Island to Island Half Marathon-Race Recap

Island to Island Half Marathon use to be called the OCMD also known as the Ocean City Maryland Half Marathon but for some reason they changed it this year to the Island to Island Half. This was my first year running this event and my 4th half in 4 months.

Official chip time: 2:11:13 (8 second PR)

The race offered same day packet pick up and that was a good thing since we were staying North of OCMD up in Dewey Beach DE just a 45 minute drive down to the race. Packet pick up was super easy and parking was right at the inlet. The website said it was going to be 99 cents the first hour and then .25 cents for each extra hour but when we arrived at 6am no one was at the booth so we drove in with no ticket. I was worried a little since the sign did say that if you have a lost ticket 35.00 daily rate will be charged. Nothing we could do at this time so we went ahead and parked. Mr. P was with me and he said he would take care of things once the gun goes off. 

Packet pick up took less then 2 minutes.

The race field was only about 2,000 runners and it was a brisk morning with sun and a little wind but humid in a strange 50' start kind of way. No pace teams and no corals so I lined up with the first 100 runners right next to a guy dressed as Captain America. I talked to him for a few minutes and he runs all his races in super hero costumes. So funny and he said he does it in honor of his sick son. That almost brought tears me my eyes. He said his son is 7 years old with bone cancer. Such a nice dad!!!

Lining up for the start of the race

The first 3 miles were right threw the inlet and around some of the board walk then up and over highway 50 bridge. Nice run on the board walk and fun to run thew OC since I don't know the city very well. So many kids rides and games. I am sure it is packed full in the summer with tons of family. The next 4 miles or so were threw a neighborhood and all houses BIG cookie cutter style homes and the views were  not what I was hoping for or expecting. I was rather BORED and spent those 4 miles watching my Garmin (not good!). The next 3 miles were countryside and were fun with rolling farms and tree lined country roads. The kind of pavement I enjoy running on. Mile marker 8 I had to stop and use the portOpot since the bathrooms at the start had a line of at least 100 runners at 10 minutes to the start and I held off as much as I could but I last used the bathroom in Dewey Beach at 5am. The rest of the race was all on the highway side and tons of family and friends would drive by and honk and yell and cheer so that was a really helpful. Even though they were not cheering for me I still found my self motivated. 

Mile marker 12 was at the top of the bridge! Did you see the picture above that shows the bridge in the distance? It doesn't look at steep but it was HUGE and it was almost as big as the hill on Route 108 at the Clyde's 10K I ran a couple of weeks ago..

View from the top of the bridge

Monster Beach houses you can see from the bridge

Just over the bridge is about a half mile until the finish.....

Once I turned the corner into the parking lot you I could see my white Prius so I knew Mr. P figured out how to drive it. (we planned on if he couldn't figure out how to pick me up I would ride the school bus back to meet him at the inlet in OC)  I started my sprint into the finish. I was the only runner in eye distance and the only runner in the shoot so I was all eyes on me. YIKES so I held my head high, smiled and felt good as I finished strong. 

My new friend Pam is a new HF as well. We ran most of the race together that was fun!!

Mr. P was proud as he says yet again!

enjoyed my cookies and milk on the beach. That was a fun thing for the food tent. 

Team Sparkle Race legs!

So after my 4th half marathon in 4 months I must say this was the first race I didn't wear a Team Sparkle skirt BUT I did wear the Team Sparkle race legs and I got a ton of really fun comments. I will have to return these legs to my calendar of what to add to one of my races later this year. I will be doing a recap of the Race Legs with all the comments people said. I sat last night and wrote them all down so I wouldn't forget. Some super funny and fun people out at this race. Not many costumes and not sure if I would run this event again just for person reasons sort of boring if you ask me. I do like however that it is a close to home, convenient packet pick up and fun finish on the beach race though. 

Next weekend will be the Fredrick Half Marathon and part one of the Maryland Doubler races (Fredrick and Baltimore Spring and Fall race combine to allow you a 3rd Maryland medal) Off to rest, relax and get ready for next weekends race. 

Hope you had a wonderful weekend full of fun and you got some sort of running and/or walking in. 

Love,

C.