Maryland is considered the mini America. “America in Miniature.” Any type of natural feature, from the ocean, to forest, to lakes, to mountains (okay, NOT to desert, but who likes the desert anyways?) can be found within Maryland’s borders. A little of everything of this wonderful country of ours, boasting both northeastern urban landscapes and southeastern open space and charm. I grew up here, and I love it very much. What better place to run my very first of my fifty state marathons than Maryland?
Training
After quitting the track team at my D3 college due to a foot injury (as well as despising the coach, the training approach, and 80% of the runners on the team), I decided that I wanted to start on the marathon kick. I had been a mid-distance to long-distance runner since 9th grade –- the longest distance I had ever raced was a 6k –- so I knew it was going to be an adjustment. I was originally planning on running the 2012 Baltimore marathon, but my foot, which I’d fractured a year before, had flared up a bit, so I decided to take an entire year off and start running again in the early summer of 2013.
Being that it was my very first marathon, my training schedule was pulled directly from the Internet. I ran about 15-20 miles during the work week, a long run on Saturdays, and an easy 3-4 mile run on Sundays. I also cross-trained once a week, usually on the elliptical for about an hour. My longest long run was 20 miles, 3 weeks before race weekend. It was a far cry from the intensity of collegiate running, but I felt fresher every time I went out to run, and my foot felt good for the first time in ACTUAL YEARS.
Since I was running the marathon in the middle of the fall semester of my senior year, I had to drive down from my school in Carlisle, PA to my home in northern Baltimore County. It had been raining all day, so I was nervous. I was hydrating like the earth’s water supply was depleting. I was actually terrified.
Expo
I went with my mother down into the city around 6 pm to pick up my packet, and finding the parking lot took a little longer than we would have liked. However, there were shuttles running from the parking lot to the stadium, which was nice. The stadium was packed, but we were able to get my number and packet relatively quickly, which included a nice UnderArmor t-shirt, which is a Baltimore-based company and thus supplies the premiums for a lot of Baltimore races. I also signed up to be a part of a Geico pacing group, which would keep me at about a 9 minute mile pace to get me under my goal of 4 hours. There were countless booths to buy merchandise and I got a tank top and a 26.2 car magnet.
Swag: 5/5
When I said a nice UnderArmor shirt, I meeeeant a nice UnderArmor shirt. Absolutely perfect for running in the chilly mid-Atlantic winters, and makes you highly visible for road running! Woo!
Course: 3/5
The day of the race was not rainy! It was cool, in the 60s, and very grey, which it remained the entire race. We arrived at the stadium at about 7:15, 45 minutes before the gun. This gave me plenty of time to warm up and pee the pre-race standard of 3-4 times. I can’t really speak to the parking situation, since my family drove me down, but I know they managed to find parking a little less than a mile or so from the finish. Everyone was using the restrooms inside the stadium, but they were large so the line moved quickly. The crowd of runners was MASSIVE and I was unable to find the pacing group before the gun went off, but I did have a little bracelet that they gave me that had all of the mile splits that I needed to hit.
The race started and ended at Camden Yards. The start was a little difficult, as there were so many people running and there was not a waved start. Like I said, the race is massive. Way bigger than any race I’ve ever participated in. There was a lot of weaving in and out of runners. Eventually, it thinned out, as all races do, and then got a little more crowded at 13.1 as people running the half joined for the last half of the course.
The first three miles are slightly uphill, but I didn’t notice because it was very gradual. At about the 5.5 mile point we ran around a lake, but mostly there was a lot of neighborhood running (and definitely not all pretty neighborhoods), as well as a few miles along the harbor. Usually the race runs through the zoo, but unfortunately there was construction this year and the course was modified to run around the zoo instead. It felt really really good for the first 16 or so miles, but there are a lot of difficult hills at that point, until about mile 23. The last couple miles are downhill. The downhill finish turned out to be my saving grace because even though I slowed down exponentially for about 7 miles, I was still able to hit my goal time.
Medal: 5/5
Look at this beauty! Heavy, high-quality, crab-donning: the perfect first marathon medal to start the collection.
Difficulty: 4/5
As I mentioned, this was not an easy course. Tons of uphill, all pavement running, a lot of running up back streets with little to distract yourself. I can’t give it 5 stars because this isn’t freaking Leadville, but it was definitely a challenge, and an unexpected one at that. I would recommend PACING YOURSELF with these upcoming hills in mind. NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT THE WALL (or if they do, they don’t tell you how incredibly hard and impenetrable and agonizing it is). At mile 20 I stopped running, walked off the course, and went up to a police officer and told him I was done. He stared at me, clearly surprised, and asked if I wanted him to call an ambulance. What? No! I want you to pat me on the back and say I am looking great and to keep going! Hello? I gathered myself and kept going, but holy god, lots of hills. Most of my training was on flat trails, which turned out to be a training flaw for this particular marathon.
Water Stations: 4/5
There were water stations every 1.5-2 miles, which turned out to be perfect. Each station had water and Gatorade, and some had snacks, like donuts, Larabars, or chips. I didn’t end up eating any of it because there were other things on my mind (e.g. staying upright and generally alive).
There were also spectators that brought food to the side of the course, especially in the last 6 miles. There were kids handing out cups of M&Ms and gummy bears. The residents were extremely nice and supportive, and the camaraderie between the runners was amazing as well. One of the runners who passed me as I was hobbling along around mile 21 gave me his pack of Gu, which I took graciously, gasping for air. There was also a girl around my age who was running her second marathon and who ran with me a lot of the way, until she pulled away because I was about to perish.
Accessibility: 2/5
Very bad accessibility in the second half of the race. As I mentioned, there were lots of spectators. Obviously, since the entire race is located in Baltimore City, there are plenty of people that come out of their houses to support the marathoners. I saw my family several times during the first 14 miles, and then I didn’t see them again until mile 25. They said it was virtually impossible for them to get to the course in those 11 miles. The police are on high alert and passage through the streets is prohibited, so tell your family and friends to anticipate difficulty seeing you during the second half of the race unless they plan ahead.
Food: 3/5
After getting my foil sheet, I walked through the area with all the post-race food. There were signs labeling the sections where your family and friends can meet you when you’re finished, based on your last name. There were so so many people and it took a while to find them. I tried to go get my post-race food and a volunteer told me that I couldn’t since I had already left the area, but I convinced her to let me in since I paid $100 and wanted to get my money’s worth. The food wasn’t anything special, but I was ravenous at that point. The spread consisted of bagels, granola bars, bananas, and free beer (which I don’t hate, obviously).
Affordability: 3/5
As far as the costs of running in the Baltimore Running Festival, like most races, it depends on when you register. The early bird gets the worm, as they say. Register in the first two months, starting January 1, and secure your spot for $95. That’s when I registered. HOWEVER, wait until the expo and you’ll be paying that plus another $50. So it isn’t the cheapest marathon around, but it certainly isn’t anywhere close to the most expensive. Completely reasonable, and a great value for what you’re paying. And you get to see a lot of Baltimore, and Baltimore is a dope city.
Organization: 4/5
Though there were some things I didn’t like about the race, I think most of it was probably typical of a large marathon. The organization was pretty good. I would have liked it to be easier to get to the expo, and wasn’t a huge fan of the end, where I had to walk (what seemed to be) very far to find my family and then was almost denied my food.
Right after I finished I told one of the volunteers I needed to lie down for a second and not to be concerned, but they immediately whisked me into the medical tent after one millisecond after my back hit the pavement. They laid me on a bed and gave me water and broth. For all my eye-rolling at the overreaction, I can take away that it was nice that they were diligent and that they seem to care about the runners.
However, I truly loved the location, since I have lived in the Baltimore area for the past 13 years, and it was nice to have my entire family there to support me. For me personally, I don’t think that there could have been a better race to have picked for my first full marathon. As a Baltimorean, I would definitely recommend the race to anyone.
