave.com.

I finished strong in both races and was happy with my time and pace. I wasn't anywhere near PR pace for either race but I wasn't trying for that. I figured that if I tried to PR then I would spend too much energy with one race and not do well in the others.

Sunday Half Marathon

My body was a little sore today but nothing terrible. The weather was frigid and windy in the low 40's but probably felt like 30's with the wind. Luckily I packed my warmer running gear and was prepared for the cold. I did a quick jog to warm up and the race got started right at 8:00 am. I really held back the first two miles to first let my body warm up, and secondly to see how my body felt before pushing harder. My right hip flexor and left calf were tight when the race started. After mile two they had warmed and loosened up and I pushed a bit harder.

I spent a lot of time checking out the course map for this race so I would have a better idea of what hills to expect. The course was pretty much all uphill until mile 9 where we went back down. I planned out exactly when to take in my gels and felt very prepared for the course. I kept telling myself that I just had to get to mile 9 and then I would be golden. Just as planned after mile 9 the end was in my sights. I had just enough energy to get up that last climb before the final stretch. Again I finished strong and within my goal time.

Click here for my Half Marathon Recap from Bibrave.com.

Final Reflections

After running this race I am very thankful for this opportunity. I tried something new and ran 26.2 miles in three days. It challenged me mentally and physically in a way that racing never has. But I knew what I was getting myself into and created a plan and stuck to it. I think that since I did so much research about the race and courses is what lead to my success. If I just showed up and ran then I definitely could have seen myself burning out too early and bonking, or worse getting injured.

So to the runners out there that are wondering if they should run a multi-distance race I say go for it! Plan a head and then crush your goals!