Race: Richland Run Fest Half Marathon
Runner: Sarah Garza
Race Date: 02/25/2023
Location: Richland, Washington
Results: 1:56:10
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
No cars to worry about on the race path.
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
Too many out-and-backs (3 of them). Additionally, Richland has a lot of walking/bike paths that they could have chosen to keep the racecourse on, but I really didn’t like that they kept the course along the roads instead of the paths along the river. My suspicion is they wanted to add hills to the race, so they did what they did for that reason. But it didn’t make for great scenery.
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
Although I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, I still did a PR for my half marathon time.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
Mile 8 was brutal. It got me! Keep your head in the race the whole time!
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
Fuel and hydrate better for the cold weather.
Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
All of mile 8 is uphill.
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
Could have been better.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
The course itself is not overly difficult, however there are head games involved because it is a low-grade hilly course with 3 parts with out and backs on some of the steeper parts of the course. Plus, it was 19 degrees out!
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
Seemed pretty organized aside from the start of the race where they just counted down and shouted “GO!”
Competition – Is there a strong field?
Moderately competitive, but I’d say there were a number of strong runners in the bunch!
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 more the merrier!
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
Water, Gatorade, and gels.
Weather and typical race conditions
- 19 Degrees F; no wind or snow though.
- We had a cold snap this year, so normally I think it’s around 35-40 degrees out in Richland in February.
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
My friends didn’t want to be in the cold!
How’s the Swag?
It’s OK – a medal and a long-sleeved hooded shirt for the 13.1 mile.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
4/10. In the future I might do the 5k – unless they re-route the course along the Columbia River then I’ll reconsider!
