WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon Race Recap

On May 13, 2016May 13, 2016 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

13096139_1068337816570663_8598842831831844080_n

On a day that is supposed to be full of relaxation and pampering for mothers, I decided to bring Mrs. Running Griffin out to Western Massachusetts and have her run a half-marathon with me!

The WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon takes place in Whately, Massachusetts which is a small, rural farm community situated in beautiful Western Massachusetts. The race kicked off in the Yankee Candle factory parking lot so the scent of candles wafted through the race air and made me really want a piece of apple pie; subliminal candle scents must work!

The race day weather was rainy and the temperatures were sort of all over the place throughout the time out on the race course. The rain was misting at times and coming down more steadily at other times and the variation in temps ranged a bit adding an interesting component to the race that needed to be considered.

The first half of the race had a couple of decent hills mixed into the race and in the very first mile there was a nice incline that made me initially worry the race was going to be terribly hilly. But after hitting the Mile 7 water station the terrain really flattened out. The hills were rolling for the most part in the first half of the race and overall the elevation changes were quite fair but offered a nice challenge.

There were some absolutely beautiful stretches of this race as runners made their way past brooks and streams and alongside country roads full of farms, farm stands, small businesses and supporters greeting runners along the way. Some houses alongside the course had nice porches where locals read their papers and had a morning cup of coffee and cheered on the runners. The race had a feel reminiscent of the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon in Vermont and I highly recommend the race.

I finished the WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon with a time of 1:56:36 good for 8:55/miles. Overall not a bad a result for a moderately challenging race and some bad weather. I’ll take it!

Be sure to check out the WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon’s Facebook page to keep up to speed relative to next year’s run.

Great Time Running the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon

On June 8, 2015 By The Running Griffin2 Comments

Yesterday morning was an absolutely great day to tackle the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon in the Woodstock/Quechee area of Vermont and the ideal race conditions made for some really good running. I have run the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon twice previously and shaved 12 minutes off my PR there finishing with a time of 1:47:42 good for 8:13/miles.

The Covered Bridges Half-Marathon is consistently ranked one of the top most-scenic runs and the fact that the race sells out in record time is a true testament to the desire of many runners to get into this race. The course takes runners through some idyllic New England streets, along a brook, through the woods and even over a covered bridge indeed. The race kicks off bright and early at 8:15 from Suicide Six Ski Area and takes runners along 13.1 miles of truly some of the best scenery you can find. Though I was hoping to see a moose or a bear with a trout in its mouth along the course, nothing could disappoint when running this course and the fan support is of the highest caliber with people cheering, ringing cow bells or busting out some beats on pots and pans or old paint buckets.

The night before the race we opted to carbo-load at Harpoon Brewery just down the road in Windsor and enjoyed food, a pint and live music with the fresh Vermont air really making you consider to grab the real estate listings before heading back home. A microbrew around a fire pit with some live music playing is about all this runner needs to get into a good pre-race mindset, that’s for sure.

The race directors for the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon do a really nice job getting the logistics right from busing runners to the starting line where number pickup takes place to funneling runners into the chute post-run to gather the race medal and tech-shirt. Live music is present on the course ranging from polka bands to drum corps and a band rocked the finish line after-party where runners could refuel with plenty of snacks and fresh offerings for those over 21 from our friends at Harpoon Brewery. The only down side to the post-race party was the line for the massage tables was moving at a snail’s pace and there weren’t enough hands to keep up with the demand.

The Covered Bridges Half-Marathon is sort of a bucket list race that those who love running and those that love the half-marathon distance need to tackle. Registration sells out fast so you need to be sure to follow the race on Twitter and Facebook to ensure you don’t miss registration announcements.

Join The Running Griffin at the 2015 Bourbon Derby!

On February 20, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Join The Running Griffin this June in Paris, Kentucky for the 2015 Bourbon Derby! The race takes place on June 13th and I am looking forward to running my first race in Kentucky. The Bourbon Derby features a half-marathon, a ten miler and a 4 mile road race option making it the perfect race for runners of all abilities. I will be running in the half-marathon and encourage you to come and join me!

Runners will be a part of our unique course traveling through three beautiful horse farms, Whispering Oaks, Adena Springs, Hillcroft, and Bluegrass countryside. This one-of-a-kind race experience has scenes to behold, with a challenging but fair paved course throughout whole course route. Runners will travel along on three main roads, Glenn, Jackstown, and Tarr Road on which the three farms are located on that runners will turn off and proceed through for periods of the miles before returning back onto the main roads.

The Bourbon Derby was created as one of the annual fundraisers for the Thoroughbred Breeders Museum a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. This race gives runners something no other race does: more than just running by prestigious horse farms, they actually get the chance to run through these usually private gems.

The race offers some top-notch amenities such as:

Registrants will receive commemorative Dry- Fit technical tee
Finishers’ medals
One of the kind overall and age group awards
8 hydration stations serving water, and SWORD Hydration
13 available locations for bathroom stops

Definitely register now to lock in at a very reasonable $50 price for the half-marathon before the price goes up on March 2nd.

For more information about the 2015 Bourbon Derby, check out their website by clicking here. You can also “Like” the race on Facebook by clicking here.

I look forward to having you join me in Kentucky in June for the 2015 Bourbon Derby. See you there!