Run The Line Half Marathon Race Report

I really, really liked this event. Very, very well done. The police departments from both cities supported it extremely well. I hope that the event didn't lose too much money and/or that they had good sponsors. This event deserves to grow. They did a lot of the little things right.

One of the neat things was that they had the mayors of both cities present and they both fired a shotgun in the air to get the race started. Gotta love deep East Texas!

Mile 1 -- 9:34.67
Mile 2 -- 10:01.84 (19:36.51)

What was I thinking? I know better and I found out real quick that I'm not in my PR-shape at this distance. (Ok, maybe not any distance at the moment.)

Mile 3 -- 10:31.28 (30:07.79)
Mile 4 -- 10:42.90 (40:50.69)
Mile 5 -- 10:49.78 (51:40.47)

Miles four and five left me wondering, "They said this was flat." The course was well-paved with a mix of a trail, blocked off streets and a park around miles 7-9. [The guy was calling a mile time at the corner before mile 4 - where the water stop was at. More on that later.]

Mile 6 -- 10:56.94 (1:02:37.41)

We had just crossed over from Arkansas into Texas at this point. They had plenty of volunteers on the course. In fact, there might have been more volunteers than runners. I signed up the day of, obviously, and I was bib number #135.

Mile 7 -- 10:13.19 (1:12:50.60)

We went under a train tressel (nothing like the one near downtown Brenham during the Blue Bell Run) and then after a little bit into Spring Lake Park.

Mile 8 -- 10:59.80 (1:23:50.40)
Mile 9 -- 10:13.01 (1:34:03.41)

Out of the park, got the water stop coming and going (passed the one up between mile 7 and 8). Gatorade going in, water coming out. Had finally started to feel a little relaxed around mile 7, but that didn't last forever.

Mile 10 -- 9:15.09 and 1:21.68 equals 10:36.67 (1:44:40.18)

You're probably wondering, "What in the heck happened here?" As I may a right turn and then a left turn on the local streets, a gentleman called out a time as I turned left. I asked, "Is this mile 10?" He said, "Yes." Even though I didn't see a mile marker. I looked at the 9:15 split and said to myself, "Well, then it is short." Sure enough, it was down the street.

They did something that I personally don't like. Their water stops were right at or - in some cases - just before the mile marker. In fact, I hate that. And I know that I blew off two because of that, including one at mile 11. Oh, the mile 10 water stop had Hooters girls there. Who knew they had them in Texarkana? They weren't dressed for work though. Darn.

Mile 11 -- 11:02.04 (1:55:42.22)
Mile 12 -- 10:50.31 (2:06:32.53)

Mile 12 is the only part the contained - and not even a full mile - State Line Avenue: the theme for "Run The Line". However, I wouldn't let the slight misrepresentation keep you from running this event. It is very well done.

Mile 13 -- 11:10.57 (2:17:43.50)
Last .1 -- 54.82 (2:18:38.32)

I saw somebody write in a race report that Rocky Raccoon - i.e. Huntsville State Park - was sneaky hilly. That's how I would describe this course. You can see the slight inclines; however, your legs really feel them. And the fact that I didn't have any Tylenol in me and that I haven't been running the roads a lot made me physically hurt.

The temperature stayed in the upper 40's to low 50's, but the winds at time made it feel a little bit cooler. Alright, it is 11:12 a.m., time for a shower and to start making the drive back to Houston.