Well kids, we’ve made it! The final installment of Baltimore’s B3 Challenge, my favorite distance running series, and also the only distance running series I’ve ever participated in or heard of! (So I guess the competition’s not too stiff). The Charles Street 12, Maryland’s most monumental race, welcomed me to the starting line for the third year, its arms open and receptive. Due to a relentless and seemingly irresolvable three-year injury spell, this is the first year that I can proudly claim the title of B3 challenge finisher.
SO LONG, INJURIES! Just kidding. The difference is in my attitude; I have chosen to co-exist with my injuries, and have accepted them as part of my everyday life, as an omnipresent, nagging friend. That acceptance in itself has brought me so much peace, and I have finally moved forward in my racing career (or at least, what can be salvaged of it).
The B3
For those unfamiliar with the B3 challenge, it is a packaged race series organized by Charm City Run consisting of three road races: the Kelly Shamrock St. Patrick’s Day 5k, the Sole of the City 10k, and the Charles Street 12, all winding through downtown Baltimore, Maryland and all available for one discounted price. Upon completion of all three races, participants also receive a separate B3 premium (and keep in mind that Baltimore is home to Under Armour’s headquarters, so the premiums for these races are always way nicer than any of us deserve).
For a B3 entry, participants will pay $200 initially, and up to $245 within 2 weeks of the 5k. That includes all three races and the highest quality swag Baltimore has to offer, plus an Under Armour backpack, medals for all three races, and transportation for the Charles Street 12, as it is a point-to-point race. If you aren’t keen on the entirety of the challenge, entry into the Charles Street 12 alone will cost you $75 through the end of December, and up to $125 on race day.
Packet Pickup
Charm City Run is a gem of a store, and an even greater gem of a race organizer. Picking up your bib number and premium for this event is a breeze; every day the week leading up to the race, a different Charm City Run store around Baltimore and the surrounding area has packet pickup all day, which allows for flexibility and convenience. There is also same-day packet pickup at the Shops at Kenilworth if you are unable to make it to any of the stores in advance.
Start
GONE are the days of taking a water taxi across the harbor to make parking less of a nuisance! So if you ran in 2017, kiss that one-time convenience goodbye! This was actually something implemented last year, to acknowledge that parking in Locust Point, where the race ultimately finishes, is fairly difficult to find. The race organizers allowed us the option of catching a free water taxi to and from the Inner Harbor, where parking garages are plentiful, before and after the race. This year, however, we had to suck it up and track down a parking spot in Locust Point, or find some alternative transportation to Locust Point in order to catch the bus to the start.
I do love this race, but this is certainly the most substantial inconvenience of the morning.
The bus to the starting line is included in your B3 registration, as well as the Charles Street 12 registration if you choose to forego the overwhelming enormity of registering for the series. The shuttle takes participants up from the Under Armour headquarters to Kenilworth Mall in Towson, where the race begins, and runs every few minutes up until 45 minutes before the gun goes off.
This is a big race. 12 miles is a random ass distance, but nearly 3,000 Baltimorians line up every year, chomping at the bit, to get a chance to run this beautiful course. That also means the porta-potty situation is SHITE (figuratively, but also literally, because there’s nothing stankier than a porta-potty filled with thousands of runners’ pre-race poops). It has been shite every time I’ve run this, though, and lining up to pee is really an expected delay in the racing routine.
My advice is to get to Kenilworth in plenty of time if you’re a nervous pre-race pee-er like I am. Those lines don’t move quickly. This year there were still about 10 people in front of us before the race announcer frantically yelled into the microphone to get out of line and get to the start, clearly very anxious about us missing the gun. He assured us that there would be more potties at mile three (which there were, but in far fewer number, and I cannot stand waiting in line during a race).
Race day was overcast, warm, and slightly muggy, which was a much-appreciated improvement on last year’s ice cold rain. We toed the line, and soon we were off, a sea of neon-colored headbands and tank tops.
Course
The course starts by winding its way through Towson, right through the Towson University campus. Runners actually don’t begin on Charles Street itself until about mile 3.5, where they then pass by Loyola University’s campus, and enjoy a net downhill for the remainder of the race until the finish by the Under Armour headquarters.
I know some people complain that the course is advertised as a downhill course, but it is important to keep in mind that it is a net downhill, meaning that there are some small rolling hills. In the first 3 miles, the rolling hills are a little steeper and a little less forgiving, but the good news is that it is easy to coast in the second half of the race and make up for lost time.
The course is named “Maryland’s most monumental race” because it runs by the Washington Monument in downtown Baltimore. Say what you will about Baltimore, but there are some really beautiful and classic spots in this city. Charles Street is one of the oldest thoroughfares in the United States, designated a national scenic byway in 2009, and home to many iconic Baltimore landmarks, including the historical Charles Theatre. Even the overcast day couldn’t detract from my Baltimore appreciation.
Finish
The race finishes in Locust Point, which is on the other side of the water from the Inner Harbor. It is more residential and industrial than Fells Point or Canton, but just as charming (even if the parking situation makes me want to rip my hair out).
The post-race party is situated in the Under Armour parking lot, for only the second year after moving from PowerPlant Live! In last year’s downpour, we skeddadled shortly after crossing the finish line, but decided this year to see what Charm City Run had to offer us in this new location.
I have to admit, I was impressed.
A local band, What’s Next, was playing covers of popular songs onstage, serenading us as we dug into our free helpings of Mission BBQ. As a huge BBQ fan, I was digging this, delighted to stray away from the typical chips, granola bar, and banana combination that has gotten stale after so many years of racing. Kudos to Charm City Run for spicing it up this year, as if I expected any less from this incredible race organizer.
Each finisher also got a free beer upon arrival at the post-race party, and there were food trucks surrounding the parking lot for those who wanted to purchase food in addition to the freebies.
Swag and Medal
The Charles Street 12-specific premium this year was a fleecy zip-up jacket, simple, warm, and comfortable. The medal was in the same style as the previous two B3 medals, with a Maryland flag across the top and a cut-out of the Washington Monument.
B3 Swag
To complete and commemorate our accomplishment of finishing the B3, all participants received a light zip-up B3 jacket, as well as a shoe-shaped medal holder. This was the first year they implemented the medal holder idea, and it is the most precious thing I’ve ever seen. Each medal from the challenge has a race-themed cut-out portion that allows the medals to fit into the backing, connecting them all into one neat, brag-worthy package.
The Charles Street 12 exceeds my expectations every year. I think that, being that the race was only first run 6 years ago, each year gets better and better as kinks are worked out and problems are addressed. Is the parking situation a pain in the ass? Yes. But it doesn’t come close to tarnishing the excitement of the race and Charm City’s stellar organizational prowess. I have no doubt that this classic course is a race that I’ll keep coming back to, always.
