Omaha Half Marathon : Jim’s Official Results 1:54:53 and Commentary on the Race – Link to All Race Results As Well!
The official results are in and I couldn’t be more happy with my time. It’s not a PR ([1:53] in the Papillion Half) but the Omaha Half was just supposed to be a training race for the Kansas City Full on October 16th. I’ll take it!
The Omaha Marathon doesn’t have the best reputation with runners here in Omaha. Some say it’s too hilly. Other say it’s not supported well by the community. Others complain about the lack of organization. All could be true.
The course does give you some elevation, although not as much as you might think. I didn’t run the full, and I know there were more hills on that course, but the half was manageable. There was really just one good size incline, around mile 8 or 9. It was a good challenge! I hope they leave it in.
It’s true, the people of Omaha do not do a great job of supporting the racers from beginning to end (by showing up to cheer!), but hey, we are not in Boston here! There was one incredible moment served up from my good Friend Chad Stoner and his band at mile 5. Chad goes to my church and he and his band were rocking the house. It was a nice lift. Thanks Chad!
The only suggestion I would have on the organization of the race would come at the start. Everyone started in one big blob. You had fast runners mixed with walkers and slow runners for one big jumbled mess. I would only hope that next year they find a way to sort things out. How about a seeded start? Maybe put the walkers in the back? Otherwise, the course was clearly marked and the OPD was doing a fantastic job at street control. Shame on the drives who didn’t follow their directions!
All in all, a great day for running! The temperature (cool at the start and a bit warmer towards the end, maybe 60) was perfect. No rain and very little wind. You couldn’t have asked for a better morning. There were 1488 runners total. I placed 513th overall, 337th among the men and 43rd in my age bracket. Not bad for just starting running back in March!
We move on to the Kansas City full in a couple weeks. This summer I have completed two 10Ks and two half marathons. This will finish the set! I’ll keep you posted right here!
Remember, I run and blog about it so you don’t have to!
Full Race Results can be found here: http://www.onlineraceresults.com/event/view_event.php?event_id=4094
