I ran the 2017 Kalamazoo Marathon this past weekend and I must say, this race will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my 10th marathon, after all.
I don’t know exactly why reaching the 10th marathon mark meant so much to me. I do like the idea of having the experience of 10 marathons to back up any advice I give. But it’s not like this was my last marathon or my fastest marathon or the most important marathon I have ever run. When I crossed that finish line, though, I was overwhelmed with the memories of everything it took to reach this point and how much I suddenly believed I could accomplish down the road (no pun intended).
Ever since running my first one during my senior year of high school, I knew the marathon was going to be my race. Considering I was the girl who ran the same pace for a 5K that she did for a 400M race, I realized I was actually good at long distance running. I could go forever as long as I held a steady pace. Even though my body usually felt like giving up on me when I crossed each finish line, I never felt stronger than I did after finishing a marathon.
Marathon training has taught me much-needed patience. It has been an outlet for my obsessive nature and my determination. The marathon has forced me to be a truly fearless runner and to trust God fully and completely. Marathons have left me at my strongest and most vulnerable. They have helped me grow, set goals that scare me, balance pride and humility, and enjoy the gift of running. But all these things, all these virtues marathon running has taught me has taken time to learn and even recognize as virtues. I have a long way to go, but I believe I have the experience now to see how far I’ve already come. I could not be more thankful for the marathon, so I guess that’s why this little milestone meant so much to me.
I was legitimately tearing up at the 20-mile mark, but I figured I should probably finish before completely losing control of my emotions.
So I tried to get out all the personal stuff early on in this post. I will try to be as impartial as possible in the following race review!
What: The Kalamazoo Marathon (Also features the Borgess Half Marathon, 10K and 5K)
When: May 7, 2017
Where: The start/finish was at the Borgess campus in Kalamazoo. The race went through downtown Kalamazoo, the Western Michigan University campus, neighborhoods, and paved walking trails.
Who: Borgess Health is the title sponsor for the event.
Price: The price for the marathon is:
- $75 from Dec 1 – April 9
- $90 April 10 – May 3,
- $106 at the expo
Expo
I was not able to make it to the expo, but there was so much going on at the campus before the race it almost felt like an expo. Tents were everywhere, there was live music, Kalamazoo Marathon photo ops, and inflatables for kids. We were still able to pick up our packets day of inside the Borgess Health and Fitness building.
The course
The course was the best thing about this race. It went through so many different parts of Kalamazoo that there was always something new to pay attention to. The downtown was beautiful and running through the Western Michigan campus was a lot of fun (although quite hilly). The neighborhoods were beautiful and many of the residents set up mini aid stations, had homemade signs planted in their yards, and sat in lawn chairs to cheer us on. We also passed through a part of a bike trail around mile 16 or so that was heavily shaded with huge, beautiful houses that were excellent distractions. The paved walking trails were also very appreciated, considering they were shaded and flat.
There were a few miles on main roads where the streets were partially closed down, but I never felt in danger of being hit by a car. There were so many cops directing traffic, it was insane. At a few intersections, it was a little confusing as to which side of the road they wanted us to run on, since there were three lanes of cones to choose from, but that problem probably would’ve been solved if I took my headphones out to listen to what they were saying…
The first few miles were flat with a downhill or two. The first real hills didn’t come until about mile 5 when we entered WMU campus. WMU students must have amazing quads because that campus is hilly. It’s over in about a mile and a half, though. The other massive hill came during miles 8 and 11 where we ran out to complete a loop around another part of WMU’s campus. It was a valley, and I realized halfway down the hill (and much to my dismay) that I would indeed have to run back up the hill in a few miles. The uphill coming back from the WMU loop is much more challenging than the hill going there.
There were another two hills around miles 19 and 25 that were difficult and even more so because of their place in the race. There were a few more hills along the course, but the downhills were far more dramatic than any remaining uphills. I had heard this course was hilly and difficult, but in my opinion, it really wasn’t too bad. There were a few hills you just had to grit your teeth and push through, but overall the course was manageable. Don’t rule out a PR for this race if you’re training included hill workouts.
There were a few more hills along the course, but the downhills were far more dramatic than any remaining uphills. I had heard this course was hilly and difficult, but in my opinion, it really wasn’t too bad. There were a few hills you just had to grit your teeth and push through, but overall the course was manageable. Don’t rule out a PR for this race if you’re training included hill workouts.
Aid stations
I have never run a race with so many aid stations. There was approximately an aid station every mile and a half, not including the adorable ones set up by Kalamazoo residents. Each aid station was packed with cheering, smiling, encouraging volunteers, which really says something about the support of the city. They served water and “Gu Brew” which was their replacement for Gatorade. I didn’t try it because I have taken a vow never to try anything new on race day and there didn’t seem to be very much of it. I was handed water every time without any confusion. It was interesting, though, because they still provided bottles of Gatorade at the end of the race.
