races in the midwest

 October 2016 - I went to Columbus for its half marathon, as well as the Jesse Owens 2.5 mile run.  The race was a part of the NBMA Summit!   

 April 2017 - I joined NBMA for their Summit in St. Louis!  I ran the GO! St. Louis 5k and Half Marathon.  I got a chance to meet th owner of a local restaurant!  My time was 2:10:10! 

 October 2017 - The Chicago Marathon - my FIRST World Major Marathon was fun race!  I ran the 5k, too.  I stayed with friends and saw a lot familiar faces on and along the course.  My official time was 4:44:12.  
 

 October 2022 - I traveled to Detroit for the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon.  I stayed in an Airbnb in Hamtramck while there.  The bus and Uber were my mode of transporation.  It was great hanging out with my uncle at the Motown Museum.  It was nice to see the things I would tell my students about during class.  

 July 2023 - I traveled to Indianapolis for the "Christmas in July" Half marathon.  The medals lit up like an ornament.  I did not like the course because of a lot of debris along the  path.  It was a race I had scheduled while in OH visiting my son and his family.   

May 2024 - Sioux City was the site for the 1st race in the Prairie Series, sponsored by Mainly Marathons.  It was my first experience with that organization.  The course was a beautiful out and back along a river.  One thing about this series is that the participants support and encourage one another!  My focus was reaching the finish line!  

May 2024 - Balti, South Dakota was the site of my 2nd race in the Prairie series.  At the start of the race, it was drizzling!  I did something I have never done, I carried my umbrella because I forgot my raincoat at my timeshare.  I walked 99% of the race because the terrain was mostly gravel and some packed dirt.  The view was along a river with a waterfall!  That made the pain in my hip more tolerable! 

May 2024 - Wahpeton, North Dakota was the site of my 3rd race in the Prairie series.  This time, I decided to do 4:1 intervals because I was determined not to be out there as long as I was the day before!  The terrain was mostly asphalt, along a river.  I was happy to finish and "ring the bell!"

July 2024 - Sparta, Wisconsin was the 1st race of the Mainly Marathons Heartland Series.  It was great seeing some of the same people from the previous MM series.  We ran in Evans-Bosshard Park, which was mostly paved; however, there was some gravel.  We ran 10 laps (out and back), which would make some people crazy!  For me, it is nice seeing everyone on the course ( A LOT of times) and we're our own crowd support!  

July 2024 - St. Cloud, Minnesota was the 2nd race in the Heartland Series of Mainly Marathons.  My BFF joined in and ran the 10k!  The race was on an asphalt running path with views of the Beaver Islands and lots of shade.  The shade was greatlhy appreciated with the heat.  

We had a special treat and visited Paisley Park, the home of Prince.  We tried to capture as much as we could while there, even though we had to lock our phones upon entrance.  We were emancipated near the end of the guided tour.  

September 2024 - Chadron, Nebraska was State #46!  It was the 2nd race of the Center of the Nation Series with Mainly Marathons!  As you may be able to tell, it was chilly - nah, it was cold!  I had to do the early start because I had to get back to Denver to catch a flight back to NC!  The temperatures were in the 30's.  I had to go back to my car and get another layer!  Too bad I didn't have gloves because  really needed them!  We had to use headlamps, or phones to see where you were going!  I used my phone, which was brighter than some of the headlamps!  The race was held at Chadron State Park, Nebraska's First State Park, which was established in 1921.  The course was mostly asphalt, with some time in the woods.  It was beautiful because the trees provided a lot of shade and created an arch!  There some campers, so we had to be quiet while running near their area.  I couldn't talk too much because I had to get back to shower and drive 4.5 hours back to Denver!  Thank God I made it there without a problem and back to NC!

November 2024 - Salina, Kansas

The Salina Crossroads Half Marathon was state #47! The original weather forecast called for rain and possible lightning! Many of us prayed that the race would not be cancelled because we didn’t come that far to not run! There was no lightning; however, it rained the ENTIRE race! I had on a rain jacket, but I was soaked! I quickly got some post race food and went back to the Fieldhouse to dry off and get out of some of the wet clothes! My time was not the best, mainly because I had to stop too many times to use the port-a-john. I need to hydrate on a regular basis, so it’s not much of a shock on race day. I would recommend this race, but know that there were some hills on the back end of the race.