Sir Walter Raleigh, guitar in hand, ready for Rock-n-Roll Raleigh
If the decked out statue of Sir Walter Raleigh was any indication of the kind of race Rock-n-Roll Raleigh would be, the next 24 hours were sure to be memorable… and they were. We were greeted at the race expo on Salisbury Street by Sir Walter, who was outfitted in his usual bronze doublet and breeches, along with an electric guitar strung jauntily over his Elizabethan shoulders.
All runners were required to attend the race expo at the Raleigh Convention Center in order to pick up their race bibs, t-shirts, and swag bags. Rock-n-Roll is strict about packet pick-up, which is not available on race day. Rock-n-Roll runners must also pick up their own packets; no one else may pick up for them. Fortunately, RnR has some of the best expos around, and we were not disappointed at this one. We were greeted at the expo’s entrance by two charming balloon sculptures, one of a guitar and one of a runner, both in keeping with the Rock-n-Roll marathon theme.
All runners were required to attend the race expo at the Raleigh Convention Center in order to pick up their race bibs, t-shirts, and swag bags. Rock-n-Roll is strict about packet pick-up, which is not available on race day. Rock-n-Roll runners must also pick up their own packets; no one else may pick up for them. Fortunately, RnR has some of the best expos around, and we were not disappointed at this one. We were greeted at the expo’s entrance by two charming balloon sculptures, one of a guitar and one of a runner, both in keeping with the Rock-n-Roll marathon theme.
After snapping some cheesy photos with the balloon runner, we proceeded down an escalator and literally walked the red carpet to our first stop, the race bib pick-up lines, where no waiting was necessary. We breezed through to t-shirt pick-up, where we each received a short-sleeved black Brooks technical tee with the Rock-n-Roll Raleigh logo on both the front and the back. While Justin’s unisex shirt ran a little big, my women’s medium ran a little small and looked too much like a crop top on my 5’9” frame. Exchanges could not be made at the expo, but were available at the information booth the morning of the race. After picking up a black swag bag, we had about 45 minutes to enjoy the rest of the expo before closing time.
Gender specific t-shirts were given to all registrants of the Rock-n-Roll Raleigh Half Marathon.
The mechanical running shoe Brooks’s Run Happy Island, which seems to be appearing at numerous Rock-n-Roll events (http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/events/run-happy-island), was the expo’s most popular attraction. We took advantage of the gait analysis station, where we both found out we were mostly neutral pronators. Brooks had emailed us videos of each of our gait analyses and shoe recommendations by the time we returned to our hotel later that evening. Run Happy Island also included a giant running shoe that functioned much like a mechanical bull in that it spat people out after reaching speeds too high for those that are runners, not rodeo champs. After scanning our Run Happy Island passports, we found out neither of us had won a free pair of running sneakers, but we were both placated with “winning” our choice of a free t-shirt or beach bag.
The remainder of the race expo contained typical vendors of running garb and accessories, as well as representatives from races like the Divas Half Marathon series (http://www.runlikeadiva.com/) and the City of Oaks Marathon (http://www.cityofoaksmarathon.com/). Since we had recently purchased a case of Clif Energy Gel shots in Vanilla from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GEK8JQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), the only purchase we needed to make was a pair of Nip Guards for Justin to prevent chafing in events where a shirt is necessary, which, for Justin, pretty much includes all races between December and March.
In spite of registering for Raleigh on opening day, we (in true Bullard fashion) neglected to book a hotel until one month before race day. As a result, we couldn’t score a room at the coveted Sheraton Raleigh Convention Center Hotel, which would have allowed us to practically roll out of bed on race morning and right onto the finish line. The closest we could get to the race start was 3.9 miles away at the Hampton Inn in Garner. We got lucky with this hotel: it was literally a straight shot from our downtown parking garage to the hotel. Even better, the hotel staff really catered to runners: they gladly extended checkout by 2 hours, allowing us to enjoy Rock-n-Roll’s post-race party without having to rush back to check out at 11 am. Additionally, they extended their continental breakfast hours on race morning by opening at 4:30 am. Justin picked up two of Hampton’s pre-packed to-go lunches made just for runners. Hampton’s rooms were clean and comfortable, so we slept well on the night before the race, especially after doing some carb-loading at the hotel-recommended restaurant, Ragazzi’s.
