The Scout Strong Half Marathon is a race benefitting the Boys Scouts. The race was held at KC Sporting Park, home of KC’s professional soccer team, that was called Livestrong Park before some legal issues forced a name change. Not sure if they will continue with the Scout Strong name next year due to this change, but this inaugural event was in the works before the legal issues.

The course promised a tour of the KC Legends complex, including the Kansas Speedway NASCAR track, which sounded pretty cool. I found the 2:30 pace group and met up with some people I remembered from the Garmin Marathon. The event started at KC Sporting, and headed toward the Kansas Speedway. You didn’t actually run on the racetrack, but cut through the complex, running through an area where I think they probably have vendors set up? From there, you run through a ton of parking lots and out to a parks and recs area. (Glad I used the porta-potty before the race because there were none on the course. AT ALL!)

At mile 9, I noticed my IT Band wasn’t liking the course at all. It was extremely hilly. Before the race, we were all commenting on the elevation map, wondering if it was accurate. Yeah, it was. Mile 10-ish, my pace group left me in the dust as I had to start taking some walking breaks. I was just in too much pain to keep running. My sub 2:30 wasn’t gonna happen.

I was so happy to see the Legends Complex. We wound around the shopping areas and entered the KC Sporting stadium to finish our race on the field. Well, not on the field… right by the field. But still, pretty cool.

I got my medal, a chocolate milk and sat in the stadium for a bit. Sad that I didn’t get my sub 2:30 finish but the atmosphere was pretty cool. I hadn’t been in the stadium before and it was really neat to walk on the field.