Race: Seattle Half Marathon 2019
Runner: Rohit E
Race Date: 12/01/2019
Location: Seattle
Results: https://www.athlinks.com/event/300868/results/Event/823220/Course/1450442/Bib/5278?source=internal
Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2904777210
3 Bests – What aspects of the Seattle Half Marathon did you like the most?
Course was flatter than it had been in years past – which makes for better times but less picturesque course.
Weather held up and it was cool and dry.
Given the time of the year, there are fewer participants than at the Rock ‘n’ Roll in the summer, so it ends up being a little less crowded.
Not so much – What aspects of the Seattle Half Marathon didn’t do it for you?
Aid stations were disorganized – water cups were empty when one got there. No gels / gu etc. at aid stations – are you kidding me?
Course was kinda boring.
7 am start really sucked.
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
I ran close to as hard as I felt like I could have with my current amount of training, so I was happy with that.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the Seattle Half Marathon to help the next runner
In years past, I’ve put a lot of effort into trying to pass people in the first couple of miles when people are packed in. This ultimately wastes a ton of energy and hurts overall time later on. I found a good rhythm this time around of passing people aggressively but not losing my cool if I got stuck behind slow runners, just conserved energy instead.
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
For me, I can go very fast on downhills without hurting my knees etc. I found that many people would catch up to me on uphills but I would lose them easily on downhills and flats, so I’m pretty happy with my strategy of conserving energy on the uphills and making it up on flats and downhills. Even with the flatter course, there are a lot of opportunities for this in Seattle.
My shoes already had about 200 miles on them; slightly fresher shoes would have helped me a little I think.
Slightly overdressed for the race based on cold weather from Friday / Saturday; should have checked Sunday forecast more closely.
Aesthetics – Is the Seattle Half Marathon a pretty course?
Meh – the Seattle Half Marathon course is kinda boring, but the routes are ones that I run often, so I’m just used to it. Nicest part is the Aurora bridge but it’s also late race and a long gentle uphill, so I imagine most folks are not in the mood for looking at the scenery.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
Not really any more.
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
Aid stations weren’t great.
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.
Parking in downtown is actually not that hard, even street parking for free, and you can get in a nice run to the start line to get warmed up. This does involve a cold walk back to your car after the race, though. Parking closer to the start is possible but I imagine it’s pricey.
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
Lame – a lot of empty water cups, Gatorade / water not marked clearly, and no gels.
Weather and typical race conditions
It’s hit or miss in terms of weather. If it’s dry, this can be a cool and fast race; if it rains, much less fun.
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?
Depends on weather
Spectators – Is the Seattle Half Marathon a friendly course for your friends?
Yes, very friendly for spectators.
How’s the Swag?
50th anniversary medal was nice.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give the Seattle Half Marathon and do you recommend that others run it?
3/5