Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon Race Report

The Philly Distance Run, now the RnR 1/2 Marathon, has been on my race schedule every year for more than a decade, only missing it in 2009 because of a 1/2 Ironman I raced in it's place. When I was "just a runner," this was a race I would use as a good barometer for my fall marathon. Since entering the world of multisport, Philly has become a gauge for my pure run fitness. My performance this past Sunday gave me a nice confidence boost heading into my Fall races.

On Saturday I drove down to Philly to walk the expo and pick up my race packet. Traffic was typically slow on the Schuylkill Expressway but not oppressive both in and out of the city. Parking was a breeze. The real traffic was at the expo. Fortunately, when I walked into packet pickup there was no line for the first corral. After quickly getting my race number, shirt and swag bag, I took the grand tour, bypassing the mechanical bull, opting to stay on my feet. After a quick detour to the Reading Terminal Market for a quick bite to eat, I headed home for a quiet evening.

NOTE: The swag bag, normally a bunch of useless nonsense, happened to be quite impressive this time around. Along with the standard propaganda, there were some nice treats, including a bag of tasty organic fig bars. Well done, CGI, well done.

With a start time of 8 am and a one hour drive I woke around 5:30 on Sunday morning, hitting the road by 6 am. Traffic was light and I was parked in my not-so-secret-but-not-well-known neighborhood early enough to take take care of the normal pre-race business. About 10 minutes before the gun I entered Corral #1 ready to run.

My game plan was simple: run a negative split with a strong finish, sub-1:30.

Source: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/philadelphia

When the gun went off I made sure to let people go, not getting caught up in the energy. Too many times I have run the first mile too fast, later suffering in the final miles. Things were a bit tight for about 1/2 mile before loosening up with space to run. The first 4+ miles are a loop around Center City, returning to Eakins Circle and the Art Museum.  I ran this section well within my capacity.

The second section - from the Art Museum to Falls Bridge via Kelly Drive - was also 4+ miles. I picked it up a bit here, still holding back until the 8 mile marker where I picked the effort up. Pace stayed steady as the 1/3 of a mile up to Falls Bridge is on a slight incline.

After crossing the bridge I passed the 9 mile marker and started to push the pace, passing a number of people who I had been running around all morning. The pace dropped from 6:47ish to a 6:35-6:40 average, with mile 10 a 6:32. I slowed a bit on the incline back up to the Art Museum and then picked it back up over the last 200M.

Final Time: 1:28:16 468th overall (18,068), 38th/1103 in AG40-44

Every now and then things turn out as you expect. For me, Sunday was one of those days. I was able to hold the paces I wanted, while not making any stupid/careless racing mistakes. Fitness is where I want it to be going into the Fall races that matter to me.


Next up: The Great Six Flags Triathlon in Jackson, NJ this coming Sunday.

Train hard. Stay focused.
Jon