Brett was kind enough to join me for half marathon day and dropped me off at the starting line. The start was a couple blocks away from the 5k start, but it was really easy to navigate down to where we were supposed to be. There was plenty of pre-race entertainment and excitement! I was hoping to meet up with the larger group of BRPs that were running the half marathon, but I couldn't figure out where they were so unfortunately I missed the group photo 😭 but I saw most of them out on the course, so that was nice!

The corral for the half was HUGE which I really appreciated. It made distancing from other runners at the start really easy, and again, folks were really great about wearing their masks before taking off. There were sections of the corral you were supposed to line up by according to pace, but it wasn't really enforced so folks kind of hopped in wherever. The organizers tried to release folks by pace as well, but it seemed like most people just went with the flow of the crowd. Before I knew it I was off and running for the Mount Dora Half Marathon!

There was a good amount of on-course support throughout the race, including water stops (they handed out sealed bottled water) and bathroom stops about every other mile. There was also gel distribution at mile 7. I know a lot of races are encouraging folks to bring their own water and nutrition (which is also a great option for safety!), but it's also nice to see that there are still volunteers that are coming out to support runners and give aid to the folks crazy enough to run 13.1 miles on a perfectly good Sunday morning. 😊

The course was HILLY, which is always strange for Florida. I was a little concerned that my legs would gas out after the first few miles because there was a LOT of really steep, rolling hills. I continued to take on every hill, though, and even though it was a challenge I actually felt really good through the entire course! It was also an extremely scenic course that took you past many lakes and through such gorgeous neighborhoods. I swear, the houses we ran by had my eyes popping out of my head at how nice they were! It was so nice to take in such beautiful scenery while putting in the miles.

One of my favorite parts of the half marathon course was the downhill finish. You take a right onto the last stretch of the course and it's completely down hill, giving you a super fast finish. You can also see the giant inflatable Santa, beckoning you toward the finish line! 🎅 Such a welcome sight 😊

I had a fantastic race during the half as well. I was feeling really great so I decided to push, and I wound up running my best half marathon in YEARS! I finished in 2:08:19, which puts me under a 10 minute/mile pace. I don't think I've done that since I first started running long distances. I am so proud of myself and feel so encouraged heading into my next marathon training cycle by the way I performed this weekend.

The finish line was similar to the 5K finish in that you were given your post-race fuel and your medal all in one gallon baggie. You were also handed a Mount Dora Half Marathon hand towel to wipe your face with at the end of the race, which I thought was a nice touch for a Florida race! I didn't hang around long at the finish as I was looking to meet up with Brett, but the energy at the finish was just as festive and fun as the finish line of the 5K. Everyone was in great spirits, there were many photo opportunities, and plenty of space to unwind post-race while socially distancing.

I really enjoyed myself at the Mount Dora Half Marathon weekend. I thought that the race organizers did a fantastic job of creating a fun, festive, and above all, SAFE environment during this unprecedented year in the running world. I would definitely recommend both of these races if you're looking for something festive to do in Florida around the holidays. The hills are a challenge, but the positives of these race weekend experience make them worth it!

Link to this review