Almost everything about this race was smooth sailing and definitely reflective of the slogan chosen by the Greater Lowell Road Runners - "A Race for Runners by Runners". The expo is small, but well-organized with plenty of signage directing runners where to go when they reached the hotel that hosted it. I was a little bummed that the shirts were kind of an ugly yellow color, but they were long-sleeved with a flattering cut, so not so bad.

On race morning, we had no problem finding a parking garage in Lowell (which was a blessedly short 15 minute drive away) and then making the short walk to the Tsongas Arena which was packed to the brim with runners. It was awesome that they opened it up to us – we were able to use REAL restrooms and stay out of the cold until the very last minute. This truly was fantastic especially since the first real frost of the winter happened to hit the night before. Even with the real bathrooms, they still had TONS of porta-potties for the runners at the start. There were some lines, but they moved quickly and my mom and I were easily able to get to the starting lines (half marathon for me, marathon for her) in time. My only criticism was that bag check was at a U-haul truck outdoors, whereas the pre-race flyers we picked up at the expo had said that bag check was inside the Tsongas Arena. So a little confusion there, but not too big a deal.

The race was self-seeded and started right on time, which was really great since it minimized the amount of standing around in the freezing cold! Once we were off, the half marathon and marathon stayed together for just about a mile before we split. The race organizers did a great job making sure the marathoners knew to keep left and half marathoners right. Right around mile 9, I passed the speediest of the marathoners going in the opposite direction across one of the bridges the course took us over. They were all looking strong, and the crowd support right at that area was awesome, with people cheering for both marathoners and half marathoners. Most of the course was lacking in spectators (not too surprising given how cold it was), so it was an awesome mental boost as I headed into the final 5K.

From a half marathoner's perspective, I thought the aid stations were well set-up. I only took water at the stations since I was carrying my own gels, but they always had plenty of cups and water and the volunteers working the stations were so enthusiastic and friendly. (I'm pretty sure there was a costume contest among the different volunteer groups at the aid stations, which added to the entertainment factor!)

The course itself is pretty flat for the most part, with only a few minor hills thrown in. Lowell isn't exactly known for how scenic it is, but I still thought there were some really gorgeous Fall views that race organizers managed to take advantage of. Once I finished (running a new half marathon PR, yay!) I quickly reclaimed my checked bag (totally smooth sailing there!) and immediately started adding layers – sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a fleece on top of that. I knew I was going to cool down fast and I still had a lot of time to kill before my mom would be finishing the marathon. The post-race food was good, although I wish they had had more hot options – they had cold sodas, bananas, chips, PB&J’s, and hot soup. I had the chicken noodle soup which totally hit the spot. While I waited for my mom, I made a quick walk to Dunkin Donuts and got a hot chocolate (<- Best decision ever!) and then I set myself up at a good spot near the finish.

It was honestly so inspiring watching the runners come into the finish of their marathon. I saw so many fly into the finish, with huge smiles on their faces (This is a big race for people looking to qualify for Boston, so that might have had something to do with it.) BQ or not, a marathon is such a huge accomplishment, and I felt weirdly emotional thinking of how proud I was of my mom, out there running her second marathon. Especially when I think back to the days when she told me she would NEVER run a marathon! Oh, how things have changed!

Finally, a couple hours later I watched my mom come around the final bend and into the finish, running a new marathon PR by 30 minutes! My mom and I were both so thrilled with how the weekend went. Both marathon and half marathon were extremely well-organized, and we both ran fantastic. I would definitely recommend this race if you live in the New England area and are looking for a potential BQ at a fall marathon.