Baltimore Marathon

Ups and downs - literally. The course is tough, with a good number of hills, and the potential for windy, cold October weather. I've done the Running Festival numerous times and at all distances. The expo is always solid. Between nice clever medals (usually crab themed) and Under Armor shirts (used to be REALLY soft tech shirts - more traditional now), the swag was a plus. Back in 2014 - the course ended at the stadiums, now it ends at the harbor. Being a sports fan, I enjoyed running through Camden Yards more. The finish celebration back then, was in the stadium parking lots. Now, it's at the park near the harbor. A nicer location, but a bit more crowded, from what I hear. Overall - the race still has sentimental value to me as my hometown event. And even though the course is challenging, the festival is well-run and what I would pick for my Maryland race, even if I didn't live here.

This race was well-organized with a lot of spectators. Having the half-marathon start in the middle of the full was actually a benefit because it kept lots of spectators and runners on the course; I didn't feel like it ever got too crowded and the merging section of the race was well partitioned. The post-race food was average but good for a race this size. The medal is unique; I didn't realized until the next day that the top of the crab on the medal was on a hinge and opened up to give a nice panorama of the city. The best opportunity for improvement is the restrooms at the start. Rather than have portable potties at the start, they opened up Camden Yards, but only 2 restrooms that only had 3 stalls each. The lines were extremely long and I'm sure that many wouldn't have been able to make it through the line in time. Additional options here would have helped greatly. Overall I would recommend this race mostly from the wide variety of sites the course ran through and the strong crowd support.

Kudos to the City of Baltimore and its mayor (a runner herself) for showcasing so much of the city. They all but shut the city down to let the runners have their day, running thru its iconic Inner Harbor and many of Baltimore's fun and funky neighborhoods. The Baltimore Police Department does a fabulous job keeping traffic away from the runners. Yes, the course is challenging with its grinding (but never steep) hills. Get your PR's and BQ's elsewhere. But run Baltimore to savor a well run urban marathon. I knew of the infamous merge of the Half-Marathoners at Mile 15.5, and it wasn't as bad as I had feared. Barricades kept us in separate lanes for a 1/4mi or so to ease the merge. At the first aid-station, post-merge, I actually had to stop for a full second, but that was all. A very short, late hill in Mile-25 was an unwelcome surprise, but the finish is fast, downhill and exciting. The left turn onto Pratt Street for the final stretch is reminiscent of the final turn onto Landsdowne Street at Boston, with cheering crowds lining the way. What a thrill. Aid-stations were well-stocked and the volunteers were terrific. Local Baltimorians also ran their own 'bonus' aid stations, offering up beer, mimosas and gummy bears. Good expo, typical of big city races, but this was a first (for me at least), a 'Show Your Bib' program that offered discounts at local eateries, museums, etc., just by showing your bib number. And if you're into race medals, Baltimore's might be the finest: A hard shell crab (of course, right) that opens up! Well done, Baltimore! I really enjoyed your marathon.