After receiving propaganda in various forms about anticipated race morning traffic, we departed from the Hampton at 5:50 am, enabling us to arrive downtown by the time race organizers recommended: 6 am. (Rumor has it that runners staying outside the city and off of I-40 fought traffic to arrive on time.) As we normally like to roll into a race about 10 minutes before a race’s start time, 1 hour gave us plenty of time to line up for a restroom break at one of the many port-a-lets lining downtown Raleigh’s streets. I was also able to exchange my tiny size medium t-shirt for a women’s large, which fit perfectly (note to possible women registering for a RnR race: order one size up in t-shirts).
In spite of registering for Raleigh on opening day, we (in true Bullard fashion) neglected to book a hotel until one month before race day. As a result, we couldn’t score a room at the coveted Sheraton Raleigh Convention Center Hotel, which would have allowed us to practically roll out of bed on race morning and right onto the finish line. The closest we could get to the race start was 3.9 miles away at the Hampton Inn in Garner. We got lucky with this hotel: it was literally a straight shot from our downtown parking garage to the hotel. Even better, the hotel staff really catered to runners: they gladly extended checkout by 2 hours, allowing us to enjoy Rock-n-Roll’s post-race party without having to rush back to check out at 11 am. Additionally, they extended their continental breakfast hours on race morning by opening at 4:30 am. Justin picked up two of Hampton’s pre-packed to-go lunches made just for runners. Hampton’s rooms were clean and comfortable, so we slept well on the night before the race, especially after doing some carb-loading at the hotel-recommended restaurant, Ragazzi’s.
After receiving propaganda in various forms about anticipated race morning traffic, we departed from the Hampton at 5:50 am, enabling us to arrive downtown by the time race organizers recommended: 6 am. (Rumor has it that runners staying outside the city and off of I-40 fought traffic to arrive on time.) As we normally like to roll into a race about 10 minutes before a race’s start time, 1 hour gave us plenty of time to line up for a restroom break at one of the many port-a-lets lining downtown Raleigh’s streets. I was also able to exchange my tiny size medium t-shirt for a women’s large, which fit perfectly (note to possible women registering for a RnR race: order one size up in t-shirts).
The pre-race crowd If any runner arrives at the start still feeling sleepy, the energy of Rock-n-Roll is sure to wake anyone up. About 12,500 runners were gathered and ready to run, while running anthems like “Party in the USA” (ha ha) were blasting over the speakers set up all around downtown. The race’s energetic British announcer gave me pause at around 6:50 when he declared, “The course is a little hilly!” (Translation: The course is a lot hilly!) but I was there and ready to run, and there was no going back. When the gun went off at 7:10 for the first corral, Justin began his race. I began about 4 minutes later with corral D, and was treated immediately to a downhill start. (This also gave me pause as I had recently read in Runner’s World about the challenges of downhill running on one’s quadriceps and lower legs, one of the reasons Boston is such a challenging race: it opens with a 4 mile downhill stretch.)
British announcer was right: the RnR course was one rolling hill after another. Apparently, even though Justin and I live in one of the flattest places in the country, our one-day-a-week hill training on the Cooper River Bridge is working. We both ran well enough to enjoy a course that was even more scenic than we expected. With thousands of runners, it is nearly impossible to make a wrong turn, but regardless, volunteers or police officers were stationed at the numerous intersections throughout downtown. Aid stations were located approximately every two miles, while a band appeared every one mile. Dozens of volunteers wearing leis and grass hula skirts were enthusiastically distributing water and Gatorade at mile 6, and for a while I thought that they were also trying to energize runners by blasting “The Final Countdown.” Based on this race, I can only conclude that not many of the bands in Raleigh contain runners. (Or those that do were probably running the race!) While I enjoyed the entertainment every mile, I needed to hear anthems like “Eye of the Tiger” from the Rocky movies and “Danger Zone” from Top Gun to get me over those hills, but the bands continued to play songs of a slower tempo. Fortunately, I had my iPhone set up with an inspiration playlist, which I later realized was the reason I had been hearing “The Final Countdown” (or maybe hill delirium was beginning to set in).
British announcer was right: the RnR course was one rolling hill after another. Apparently, even though Justin and I live in one of the flattest places in the country, our one-day-a-week hill training on the Cooper River Bridge is working. We both ran well enough to enjoy a course that was even more scenic than we expected. With thousands of runners, it is nearly impossible to make a wrong turn, but regardless, volunteers or police officers were stationed at the numerous intersections throughout downtown. Aid stations were located approximately every two miles, while a band appeared every one mile. Dozens of volunteers wearing leis and grass hula skirts were enthusiastically distributing water and Gatorade at mile 6, and for a while I thought that they were also trying to energize runners by blasting “The Final Countdown.” Based on this race, I can only conclude that not many of the bands in Raleigh contain runners. (Or those that do were probably running the race!) While I enjoyed the entertainment every mile, I needed to hear anthems like “Eye of the Tiger” from the Rocky movies and “Danger Zone” from Top Gun to get me over those hills, but the bands continued to play songs of a slower tempo. Fortunately, I had my iPhone set up with an inspiration playlist, which I later realized was the reason I had been hearing “The Final Countdown” (or maybe hill delirium was beginning to set in).
