AU Jaipur International Half Marathon Race Report – Amrit Panda

Race: AU Jaipur International Half Marathon

Runner: Amrit Panda

Race Date: 02/05/2023

Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Results: https://www.sportstimingsolutions.in/results.php?e_id=72222&e_name=AUJaipurMarathon2023

Strava Activity Link: https://strava.app.link/bhAA7s90dxb

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

  1. Overall very well organized and volunteers were awesome.
  2. Fun course.
  3. Solid pacer team line up.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Pollution.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The full marathon start time was 3:15 AM while the HM was 5:30 AM. Daylight was around 6:15 AM. Number of runners with headlamps, NONE. The entire route was so well lit with street lights no headlamps were needed.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

Stayed slightly conservative pace wise and enjoyed the course. I usually find my self running alone, but this time around ran next to the pacer and their friend and running as a ‘bus’ as they call it here was fun.

3 min PR to finally get under 1:40, huge thanks to coach Woolley.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

PR friendly course but don’t get tempted by the downhill start.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Surprisingly, everything went as planned – one of those days.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Start is downhill, but finish is moderate uphill. Don’t get too excited at the beginning.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Yes, from a city tour point of view. It takes you through some of the prominent tourist attractions in the city. However, the pollution is yucky. Early start mitigates part of it but you can certainly feel it.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Nope. Easy course, mostly flat with a couple of gentle hills. Total elevation gain around 250′

Start/finish point

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Very well organized in my opinion. The only hiccups one could face is the difference in terminology. For example when asked about bag drop I was told there wasn’t any at start line. It’s called a baggage counter 🙂

Expo was not very grand but had all the info you need. Open air expo spread around 3000 sq. ft or so Bib pick up was easy.

Outdoor race expo

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Not really.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

The only thing to keep in mind would be Jaipur is one of the tourism hot spots and Feb is the peak season. Early reservations for hotels recommended.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Standard fare for the most part. Water was in 8 oz. bottles, energy drinks in cups. No gels, salted oranges instead. Very generously spaced.

Weather and typical race conditions

Perfect conditions with temps around 50 F and low humidity.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

Nothing special.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes very spectator friendly course. There was a runner with me who was being paced/filmed on a motorized scooter. Non-elite but I later found out she won the overall female so I’m not sure what the scooter was all about. Friends and family all along the course.

How’s the Swag?

Meh!! Jersey and a tote bag 🙂 However, the finisher’s medal was pretty cool.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

3/5

Easy course to go after a PR. Well organized event and friendly vibe all along. I happened to be in Jaipur around this time and decided to race otherwise I don’t think it’s worth pursuing, might be easy to get podium though 🙂