Race Reviews
Pittsburgh Full Marathon
May 2018 & May 2019
As a Pittsburgh native, I decided it only fitting that this be my first full marathon.
Not only are the crowds amazing, but the scenery is great as you run through the neighborhoods surrounding the city and across the many yellow bridges that connect the famous three rivers.
Don’t be afraid if folks tell you it’s a hilly marathon. It is, but the worst of it happens at mile 12-13, and mile 22-24 is actually downhill!
I completed Pittsburgh first in 2018 (4:06) and again last year in 2019 (3:50) for my PR!
Marine Corps Marathon - Washington DC
October 2018
The Marine Corps Marathon was definitely hype-worthy. I actually signed up through charity because I was too late to try for the lotto the year I did it.
It was well worth the money raising and an experience I will treasure forever. I have not spent much time in DC, so it was so cool to run through the city and see so many major landmarks.
The blue mile (for fallen officers) brought me to tears and before I knew it, I was nearing the 20 mile mark. The last mile was the hardest, with a very large hill (marathoners coined it “Hiroshima”) but the finish line is so close that it was not as bad as I’d anticipated.
I completed DC in October 2018 with a PR of 4:01. With 30,000 people on the course, it’s challenging to get moving fast in the beginning, so just be mindful of that if you’re trying to PR and plan accordingly.
Philadelphia Half Marathon
November 2019
Philly was a recent new half for me, and it was a great addition. Not only is Philly near me but I have plenty of friends there, so a built in cheering section was great!
It’s hilly, but doable, and the hills are spread out enough and not super steep (in my opinion). Just make sure you train hills!
It was freezing the day of the race and I felt sick, but I still managed to have a good time and was proud of my 8:30 splits. Official time was 1:55. Not a PR, but darn close!
Bonus - this half is on a Saturday which is so nice for the post-run recovery (and post-run champagne!)