Help me pick a spring half

[johde]

I'm am finishing training for the Columbus Half Marathon on Oct.17th and I'm starting to look ahead to spring. I was originally seriously looking at the Indy 500 Mini Marathon but I just received my teaching schedule for spring and I'm scheduled to teach Saturdays (at a 20% per hour bonus). I'm saving up for a DL half trip Sept 2011 so I'm also trying to keep this one cheap. The Main requirement are in no particular order:

1. Not on Saturday Morning (or Saturday evening without same day packet pickup).

2. Close enough to Zanesville, OH (30min. east to Columbus on Rt. 70) to drive after work.

3. Not overly expensive.

I have 3 - 4 contenders so far.

Option 1: Kenyon Earth Day Marathon/Half. April 24th(approx); $30 early registration(2010); About 400 Full/Half marathoners.

The biggest advantage of this one is also it's biggest disadvantage. The start line is is 5mi. from my house. I can sleep in my own bed, can pick up packet at my leisure. But, Other than the 4 miles through town, I run this flat trail every run. So I'm paying money to run where I always run. Could be great PR potential though.

Option 2: ORRRC Marathon/Half. April 10th (approx); $20 early registration (2010); 700 Full/Half marathoners.

This starts about 5mi from my brothers house so I can crash with him. Was mostly on rail/trail so flat again. Another small half, but what a price.

Option 3: Flying Pig Marathon/Half. May 1st; $50 early registration (2011); 15,000 full/half marathoners.

A little further away, would need to either get a hotel room or an hour drive from Brother's or sisters house. I've heard it's a good race with good fan support. The hill has me worried.

Option 4: Cleveland Marathon. May 15th; $55 early registration (2011); 15,000 full/half marathoners.

I ran this half marathon this year. I've been wanting to do different races for a while.

Has anyone run these event to give me some insight? Right now, I'm really leaning towards the ORRRC Half. The only disadvantage is that it's early. If winter gets bad, training could be a problem. The price can't be beat, I can combine it with a trip to visit family. Also, does anyone know of another race that fits the bill?

 

[AmyBeth68]

I've heard GREAT things about the Flying Pig...it's one that I know I will get to one of these days. Supposed to be well organized and fun...with good support. So that would be my vote...actually thought of it immediately before I got thru your post and saw you listed it .

Good luck choosing!

 

[geaux_half]

Flying Pig is the only race that I've run in Ohio. The uphill portion of the race came before the downhill and didn't seem that bad. The downhill finish is nice.

 

[K80K]

Another vote for Flying Pig. I have heard A LOT of great things. It is on my list for the future.

 

[FireDancer]

I haven't done any of those runs and the only one I have heard of is the Flying Pig. I am looking at that or Pittsburgh being my spring half this year because I want to stay closer to home.

The half I did this weekend started less then 1.5 miles from my front door. It ran the same route as one of my normal bike routes and while it was familiar running it as a race was completely different then running it as a training run or biking it. Don't let the proximity to your home be a negative. Had I not been sick the week leading up to the half I probably would have jogged there from home as my warm up and jogged back as my cool down. It is kind of a nice change of pace. I wouldn't want to do every half this close to home because traveling is part of the fun but every once in a while it is pretty nice.

 

[johde]

Thanks for the information. Fortunately I have plenty of time to decide. They all have their plusses and minuses and I'm hoping to all of them eventually. I hadn't look at Pittsburgh but I don't think I want to do that one yet because of course limits. It's 3 hours for the half but walker can start an hour early for a total of 4. Part of the fun is starting with everyone else and I hope to be real close to that 3 hour mark.

 

[JimB.]

I ran in the ORRRC Half this past April.

It was a "small" race (about 750-800 "1/2'ers" running), but it was very well organized (with the exception of starting about 5 minutes late, which was no big deal IMHO).

The course was pretty good. It wound through town for about 2 miles before it headed out onto the trails & rural roads. Mostly a course with long straight portions, not too many twists and turns. A couple of long, very gradual uphills (which, if you live in the area, you will probably not even notice. But for me, a Florida guy...................... ).

Had lots of snacks & even some warm soup afterward. It's based out of the YMCA in Xenia, so there is a place to shower & change if you want to.

A nice medal, a nice shirt & a nice run for $35!. If I am in that area again this year at that time, it will be on my "must do" list.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I went to school at Kenyon. It's a cool place. Very beautiful. Hilly.

 

[johde]

roomthreeseventeen- I live in Mount Vernon, Ohio and start my long days at the steam train right beside campus. The Kenyon marathon does have the one hill up into town from the football field for the loop around town. But it's in mile 1. I did the hill a couple of time this spring while training for Cleveland.

Thanks Jim for the first hand account of ORRRC. Long gradual hill don't effect me too bad. But, I train on a similar Rail/Trail so most of my training is on gradual hills. There's one slightly more than gradual but not steep that always seem to hit a run interval of my walk/run.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Ah, Mt. Vernon. Happy times.