Back in May, I ran the Wallis Sands Half Marathon in Rye, NH! This was my first race post-Marathon Maniacs attempt and in true Riley fashion, I did not train for this race. I actually kind of forgot that it was happening until a couple of days before. 😂 Woops! I've been eyeing this race ever since I started racing longer distances, but for whatever reason it's sold out before I could register or the weekend doesn't work for my schedule. This year the stars aligned and I was able to participate!

I made the trek up to New Hampshire bright and early on the morning of the race. It was a gorgeous day for running - just cool enough with an overcast sky. It was great to be back in my home state and enjoying the 18 miles of coastline that the Granite State boasts. I picked up my bib and my race shirt (which is actually one of my favorite race shirts I've gotten to date!) and headed back to my car to kill time before the race began.

The start went in waves which I didn't know was going to happen. There were 6 waves total (plus a wave of walkers that headed out first) and they were based on estimated finish times, faster times going first and slower times taking up the rear. The race officials were really great about holding the waves to their allotted times - there were definitely folks who tried to go earlier! But a clean start really does help a race run smoother and the officials were great about maintaining the correct flow of the start.

The course was really beautiful. The first few miles take you right down the coast which is so serene at that time of year! It's still a bit too chilly in mid-May for the beach towns in NH to start filling in, so it is very calm and relaxed. Taking in the scenery was so nice while running! After a few miles you're taken into the surrounding neighborhoods where the course can be quite hilly, but is still very quintessential small-town New Hampshire. We passed by farms, churches, small hole-in-the-wall restaurants, THE WORKS. It really just felt like I was home again and it felt great!

Water stops were perfectly spaced every 1.5-2 miles which I always appreciate. The race put on a contest for the best decorated water stop which runners got to vote on in a post-race survey*, so every volunteer was super spirited for this race which I loved. There was also a surprising amount of crowd support for such a small town race! It seemed like every major corner we turned there was someone with a sign and a cowbell cheering runners on. It really does wonders to your motivation, even if they aren't cheering you on in particular! 😊

I felt really great throughout this race. There were definitely some ~rolling hills~ throughout the course (because, New Hampshire) but I felt like I was able to keep a really great pace through the majority of the race! The one thing that snagged up my running flow was the fact that I BONKED HARD at mile 9. You can even see in my splits where exactly I lost steam. I know it's because I did not eat enough for breakfast that morning or dinner the night before, and I was STARVING and EXHAUSTED from mile 9 to when I finished. All I could think about when I was running those final miles was how much food I was going to eat when I was done running. 😂 It happens!

I finished in 2:22:20 (lots of 2s) which is one of my better half marathons in recent years! I'm really proud of myself for how speedy I was despite not training (literally at all) and it felt great to know that I CAN maintain a good speed across a longer distance and I don't have to hold myself back so much.

The event did have a post-race BBQ which unfortunately was dampened by some rain showers rolling through. It didn't stop me from grabbing as much food as humanly possible before scurrying to my car with my medal! They had burgers, hot dogs, pizza, cookies, bagels, bananas, fruit snacks, EVERYTHING! Loved how big of a spread they had. My one critique was that they only had one line for food which, you know, isn't the most ideal situation when you're dealing with a bunch of hungry runners with sore legs. The last thing we want to do is stand in line! However my gratitude for having food at the end of the run greatly outweighed my crankiness toward waiting in line (which we can probably chalk up to me being hangry anyway 😂).

This was an fantastic race! (I feel like I always say I would recommend a race during my race reviews, but lately races have been killing it in their treatment of their runners and this one is no different!) If you're looking for a New Hampshire half that brings all of the best parts of the Granite State in one course, Wallis Sands is a great option. Give it a try next year! I had a great time. 😊

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