Battleship Half Marathon Report

Battleship North Carolina

The Battleship North Carolina Half Marathon was Sunday.  I find the half marathon to be a great distance; it is long enough that you need to do some training, but short enough that it is a reachable goal for most people.  That said, last weekend also rewarded those that don't mind heat and humidity.  

I had a long run on the schedule, so I decided to get started with a 2 mile warm up by running from the house to downtown Wilmington for the race.  I knew hydration would be important when I was already pretty sweaty after just 2 easy miles.  I got to the Battleship about an hour early (yes, we forgot to switch the clocks in our house) and went on a mission to find water.

Who Hangs Out With People Like These?

The race started at about 8:00 with a 5K leaving 10 minutes later.  The race takes you out the access road to the Battleship NC and up Hwy 421 to the Elizabeth Holmes Bridge.  You then run through historic downtown Wilmington (love the cobblestone and brick streets) and out to Greenfield Lake.  A lap of the lake and you head back to the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, up 421 for under 1 mile, and back to the Battleship.  

Christine Carmine Enjoying Downtown Wilmington

Every year, they warn the runners to be careful on the bridges and every year at least one person shows up bloodied.  The decking gets slippery and it is basically jagged metal.  This year you also had the danger of heat and humidity.  Several people collapsed on course from dehydration and heat exhaustion during the race.  It is amazing how quickly the body forgets summer and adapts to the cooler weather that had been prevailing (right up until race day).  

Luckily, I generally like hot and humid weather, especially when the alternative is being cold.  So, my biggest problem was legs worn out from training for IM AZ.  However, I sucked it up and managed a pretty good race, winning the 30-34 men and managing 10th overall.    

Heading Into the Finish

The best part of the winning the age group was the award.  Ed Fore managed to get Kids Making It to engrave pieces of teak from the original deck of the Battleship North Carolina as the trophies.  It really means a lot to me to have that piece of history.  That little piece of wood went around the world over 60 years ago helping my grandparent's generation to defend our country, our freedom, and our way of life.  God bless those that served our country then and continue to do so today.   

I would like to thank Katie Wagner for all the pictures in this post.  Not only did we forget to change the clocks, but also left the camera at home.  Luckily we can always count on Katie to have hers!  Thanks Katie!!  

Also, thanks to Ed Fore for putting on another great race.