I loved running the Garden of Life Palm Beaches half marathon for many reasons. Below are just a few. I think this race was the perfect way to cap off my running year!

EXPO
The expo was Friday and Saturday. Everything was under a giant tent. It was easy to pick up your bib, shirt and goodie bag all in one place. It rained periodically on Friday, so I appreciated the tent. There were a few local vendors, but no supplies for runners who forgot their socks or gels.

Parking was available in several nearby city lots for a reasonable price.

The expo was in the heart of downtown — surrounded by lots of restaurants, coffee shops, and holiday displays. If you stay in a downtown hotel you can easily walk to the expo and race.

RACE SHIRTS + GOODIE BAGS + MEDAL
I love the long sleeve turquoise v-neck tech shirt I received as a half marathoner. The color is perfect. I know I’ll wear it often.

The goodie bags from Garden of Life were incredible. Just incredible! All kinds of Garden of Life product filled a generous tote bag. I’ve never received a goodie bag like this at a race before.

RACE DAY
The Half Marathon was on Sunday morning. (5K and 10K were Saturday morning.) The race start and finish line were in the same place, which was close to the expo tent.

There were pacers for the half and full marathon. I ran with a pacer for the first 7 miles, then switched to run/walk method.

There were plenty of water stops with electrolyte and water. I think I counted 15 stops. There were also a few stations that offered energy gels.

I don’t know which volunteers were having the most fun at aid stations — there were puppies, energetic teens, and even a group dressed up as BARBIE. The Barbies offered water, sports drinks, music and constant “Hi Barbie” greetings to runners.

RACE COURSE
Half marathoners ran along the water on Flagler. We ran north to Manatee Lagoon, then turned south and ran waterside until mile 9.5 when we turned into a charming, older neighborhood. After almost 2 miles we returned northbound on Flagler to the finish line.

The course was flat and picturesque. Often there was a cooling breeze off the water. BTW, the full marathon is a Boston Qualifier.

WEST PALM BEACH IN DECEMBER
I’ve heard from other runners that the weather has been both hot and cold in the past. I thought it was just right this year. After training all Summer and Fall, this race felt good to me!

If you’re looking for a smaller race (4K runners total) in a beautiful location — come run in West Palm Beach in December.

THANK YOU
Thanks to the race director and crew for an awesome job of hosting a beautiful race in a beautiful place!

#WPMarathonBR #WestPalmBeachHalf #GardenOfLife #PalmBeachesMarathon #HoorayRunning #ThisOldRunner