Army 1/2 Marathon Review

This is my quick review of the Army Half Marathon, the event also included a full marathon and "5klicks" 5K.  My wife and I originally signed up for the full, but a full month of being sick caused us to switch to the half.  The full went from Killeen, TX to Temple, TX.  The half started at the full finish line and was a near out and back, with the turnaround just inside the city of Belton at the Belton Lake Dam.

Registration:  This was done through active.com a few months ago.  When we decided to switch to the half we paid a small transfer fee.  Our names got messed up on the new registration (hers on both), but that was an issue with active, not the race.  I was in touch with race staff and they were very responsive.  The issue was corrected when we picked up our packet.

Packet Pickup:  Packet pickup was held at a Courtyard Marriott in Killeen, TX.  The Marathon was to begin close to here.  It was a small expo in the hotel ballroom.  There were a few local vendors as well as a few sponsors, mainly USAA and Navy Federal.  We walked out of there with a lot of bags and water bottles.  

"Swag" Bag:  The race packet itself was a drawstring camouflage bag with a nice tech t-shirt, bib, disposable timing chip, clif builders bar, quench gum, and the usual flyer's/coupons.

Event Organization:  There was the option to take a shuttle from our hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) or park a mile from the start and catch a shuttle, we chose to drive.  It was around 68° when we boarded the bus to the start area.  Upon getting off the bus the cold front that was due later in the day had arrived, temperature dropped to 45° in 15 minutes along with heavy winds and a quick downpour.  This pretty much had everyone scrambling to find shelter.  The race director had the awesome idea to hand out the recovery jackets prior to the race, pretty much saving us since we had no cold weather gear.  Almost everyone had one on during the race.  It looked like a nice start area, but I really didn't get a chance to check it out.

The Race:  Weather conditions aside, this was a really good race.  It started a few minutes late so they could be sure lighting wasn't going to be an issue.  It wasn't the most scenic course, but everyone was making the most of a bad situation and enjoying every mile of it.  Water stops were about every mile and a half, they also had sports drinks.  I didn't stop much since I carried my handheld.  The terrain was all asphalt with moderately rolling hills, none steep enough to alter pace.  The wind played a small factor, but the headwinds and tailwinds cancelled each other out.  The best part was near the halfway point at Belton Lake where runners ran around the dam.  There was even a boat on the lake full of supporters cheering us on, props to them for braving that weather!  The last 1/2 mile was directly in to the wind, but I knew it was going to happen so I left just enough in the tank to charge through it plus there were Army soldiers cheering people to the finish.

Post-race:  A volunteer was there immediately to hand me my medal and another handing out bottled water.  There was also a guy handing out a "recovery box" with some pretty good snacks in it.  Finally, chocolate milk, every race should do this.  I didn't stick around after that, the temp had dropped to 35° and I was starting to go numb.  I took the shuttle back to the car, warmed up, and drove to a spot near mile 12 so I could see Amy.  I decided to make a quick sign, toss her the hoodie out of the car, and warn her about that final 1/2 mile.

Results and Photos:  The results were online at http://mychiptime.com/ within hours of the race.  They had a photographer and pictures are still being processed.  I honestly don't know how many they got since most bibs were hidden by the recovery jackets.  I'm sure they'll have finish line pics since they are usually tied in with the timing chip.

Final Thoughts:  I would definitely run this race again.  I would even consider the full just to run the point to point course from Killeen to Temple.  I could tell they put on a hell of an event, just hate that the weather played a huge factor.  Check it out at http://www.thearmymarathon.com.  2 thumbs up!