Rock-n-Roll Raleigh Half Marathon Recap

Running down Morgan Street
(Photo courtesy of my awesome wife!)

This past Sunday I ran the Rock-n-Roll Raleigh Half Marathon. It was a beautiful day for the race and I really enjoyed the event. The race follows a challenging course that winds around downtown Raleigh with portions running through Chavis Park, Oakwood, Cameron Village, Hillsborough Street, and Dix Park. The finish line is right by the convention center and making for a great downhill finish where a nice cheering crowd was waiting.

When I first signed up for the race last year I was hoping to earn PR (personal record) with an overall goal of finishing under 1:45 (my current PR is 1:49:21 at the Richmond Half). Going into the race on Sunday I knew that 1:45 was unlikely, but I was still shooting for finishing under 2 hours. In the end I crossed the finish line right at 1:55:55 and was very happy with that time!

The Runologie Cheer Station

Along the way it was great to see my wife and friends cheering along the course. It is amazing how energizing it is to see a familiar face when you feel like you are starting to run out of steam. There was also an excellent cheering station put on by the local running store Runologie around mile 12.5 on Morgan Street. This really helped provide a nice boost of positive energy to the runners on the final stretch leading into the finish!

Now that my spring half is in the books I am turning my attention to Tar-Heel 10 Miler in Chapel Hill on April 22nd. I don’t have any specific goals for this race other than to have a fun time running. I’ve run it once before and I am looking forward to soaking in the scenery along the course. If you are planning to sign up use the code TH10JOHN to save $5 off registration.

If you are looking for suggestions for other local races in the coming months I recommend checking out the Running of the Bulls 8K in Durham on June 3rd and the Raleigh Rundown Downhill Mile on June 16th. Whatever your race plans are this spring I hope you achieve all your running goals and enjoy the journey!