A few aid stations in the later half of the race had Gu shots you could grab. There was an aid station right after the halfway point that was so ridiculous and so perfect that I found myself laughing and panting all the way through it. It was the bacon station, which I had heard legends about prior to the race. All these kids and adults were dressed up: there was a Darth Vader, the Disney princesses made an appearance… you get the idea, and they were handing out strips of bacon. It was a pretty incredible scene.
People were also handing out watermelon and orange slices and I also saw a few kids passing out wafer cookies at one point. A very tempting aid station was one around mile 20 where they were giving out halves of popsicles. Everyone was so supportive and friendly and I have no idea how they found the energy to cheer for everyone so passionately. I didn’t realize this until I picked up my bib, but I ended up having my name printed above my bib number. I had never written my name on my bib before, but I have to admit I kind of enjoyed the personal touch it added to all the joyous cheers.
Everyone was so supportive and friendly and I have no idea how they found the energy to cheer for everyone so passionately. I didn’t realize this until I picked up my bib, but I ended up having my name printed above my bib number. I had never written my name on my bib before, but I have to admit I kind of enjoyed the personal touch it added to all the joyous cheers.
Awards
Everyone received a medal upon finishing the half or the full. The medals were different though, the marathon medals were bigger (and way cooler, in my opinion). Awards (which I believe were plaques) went to the top three finishers in each age division. Finishers also earned an additional medal if they completed the Midwest Half + Half Challenge (Wisconsin Half Marathon on Saturday, Borgess Half Marathon on Sunday) or the Earn your Mittens challenge (Wisconsin Marathon on Saturday, Kalamazoo Marathon on Sunday).
Goodies
Registration came with a virtual goodie bag that had discounts to local places (sponsors) including a BOGO Noodles and Company coupon! Usually, coupons that come with a race registration to not impress me, but that one was pretty awesome. A Kalamazoo Marathon t-shirt also came included in the registration fee. It’s one of the nicest race shirts I’ve received. It’s made out of a light and soft material (women received a v-neck cut) and it fits so well that I’m actually going to keep this one! They also gave me a small reusable Kalamazoo Marathon bag that could be used for groceries or for your husband to keep all his race stuff in instead of unpacking it… For the price of the race, the extras were impressive.
Pros
This was a high-energy race. It was fun and exciting and celebrated more than just the finish, it celebrated the run itself. There were a few touches that made the race unique and memorable: The names on the bibs, the bacon aid station, the high energy of the crowds from start to finish, the whole city (law enforcement included) seemed to be out supporting the runners. The race was very well organized and for the most part, the course was well-marked (with plenty of motivational chalk quotes). There was so much joy throughout and I couldn’t help but marvel at how well a race brings together a bunch of strangers. Also, this was such a great deal. The race had the feel of one with a $100+ entry fee, but the runners received so much (tangible and intangible) for a very reasonable price. Oh and almost best of all, the race photos are FREE to download! What a deal!
Cons
Although the treats along the course were exciting, the post-race snacks were nothing impressive. I grabbed a water bottle and a lukewarm Gatorade. There were chocolate milk and orange slices, but not much else. A beer ticket came with each bib, but other than that there were no appetizing options. There were a few spots along the course, mostly when crossing a big street, when it was unclear of where exactly to go. If there wasn’t anyone in front of me it was hard to tell which lane to run in. But if I went the wrong way, a police officer kindly yelled at me to stop running into oncoming traffic. Also, I didn’t love
Also, I didn’t love not having Gatorade available. I feel aid like that is not something to be compromised. The last issue isn’t something I experienced, but Jackson did when he was running the half marathon. During the last half mile or so, the road split into two lanes, one for “faster” and one for “slower” There weren’t many people around when I reached this spot, and I thought it was some sort of joke (of course I want to go faster, so I’ll go in that lane!). I was also a bit delirious at that point… Anyway, I realized what the lanes were for when I struggled to pass a few walkers in the “faster” lane. Apparently, when the top half marathoners were finishing, walkers from the 10K were filling up the “faster” lane, making it very difficult for others to pass. I mean, no one wants to admit they are slow, but I understand what the marathon was trying to do. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work out well.
Overall thoughts
This race would be perfect for those looking for a great, high-energy first-time marathon (or perhaps tenth marathon?!). This is a feel-good race, you will have awesome thoughts about yourself the whole time. You may not feel physically great, I mean it’s a marathon after all, but emotionally you’ll be on top of the world. Everyone there wants you to succeed, everyone wants to see you do your very best. It’s impossible not to have fun at a race like this. It’ll be $75 well spent, trust me.