Rock-n-Roll Raleigh's finisher medal While I did not have it in to me kill it on the last mile as I had in my previous two halves, I did have enough energy to sprint the last .1 miles to the finish, which I should probably credit to the massive crowd lining Fayetteville Street. After crossing the finish line, I paused for a moment to catch my breath and then continued on through RnR’s “secure zone” where a volunteer placed a finisher medal around my neck (as I am pretty sure after swinging through all those hills, my arms were not functioning so well at that point.) Continuing through the zone I was rewarded with free Power Bars, chocolate milk, bananas, and water, but chose not to partake in the free pizza or chocolate chip cookies near the end. At the very end of the chute I caught sight of Justin, who had spied me first (again, thanks to the neon orange visor). I exited the secure zone to reunite with him (runners are not allowed re-entry to the secure zone) to proceed to the post-race party at the Red Hat Amphitheater. A funky little band from Charlottesville, VA was entertaining runners with rock-sy/folk-sy versions of old 80’s tunes like “Take On Me” and “Crazy Train.” Just next door to the amphitheater was the Michelob Ultra Beer Tent where Justin partook in the one beer allotted to him via his race entry. Lucky for him, I am not a beer drinker, so I donated my beer to his cause, and we hung out near Red Hat for a little longer to enjoy the music.
The post-race crowd I took the opportunity to immediately Google “rock n roll Raleigh results” where I was able to instantly view both my and Justin’s finish times, along with our 10 mile, 10K, and 5K splits. I had my suspicions that another PR was in store for me, and I was right. Apparently rolling hills agree with me, and I PR’ed by 2 minutes (thus explaining my inability to pick things up for the last mile of the race!) Sated by a PR and free food and beverages, we meandered back to the car and headed back to the hotel.
Everywhere we stopped before heading for home, we were congratulated by Raleigh’s very hospitable residents. Everyone from the wait staff at Tripp’s (where we stopped for lunch) to the hotel staff at the Hampton seemed excited about having the race in town.
Final Verdict: Rock-n-Roll Marathon organizers and the city of Raleigh know how to host a great race. The event was well-organized and everyone we encountered was friendly and welcoming. If you want to run a race where a city rolls out the red carpet for you, this is it!
Tips for a Successful Rock-n-Roll Raleigh:
1. We advise this based on rumor only: don’t stay at a hotel that requires you to get on I-40. Apparently there was traffic and some difficulty getting to the race. Book the Sheraton Raleigh Convention Center early, if you want to be able to wake up mere minutes before the race. We enjoyed our stay at the Hampton Inn in Garner, which was an easy drive in, and easy on the wallet!
2. Don’t plan on staying at the race expo past closing time. Vendors close up shop immediately!
3. If you live in a flat place like Charleston, train for hills. For most people, this race wouldn't be considered mountainous, but for anyone not used to the slightest hill, be ready for them!
Everywhere we stopped before heading for home, we were congratulated by Raleigh’s very hospitable residents. Everyone from the wait staff at Tripp’s (where we stopped for lunch) to the hotel staff at the Hampton seemed excited about having the race in town.
Final Verdict: Rock-n-Roll Marathon organizers and the city of Raleigh know how to host a great race. The event was well-organized and everyone we encountered was friendly and welcoming. If you want to run a race where a city rolls out the red carpet for you, this is it!
Tips for a Successful Rock-n-Roll Raleigh:
1. We advise this based on rumor only: don’t stay at a hotel that requires you to get on I-40. Apparently there was traffic and some difficulty getting to the race. Book the Sheraton Raleigh Convention Center early, if you want to be able to wake up mere minutes before the race. We enjoyed our stay at the Hampton Inn in Garner, which was an easy drive in, and easy on the wallet!
2. Don’t plan on staying at the race expo past closing time. Vendors close up shop immediately!
3. If you live in a flat place like Charleston, train for hills. For most people, this race wouldn't be considered mountainous, but for anyone not used to the slightest hill, be ready for them!
For more information on this race visit http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/raleigh.
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