• Houma,
    Louisiana,
    United States
  • November
  • 3 miles/5K, 13.1 miles/Half Marathon
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

Sarah Lind

Tucson, Arizona, United States
5 4
2016
"Flat, fast, fun pre-thanksgiving race!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Sarah Lind's thoughts:

Fast, flat, fun!

Houma Heart and Soles Half Marathon & 5K is a fun, local race held before Thanksgiving, giving the opportunity to pre-burn some Thanksgiving calories! The start and finish is at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center in Houma, Louisiana. This is a small, well-run race worth doing if you are ever in the area!

The Race: FLAT. FLAT. FLAT. Did I mention it’s flat? Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything else being at sea level. Definitely PR material. The course was marked only with arrows spray painted on the road, which might be the only con of this race. Scenery for the majority of the course is nonexistent, as it goes through the town of Houma. The last 5 miles gets better as the course runs along Bayou Black and is really pretty. Water stations were approximately every mile. I wore my hydration vest purely out of habit, but really didn’t need it. I noticed only one porta-potty along the course, but I wasn’t looking, so there might have been more than one. Crowds were nonexistent, so if you like lots o' crowd support, this race may not be for you. Course support was great-- shout out to the Houma PD, Terrebonne Sheriff Dept, Bayou Cyclists, and water station volunteers!

The Bling and Swag: Medals were high quality and heavy with the Heart and Soles insignia. Shirts were equally as high quality: Black (no white see through!), tech material with Heart and Soles insignia. Not much swag, save some coupons and a plastic cup. Overall, I’m happy with my stuff and thought that it was great for the cost ($50) and size of this race!

Post-Race: Participants finish inside the Civic Center on a red carpet. I usually do not eat or do anything in the post-race festivities, so I’m not sure what kind of goodies were available. I did see volunteers surrounded by Subway bags, so I’m assuming Subway sandwiches were available. I did stick around for the awards ceremony and I admired the awards that were given for a race of this size (acrylic plaques with the Heart and Soles insignia).

Overall, this is an enjoyable, well-managed race that I would recommend to anyone. It is a great example of the fun and friendly atmosphere of South Louisiana!

For a detailed recap/review of the Houma Heart and Soles Half Marathon & 5K complete with pictures, check out my blog:

https://sarahwithanh.org/2016/11/25/houma-heart-and-soles-half-marathon-race-reviewreport/

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