Yesterday, May 31, was the Inaugural Minneapolis Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K. I ran the half-marathon and finished in 2:30. My goal for the race was not based on a finish time in mind, just to finish, which I did. I’m glad I didn’t have a specific time in mind, because the course, while absolutely wonderful and scenic, was hilly. There were more hills than I thought there would be, but I really enjoyed this race. The day was beautiful, sunny, with little wind, a bit chilly at the start and not quite hot by the end of the race. If you have been to Minneapolis’s riverfront near the downtown area down towards the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus, you know what the scenery is like. The course was well-laid out (even with the hills) and a good challenge without being overwhelming.
The packet pick-up and expo, while small (remember, this was the first year for the race), was well-organized. It was outside, under an old train shed that was originally a part of the Milwaukee Road Railroad Depot in downtown Minneapolis. The race start was also at the depot, so it was very convenient to have everything right there. The finish was down by the riverfront at an old flour milling complex that has been restored into the Mill City Museum and condos. I used to give tours there 14 years ago for the Minnesota Historical Society and I had not been down in that area much since about 1999, so it was really neat to be back there.
I will definitely think about doing this race again next year, but I do think I’ll train for the hills more next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment