0. Walt Disney World Half Marathon- January 7th
Due to thunderstorms, this race was cancelled. I've run it in the past as part of the Dopey Challenge (as I was registered to do so in 2017 too) and it's one of my favorite courses. It takes runners through two parks, Magic Kingdom and Epcot. 2017 was the 20th anniversary of the WDW Half Marathon.
1. Charleston Half Marathon- January 14th
The 7th Annual Charleston Half Marathon and Marathon took place during Charleston Restaurant Week. Despite having completed a marathon on January 8th, I decided to take on the Charleston Half Marathon six days later. It certainly wasn't a fast time for me, but I enjoyed the views of King Street and the finish line party with shrimp and grits and mimosas.
2. Race 13.1 Wilmington- February 19th
This was my third time participating in a Race 13.1 event. It was also my first race since starting Whole30 on January 16th. In that time I had lost 20 pounds so I was excited to run my first race post Whole30.
3. Princess Half Marathon- February 26th
This weekend was my fourth consecutive year running Disney's Princess Half Marathon. I ran all events over the weekend- the 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon. Because this was my first Half Marathon ever, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I don't foresee myself ever missing this race in an upcoming year because it means so much to me. The course runs through Cinderella's castle... how magical is that?
4. Shamrock Half Marathon- March 19th
Shamrock weekend takes place in Virginia Beach and features a two day running event ranging from kids races to a Marathon. I completed the Dolphin Challenge which consists of an 8k on Saturday and a Half Marathon on Sunday. This was my first time running a J&A racing event and I have fallen in love. I met Shalane Flanagan, Elyse Kopecky, and Bart Yasso this weekend. Despite the chilly temperatures, I really enjoyed this race and all the swag I received!
5. Rock N Roll Raleigh Half Marathon- April 2nd
This is m second time running RNR Raleigh and it's my favorite race in my home state of North Carolina. It's a hilly course, but Raleigh has great crowd support and beautiful scenery. Despite a few slower times in the beginning of the year, this race ended up being my second best time and I ran it five minutes faster than my 2016 time.
6. Rock N Roll Nashville Half Marathon- April 29th
I have wanted to run this race for years. When I finally registered, I decided "Go big or go home" and signed up for the marathon. All week we were expecting extremely high temperatures so the night before the race I made the decision to bump down to the Half Marathon. I don't regret this decision at all. My body doesn't perform as well in the heat and this was a slow race for me. I loved exploring Nashville- it was such a great city!
7. Carolina Brewsfest Half Marathon- May 13th
This race is a Junction 311 event in High Point, NC that features a craft beer festival afterwards with over 100 beers on tap. I ran this race in 2016 and really enjoyed the festival so I came back this year as a pacer. It was my first time ever pacing a race so I signed up for the 3:00 pace group. I had fun pacing and I would definitely do it again.
8. Race 13.1 Greensboro- May 14th
Yes, you read that date correctly. I ran two Half Marathons in two days and I was fortunate enough that they were both just minutes from my house and I didn't need to travel. There is nothing like coming straight home to your own bed immediately after a race! I really enjoyed Race 13.1 Greensboro in 2016, but 2017 was a different experience for me. Although the new course ran right next to my Temple, I much preferred the 2016 course.
9. Race 13.1 Raleigh- June 3rd
At this point, I'm no stranger to Race 13.1 events. I've run with them in Durham, but this was my first Raleigh race with this series. I really enjoyed this race and we had great weather. They host a spring and fall race in Raleigh.
10. Run and Ride Carowinds Half Marathon- September 10th
I have run this race for the past three years. It runs through Cedar Fair's Carowinds in Charlotte, NC but the race crosses over the SC border, too. Twice I have PR'd on this course, this year beating my PR by 23 seconds. I'll take it! The course goes through the park and loops around twice, which I don't love but registration includes a ticket to the park. They've added more swag and character photo opportunities so I fall in love with this race more and more each year.
11. Georgetown Bridge to Bridge Half Marathon- October 28th
This was my first race after Chicago and I couldn't have picked a more beautiful course. This race starts in the Historic District of Georgetown, SC and runs across bridges on both Black and Waccamaw Rivers. The starting line was really easy to get to and I loved the laid back post race celebration. They offer a 12k distance and I think I'd really like to come back and run that one since 12k's are so rare.
12. Wine & Dine Half Marathon- November 5th
I've run this race four times now because I love the theme and the post-race party at Epcot. There were great photo stops for this race that I had to take advantage of. Even with three photo stops and a bathroom stop, this was my fastest Wine & Dine Half Marathon time. It was a humid run but I loved every minute of it!
13. Charlotte Half Marathon- November 11th
I love visiting Charlotte, NC because I'm a Carolina Panthers fan and I loved running in this city. The course and expo were great and I really enjoyed running past Bank of America stadium. I had a lot of fun at the post- race party, too.
14. Norfolk Harbor Half Marathon- November 19th
This is another J&A Racing event and as many of you know I am an ambassador for J&A Racing. I loved everything about this race weekend and can't say enough positive things about Norfolk Harbor. I ran the Get Nauti Challenge which included the 5k on Saturday. Both days there were waterside views and amazing medals with one of the most fun post-race parties I've been to. I left Norfolk with a new 4 minute PR and a very happy heart.
15. Skinny Turkey Half Marathon- November 23rd
I've never run a race, let alone a Half Marathon on Thanksgiving so I was excited to run this one! This was the only Half Marathon near me on Thanksgiving Day. The course was extremely hilly and went through neighborhoods in North Raleigh. My time was 23 minutes slower than Norfolk Harbor three days prior. They can't all be PR's but this was definitely a slow race for me. I think I'll stay local and run a 5k for Thanksgiving next year.
Upcoming Races
16. Sea Island Half Marathon- December 2nd
This race will be my first of the Resort Race Series and I'll be pacing the 3:00 group. This race is limited to only 1,000 runners and goes through the property of Sea Island Resort on the coast of Georgia. The race is followed by a Vineyard Vines champagne brunch which is obviously something I'm excited about.
17. Kiawah Island Half Marathon- December 9th
I registered for this race last December because they were running a special to commemorate their 40th anniversary. I've heard nothing about great things about this race and will jump on any opportunity to spend a weekend in Charleston, SC.
Assuming everything goes smoothly over the next twoweeks, it looks like I will reach my goal of 17 Half Marathons in 2017. Several people have asked if I plan to do 18 Half Marathons in 2018. Since I love exploring new cities by running races, I've actually decided that next year's race goal will be to run 18 new races in 2018. I like finding rare race distances such as the 15k, so I will be looking for a lot of various distances as I finalize my 2018 racing calendar. I'm really pleased with my decision to try 18 new races next year and look forward to your suggestions on races I should try! Please share some of your favorites as I'm open to suggestions.
I look forward to seeing you at my remaining 2017 races and all the new 2018 races! Full blog recaps for my 2017 races will be available soon
xoxo,
Amanda
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