Baltimore Half Marathon 2013

Me after my 8th half marathon!
Finished in 2:14

It wasn't pretty, but I did it!! I just completed my 8th half marathon! This was my 4th year in a row doing the Baltimore Half Marathon and I struggled. Should not have had that whole wheat bagel with PB on it before I started!

In light of what happened in Boston back in April, his year there was an obvious increase in security for the Baltimore Running Festival. This was also the first year that Under Armour wasn't the head sponsor -- and I think it was pretty obvious to those of us who have done the run in years past. Maybe CSE decided to spend more of their money on security - who knows. My only real complaints about the race were:

• The starting line was moved and as soon as we made our first right there were cars and even a bus of Relay runners blocking the path of 10,000 half marathoners. 
• There were some water stops without volunteers - or an adequate amount of volunteers. 
• Around Lake Montebello there weren't as many bands as there normally are , which made that part of the race a struggle for some of us. The second half of the race was A+ in my book - the Tiger by Union Memorial and all of the upbeat music made the second part of the run leaps and bounds better than the first!
• Runners were told that the finish line was being moved closer to Camden Yards to eliminate some of the congestion in the Finish Line Festival. I'm not sure if it was because I was 18 minutes slower than my time last year, but the Finish Line Festival was more crowded at the entrance than in years past. There were lots of tables with the medals in areas that would normally be open. At the Finish Line Festival, there was also no composting or recycling. Was UA paying for this? Not sure, but this is something I don't know why they got rid of. Last year they had composting & recycling teams! 

Other than that, I enjoyed the race. Baltimore always has a great Running Festival and I am looking forward to next year!