David Tremers ran the Jimmy’s 10K and finished this distance in the time of 44:44. This was a personal record by 56 seconds!
First 10k in 9 months because I’ve been running longer runs. Joined RC last year and my aerobic base (which I knew nothing about) has taken huge leaps. Still lots of scope for big improvements!
Ed Hubbard ran the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon and finished with a time of 1:55:53, which was a PR!
This was my first half marathon, after running four 10Ks last year as an interim step-up in distance from 5Ks. My “A” goal for this race was 1:58, with my “B” goal to beat 2 hours. But with no HM experience, my main objective was to enjoy the experience. I was thrilled with the outcome.
I had planned to stay with the 2:00 pacers, but this was such a huge race I lost sight of them. So I ran the first mile by effort and remained confident that between my Garmin and my pace band that I could monitor my pace. By mile 4, however, two things happened. First I caught up to the pacers. I decided to stay with them as we climbed over the Manhattan Bridge. This was one of the tougher stretches, and the pacers actually ran a bit conservatively in order to conserve energy. In hindsight, I think this really helped me to run a negative split for the second half of the race. But the other thing that happened at Mile 4 is that my Garmin froze. So I ran only by effort and finally reset my watch between miles 6 and 7 – right around the time that the pacers inexplicably accelerated by at least 30 to 40 seconds per mile. I just let them go, but used their acceleration as a signal to bear down on what was now a flat stretch of the course – and this also ended up working in my favor. Eventually I caught the pacers again by about mile 10 and tried to bear down until the finish.
I ran an average 8:58 pace for the first half and an average 8:45 pace for the second half. The overall negative split seems to have been very successful for me. I gained confidence from this race that there really is no substitute for running by effort. In short, this was a terrific first HM experience for me. The training and shared experience I gained from RC was a huge help to me for which I’m very grateful!
Jaron Brown ran the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon with a finishing time of 1:36:51. This was a personal record by 00:02:20.
This was a tune-up race for Boston. I planned to use this half marathon to gauge my fitness for a full marathon in order to hone in on target pace for Boston. To do this, I planned to treat this like a true race and pretty much give it a full effort. I went into this with a pretty aggressive pace strategy (7:30), knowing significant hills awaited me in the last 3 miles.
I started off a bit faster than the 7:30 planned-pace, but felt very comfortable. I quickly fell into a good rhythm and felt machine-like from miles 4-7. I fueled in mile 7 and felt very good afterward. Once the hills came, all I can say is, I just crushed them! ???⬇️ While tackling the hills, I thought about my hill-to-tempo workouts. I trusted my training enough and was mentally prepared to tackled the hills and know that I could hold pace, or go even faster, after tackling them.
My goal was to run the last mile under 7:00, and I did that. I set a new personal best for my half marathon time by about 2.5 minutes. This was one of the most disciplined races I have ever run – a negative split with almost every mile (except one or two) faster than the previous. This was a big confidence booster for Boston. I will approach that race with strong confidence in my race plan. On to Boston!
Matt Paradeis ran the St Paddys Day Half Marathon and finished in 1:28:22. This was a massive personal record by 24:01.
Smaller race with about 600 runners but I got 2nd place AG! This was the first half I’ve raced in two years and the first HM since I really got serious about running 6 months ago. I had an awesome day, locked in from the start, modest negative split and finished strong. The toughest part was about 11-12.5 when the crowd was thin, the course boring and the effort intensified but I dug a little deeper and finished well. All around great race!
Derek Jones ran the Shamrock Old Saybrook 5k with a finishing time of 19:25, which was a PR by 37 seconds!
New PR!
Kevin Dollard ran the USATF Masters 8K Road and finished this race in the time of 00:32:05.
Strong headwind for 2 1/4 miles which were my third and 4th mile of the race. Had some left in the tank for a very strong finish. Our team, Shore Athletic Club (60+) finished on the podium behind Atlanta and Boulder Colorado. I was second man.
Nathan Rauh-Bieri ran the Irish Jig 5K, finishing this distance in the time of 16:47.
It’s been years since I’ve run a legit 5K. But as I’m hoping to do several this season to sharpen up on speed and shorter distances, this was a good way to open the racing season. This race went well – I started fast, backed off too much the middle mile, but closed strong in the final mile. Good learning and I’m happy with this result. Something to build on over the next few months.
Jared Spencer ran the Tobacco Road Marathon and finished in a time of 2:52:02. This was a huge personal record by 21:41.
Well….not sure how to describe this morning because it was beyond any expectation I had. Was hoping for a sub 3hr effort but never seriously considered 2:52 as a possibility. These were the official stats – Time = 2:52:02, Overall = 18/662, Males = 17/427, Age Category (45-49) = 2/77, Personal record by over 21 minutes.
Unfortunately my watch went haywire after mile 14 so the splits from that point to the finish are pretty meaningless. Wish I had some good mile splits but in the grand scheme of things not really a big deal. Per the official race website, I crossed the 13.1 timing mat in 1:27:31 which means I ran the back half in 1:24:31. I’m astounded I was able to run a 3 minute negative split. Never would have guessed it.
Greg Stern ran the St Patrick’s Day 2 miler/10k (5k) and finished with a time of 12:08.
5th overall. 1st in age group. Who beat me? A 14, 28,16 and 16 year old! Ran faster than the last 2 years but I was FROZEN in like 2. I didn’t even wear my singlet it was that cold. I felt great!
Joseph Kvilhaug ran the New Bedford Half Marathon with a finishing time of 1:40:01.
Great day to race! This was my 22nd New Bedford Half. I went out a bit too fast (7:32) but took the hills (Miles 3 and 12) slower and capitalized on the long gradual downhill from Miles 4 through 9. Wide variance in splits from 7:02 to 8:00 due to hills and wind. Great crowd support and terrific organization. No injuries. Coach Dylan thought I might be ready to run a 1:40. 1:40:01 is close enough. Thank you for the workouts along the way that gave me confidence to push through. Now on to the Boston Marathon.
Kris Hake ran the Jig & Jog 10k and completed this race event in the time of 58:20.
Way faster than I expected. I thought 10min/mil would be great – did 9:30’s!
Rob Kennedy ran the Four Courts Four Miler and finished this distance in the time of 00:33:22.
Four Courts Four Miler in Arlington VA. An annual family tradition (nine years running) that I run with my daughter and friends. The course is notorious: Two miles of downhill followed by … the reverse. This year the difficulty was increased due to a strong headwind on the “up” portion of the course. And, let me tell you: a kilt is not especially aerodynamic! Nevertheless I finished just 22 seconds slower than last year’s PR, which was good enough for second in my age group.
Yoi Ohsako ran the Shamrock Half Marathon with a finishing time of 1:33:02, which was a PR by 1 minute!
Just like my 2 other races, I just went into the race not putting any pressure on myself but also having the confidence that I could go sub 1:34:00 if my hamstrings did not act up. Unfortunately, just like the race in Barcelona, I started the first mile a little quick and had a few fast miles early. Miles 4,5 and 6 were 6:58, 6:57 and 6:55 pace. It was a long slight downhill so the effort felt fine. However, soon after, I hit a strong headwind and I suddenly felt it much harder just to keep a sub 7:15 pace. My splits from mile 7 through 13 were 7:00, 7:06, 7:13, 7:02, 7:02, 7:10, 7:05. At that point, I knew that going sub 7s was just not possible so I told myself just to maintain a 7:15 pace or faster on tired legs.
With the finish line in sight, I dashed for a 6:37 pace and almost went into the 1:32s. Missed it by seconds but the mental toughness is what got me this 1 minute PR. I was super excited that despite so many obstacles in training, that I would get such a huge PR! Thank you Runners Connect for those tough workouts that I felt like I came short many times because it gives me the confidence to push through when it is hard on race day.
Todd Walter ran the Tobacco Road Half Marathon with a finishing time of 1:34:43.
This was my tuneup race for my Spring marathon. Didn’t really know what to expect until I got out there. Had hoped to run around 1:33 but the legs just didn’t have it. In the end I ran a solid race still running a negative split by a minute even though I was 3 minutes off my PR so I was encouraged by my ability to judge pace over the course of the race.
Katie Halsall ran the Wigan 10 Miler and finished this race in the time of 1:37:36, which was a PR!
First time doing a 10 miler, and I just felt great running. It’s nice when everything just comes together and to not feel like you’re really struggling after a certain point in a race! Managed a sprint finish too!
Susan Spencer ran the New Bedford Half Marathon and finished in a time of 1:46:02.
I’ve done this race at least a dozen times. I know it is rolling uphill for the first four miles. I know that miles 10 and 11 are usually into a strong headwind along the coast. I know that miles 12 and 13 go uphill and can break you. And yet, like childbirth, you forget the bad parts and willingly do it again. It fills you with hope through the fast middle miles, which are flat or downhill and usually have a tail wind. Then, it tests your will to continue as you face the aforementioned wind and the hills, before roaring down a short hill again, turning the corner and finishing.
So how did I do? Not quite as fast as last year, better than two years ago. This is a USATF NE grand prix race so all the competitive racers were there. I placed 20/149 in 50-59 age group. 791/2273 overall. And big win in the female 59-year-olds: I was #1.
John Lee ran the New Bedford Half Marathon and finished this race event in the time of 1:41:58.
This is a great race. The whole city is always out volunteering and supporting the event. The route is traffic free for the whole route. The course has some hills and some great long flat sections. The main concern is always the wind. The big question is which direction is it coming from and when is it going to hit you head on. This year it blew hard from mile 9 until 11.
Kevin Daniel ran the St Paddy’s Day 5k and completed this distance in the time of 22:42, which was a PR by 2 seconds!
