• What: Bull City Race Fest
• When: October 16, 2016
• Where: Durham, NC
• Distance: Half Marathon

Before the race, I heard positive and negative reviews. Runners either loved the beauty of the course or hated the hills of the course. Although I agree with both reviews, this has to be one of my favorite courses. (I’m also biased because I PR’d! And it was perfect running weather.. lol)

Expo: The expo was a lot of fun! I loved that it was not too big and overwhelming at the Durham Convention Center. The race included a bib, shirt and digital race bag so the pickup was pretty simple. I easily found my friends at Fleet Feet Carrboro/Durham and grabbed a few tanks from 73threads. If you haven’t heard of 73threads, you need to check them out right now! LOVE THEM… see my tanks pictured below.

Essentials: The weather forecast showed a low-mid 50s sunny morning so I went with my short sleeve Nike shirt and shorts. My 2XU compression sleeves were a little more for warmth than they were performance – I like wearing a pair for recovery as well. I also packed lots of tape since I’m still dealing with plantar fasciitis and well, can’t forget my Garmin!

Parking/Pre-Race: SUPER easy and really close to the starting line near the American Tobacco Campus. There were plenty of port-a-potties – actually, I’ve never seen such efficient bathroom lines at any other race.

Race: Just like every other race.. decently sized and crowded with anxious runners. At the start line, I found myself stuck behind the 9:00 min pacers when I was planning on starting in front of the 8:30 pacers.. oh well, there was plenty of time for catch up later. The course was beautiful and it was hilly. Runners were guided through downtown Durham and through the Duke campus. The downhills were long and the hills got slightly steeper in the last couple of miles.

Post-Race: Beer, music and food trucks! aka: a lot of lines, but all worth it. Definitely try out this race if you’re in the area for next year! I promise the hills are manageable and you can even PR like me!