2015 was the second year in a row that I ran this event. I understand that originally this was a Female only event but in 2014 they opened the field to the guys and added a half-marathon. So, I guess I have ran it every year that I have been eligible, or both times :) This race report is taken in part from my 50in50marathonquest website - I ran this 2 weeks before heading to Chicago for the awesome 2015 Chicago marathon (which was my previous BibRave review in case you missed it!), hence the frequent references!

FitOne Boise is a wonderful fitness/running event showcasing the scenic downtown Boise River Greenbelt – and when we signed up on National Running Day, the entry fee was just $15 for the half!!! We participated in this race for the first time last year while on a road trip to visit family. This year was different with both myself and Wifey running the half marathon along with Dad, who was running his first ever 13.1 having just turned 70 earlier in the week, and his training partner and close family friend, Roberta. So, while a race two weeks prior to a full is not typical, the distance was appropriate for the recommended long run in week 14, and it lined up perfectly for a great family visit and celebration. In other words, a great tune-up opportunity for Chicago.

Going into the race, I knew that Chicago was my top priority and I had to pace myself accordingly. I also knew that going through the race day routine would generate some adrenaline and it would be almost impossible to completely hold back. With all that in mind, my plan was to run the first few miles at my target full marathon pace of 8:45 and then evaluate based on how I was feeling. This week has been very low volume…I skipped a tempo run earlier in the week due to fatigue from the 22 mile run the previous weekend, and essentially used this half marathon as a training run to focus on controlled pace in a race scenario.

The race started in front of the state Capitol building and progressed through the downtown area before heading out along the Boise River trail and then returning for a climb around mile 11 to the “Depot” with a subsequent fast descent to the finish line bridge at Anne Morrison Park. While there were some gentle rolling hills throughout the course as well as the climb up to the Depot, the course is mostly flat, forgiving, and quite scenic. Coming off my peak volume week, this was the perfect location to put some of my training to test.

The crowds and volunteers were awesome…high fives and cheers on practically every street once we had returned from the River Trail. I was sporting my new rave green Seahawks running shirt which got plenty of attention and “Go-‘Hawks,” along with high-fives and fist bumps…even from the non-‘Hawks fans, the banter was all in good spirits.

Overall it was really good race for me and I was well pleased with my finish of 1:47:57 and overall average pace of 8:15. Good for my second best ever half-marathon and a reasonably decent placing in the overall and age group results. Most importantly I felt that I ran within my capabilities without compromising Chicago. I probably ran a bit faster than my original plan but not by a great margin.

A great race event but the entire weekend was just as much about our family visit and celebrations. Dad ended up completing his first ever half, with Roberta pacing him to a superb finish in 2:22, which was good for second place in his AG. Wifey also left with a new half-marathon PR and another great bling to add to the collection.

Some other points to note:

- This is not a small event, including all distances and events, there are probably over 12k participants.
- Bling is very nice for this event, sparkly, shiny and worthy of the medal rack.
- The expo is great...loads of giveaways and items that you don't typically find in a race expo - my Dad, for example, was really impressed with the LED light bulbs! The previous year, I picked up 3 stainless metal water bottles.
- Everyone is super friendly - the volunteers, the aid station, race organizers. The TV news reporter guy that was calling the runners across the line made a special announcement for Dad when he finished. Top notch.
- Free race photos and quite a good selection to choose from is a really generous touch, I hope they maintain it for future races.