Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!”
I had a wonderful experience of finally running a sub 2:30 half marathon after three long years. I remember the days when running a sub 2:15 was all I knew until I developed a pesky stress fracture in my femur in 2015. Even with a bug that had me in the bed the previous weekend before the race, I was able to complete the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah half marathon in 2:24. Before I get to my PR, let's talk about the race.
This year was my second year running the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah half marathon. Rock 'n' Roll Savannah is dear to me because it was my first marathon in 2014. Savannah is a short drive from ATL and terrain is flat. While I originally planned to run the Remix Challenge and Georgia Pie Challenge races, I only ran the half marathon this year. So how was the experience?
The Expo
The Expo was held at the Savannah Convention Center, which has tons of free parking. Packet pick up was quick and easy. The expo this year was a bit smaller than it has been in previous years, which meant I did not spend any money (yay for my wallet!). This year I was super excited about the name wall they had for the marathon and half marathon runners. I am a sucker for name walls and love them. There was plenty of vendors selling gear and selling discounted race entries. Brooks, the official sponsor, had tons of great appareal and shoes for purchase.
The shirt for this year's race was interesting. It is definitely not one of my favorite shirts, I wish the designers had highlighted more of Savannah's beauty in their design.
Race Day
One thing I love about this race is that the starting line is next to the Hilton, so you don't have to use the porta potties before the race. You can also hang out in the lobby and rest before starting. I was in corral 3 and at 7:30 am we were off to take on 13.1 miles in beautiful Savannah.
I loved the course. The weather was perfect, the volunteers were excited, and the Gatorade Endurance was on point. There was plenty to see and there are NO HILLS. While my goal was to run a sub 2, I was battling a bug that got worse with each mile. My first two miles were sub 10, but after that I had to do intervals (2 min run: 45 s walk) so that I could give my lungs a break.
After 3 long years, I finally ran a sub 2:30 half marathon. I crossed the finished line in 2:24:08 and was beyond overjoyed. It is my half marathon PR for the year. I am still chasing the sub 2, but that will be for another race.
Overall I really like Rock 'n' Roll Savannah and hopefully next year the sub 2 time will be mine.