I ended up having a great race despite being unable to run all week leading up to it. I just ran by feel and ended up shaving 2 seconds off of my previous PR. Ready to buckle down and keep it going as spring race season kicks off!
Susan Waldstein ran the NYC Half Marathon with a finishing time of 2:20:23.
The start of this race was horrendous. Couldn’t get even near the corral, and they had us crammed in on a hill. Once we finally got started, I enjoyed the race. This was a more difficult course than last year in my opinion. My pace was better than last year, but not a PR. However I feel I am improving, since the last 2 years I was really slowing down. I am really happy with my time. This was my 5th NYC half and looking forward to crushing my time next year!
Sarah Kuo ran the St. Paddy’s Half Marathon and finished this race in the time of 1:38:02. This was a personal record by 14 seconds!
Really happy with my performance today given that I was fighting a cold the entire week leading up to this. Luckily though, my symptoms got much better by Sunday so I figured that I’d just go for it and see what happens. Struggled to find my pace the first couple of miles, but dialed in a 7:25-7:30 pace all the way up until the finish. Really lucky to have done this with great run friends who all support each other. Bonus was that we also all PR-ed, and Matt and I even placed second in our age groups!
Robert Walton ran the Shamrock Marathon and finished in a time of 4:24:05. This was a new personal record by 3:16.
It restored my confidence that I can run marathons. This was my 3rd. My first was a 4:27 and this was a 4:24, 4 years later. My 2nd one was awful, over 5 hours, 80 degrees, so it finished and felt like I want to do it again but with a different race strategy.
Paul Dominic ran the Seoul International Marathon with a finishing time of 4:49:00.
My target was 4:30 but going into the race I had 80% expectation of not meeting it due to a left knee pain that cropped up 2 weeks before. My 5k splits were 6:30, 6:30, 6:34, 6:39, 6:31, 6:45, 7:10, 7:42 and 8:00 for the last 2k. The dull aching knee pain surfaced at around 20k as per training experience and got progressively worse but I could still run through it. Amazingly it never got worse after 24k! What got me from 34k onwards was inner thigh cramp alternating both legs. I am happy with the time as I was half expecting not too finish if my knee pain became too bad and it’s 15mins faster than previous time in Nov2018.
Rita Flory ran the New York City Half Marathon and finished with a time of 2:14:28. This was a personal record by 4 minutes!
Headwinds were tough. I felt the course was actually tougher than last year although we hit hills early on rather than in finishing miles this year. My goal was 2:15 and I had a tough time telling whether I was on track since my garmin was tracking miles shorter than the mile markers on the course. I kept trying to do the mental math with distance left to go. Happy to cross the finish line and realize I met my goal! Big thanks to the coaches!
Elaine Keating-Brown ran the New York City Half Marathon and finished in a time of 2:26:59.
I went in to this not sure how it was going to go. Have been struggling with PF recently and also missed a few runs due to family sickness. It went much better than I hoped and I was pleased with my time. I ran it faster by exactly 20 mins to last week’s disaster half and beat my last few half marathon times.
Valerie Webb ran the Bataan death March Marathon and finished this race in the time of 3:40. This was a massive personal record by 20 minutes!
I am happy with the end result. I felt prepared, overall. I practiced my nutrition during all my long runs, and had zero issues. Then, race day, had major GI issues… the course itself is VERY challenging.
The first 8 miles are a flat sand road, then a 5 mile gradual uphill where you gain 2,000ft of vertical change. Miles 13-16 gradual rolling downill. Mile 16 is where it started getting bad – my legs felt good, but my stomach started revolting… Unfortunately, it was rough with frequent bathroom stops. Then mile 21-22 are a “sand pit” with ankle deep sand. I started cramping. I started chewing salt tabs slowly and just kept moving the best I could. Finally the sand ended, and I was back on a more packed sandy road. Somehow I made it to the end. 3:40. I waa happy because it was an improvement from last year at this same event.
This is a memorial marathon, or “march.” Honoring the 75k soldiers who were killed during a 66 mile death march in the Phillipines during WW2. I also ran with a bib with a fallen soldiers name from Iraq war. Thinking about these soldiers kept me from giving up. There was over 8,600 participants honoring these soldiers, and was a very emotional and patriotic experience. I ended up 4th woman.
Jeff Wettig ran the Pistol Ultra 50K and completed this distance in the time of 6:06:30.
Love the Pistol Ultra! Always a good opportunity to test out my conditioning. This ultra is still a fairly small race, in it’s 7th year in the small town of Alcoa Tennessee. This year I finished about 30 mins behind my 2017 PR, but considering knee surgery last year and challenges training outdoors in more-than-usual snow and ice, overall I’m fine with my performance.
Lwando Ncetshana ran the United NYC Half Marathon and finished with a time of 2:43:43.
I wasn’t dying at the finish. Last year I finished 3:01.03. Feeling like I was going to throw up or die. This year the whole run felt easy. I didn’t push hard. I was really happy.
