State #12 Race Recap- Indianapolis, IN

Summer Night Trail Half Marathon

This was a wild one! Half marathons are always tough because they are a shorter endurance race but they are NOT easy. Throw in that this one was a trail race at night and we had our work cut out for us.

Since the race did not start until 9:30pm EST packet pick up was open before the race.

You got your BIB, which was personalized with your name if you registered far enough in advance, and a shirt either a tank or t-shirt!

The starting line was a whole vibe with music, snacks and a disco ball hung over the starting mats. There was a 6.5mile race and the half marathon and they both started together. People were sent out in waves of about 30 runners based on your estimated pace. This was amazing so that the trail was not cramped and passing people was possible as needed.

It was really buggy and muggy which was to be expected, but watching the sunset over the lake during the first lap was really pretty and a good distraction.

The course was actually pretty technical… and my body/coordination paid the price. I do not see that well at night either so that did not help, we fell down A LOT but no serious injuries.

My headlamp died at about mile 9 which meant the last 4 miles I had to use my phone flashlight or go by other runners to be able to see. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that has happened and yes we will be getting new headlamps.

We crushed the finish line well before the cut off and the medal was very cool (see pics). Snacks and refreshments were provided, we honestly grabbed what looked good and left because it was almost midnight at this point, I was covered in sweat, dirt, and bugs and just ready for a good shower!

Overall, a great experience and a good reminder that half marathons are no joke…. I am still covered in bruises and cuts but I learned areas I need to focus on for racing at night if I am by myself and checked off another state!