This race was a ton of fun and the town of Louisville was very inviting to all of the race participants. It helps that the race is part of the run-up to the Kentucky Derby so the entire city is in a festive mood. I stayed at the host hotel which was located in an active part of downtown just off the Ohio river. The race provided shuttle service to the expo and there was plenty to do within walking distance of the hotel.
The expo was actually smaller than I would have thought it should have been given the number of people running in either the full or half marathon. There was everything that a runner might need to pick up if something was left at home or lost to airport security, but not much else to see or that many people to talk to about the race.
The race itself started at 7:30 in the morning and we were blessed with perfect weather. It was a fairly crowded start, there didn’t seem to be much of an organized wave start in spite of being grouped into corrals.
The first half of the course was a tour of several neighborhoods in and around the downtown area of Louisville. It was a mix of affluent older homes and some rougher parts of town, but there were nice crowds that cheered the runners on and provided some un-sanctioned food and drink.
Between mile 8 and 9 we reached Churchill Downs and were directed into an area of the race track that allowed us to get some pictures and see some jockeys putting horses through practice on the track. Although we didn’t get to run on the track or the infield, our route was inside the gates and provided some great views of the track and grandstands and was a perspective that few people get to see.
By mile 11 we transitioned from city running and moved into Iroquois Park. In spite of the toughest hills on the course, the shade and scenery more than made up for the difficult terrain. I run through a hilly park area in training and this section felt fairly comfortable for me in terms of style of run, but the hills were no joke and should be taken seriously.
We spent about 4 miles in the hills and then spent the remainder of the run going back through neighborhoods and then back into downtown. The support and scenery definitely take a hit during the last third of the marathon, but this is a complaint that can be lodged against most races that have such a huge half marathon as well. The aid stations seemed to be more sporadic in the last 8 miles as well, but the volunteers never failed to be enthusiastic and supportive.
This is a race a highly recommend to anyone doing the 50 states or looking for a good marathon in the Louisville/southern Indiana area. The race is well organized, it’s a unique course with an opportunity to see an historic sporting venue. We had great weather and fun crowds for most of the race, I would think that would be well worth a visit to Kentucky.