Time to get serious about 3M Half Marathon


Posted: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:46 PM - 13,794 Readers

By: Pam LeBlanc


It’s getting near crunch time if you’re planning to run the 3M Half Marathon.

With the 13.1-mile, mostly downhill race in mind, I set out Sunday morning with a friend to see if I was in 3M Half Marathon shape. We ran just shy of 10 miles, at an easy pace, under dreary skies. Temperatures hovered around 45 degrees — perfect for running.

We ran from the intersection of Jollyville Road and Mesa Drive to her house near Lake Austin Boulevard and Exposition Drive. Our path overlapped parts of the 3M course and parts of the Austin Marathon course.

Our run gave me the confidence boost I need in advance of race day.

My goal is to run the Zooma Half Marathon on April 16 at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. That’s a hilly, tough course, so I’m hoping to do 3M as a warmup.

If you’re planning to run the 3M Half Marathon on Sunday, Jan. 30, you should register soon. The race, a downhill blast that starts on Stonelake Boulevard and finishes at Waterloo Park in downtown Austin, is capped at 5,570 participants.

Not sure you can run all 13.1 miles on your own? Consider running it as a two-person relay. The first leg is 6.4 miles; the second is 6.7 miles. A shuttle will carry runners from the start to the exchange point.

Twenty-Six Two Marathon Club and Hill Country Running Company will provide pace groups, too, so if you’ve got a target finish line in mind, an experienced runner can help you reach that goal.

This race is legendary for its goodie bag, by the way. Sign up and at packet pickup you’ll be handed a bag filled with enough tape, sticky notes, glue, and 3M products to get you through the Apocalypse. (Some of this year’s bags include neoprene knee braces and sunglasses!)

In fact, the race earned “Best Schwag” honors in the January 2008 edition of Runner’s World magazine. I’m still working my way through the office supplies I got in the race two years ago.

The race is part of the Austin Distance Challenge. Start time is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. Buses will transport runners from the finish line at Waterloo Park to the starting line.

Registration is $75 for individuals or $130 for relay teams. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Austin non-profit Any Baby Can. For more information or to register, go here.



Read Full Story at: Pam LeBlanc






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