When I signed up for the Run the Bluegrass half marathon in Lexington, Kentucky, I had many lofty expectations that probably seem silly. I pictured rolling green pastures, enormous old estates, chickens in the yard, babbling streams, horses running the fields, and miles and miles of white fence framing it all in the perfect picture of the South.
As it turns out- I was spot on.

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I came to this race by way of another race selling out really fast. I had originally intended to run the Quivering Quads half marathon through Cuivre River State Park, but when it was full in a day, I did what any red-blooded American would do: whined about it on Facebook. A high school friend who once lived in Lexington posted a link to what was billed as “One of the prettiest half marathons in America,” and I was sold. I quickly talked my training partner Doug into the race, and not long after that- primarily by reminding him that Kentucky was the heart of bourbon country- I had convinced our friend Glenn from the running club to join us too.
Training for this race didn’t always go smoothly. The first few months of this year, our hometown was blanketed by over a foot of snow not once, but three separate times. It seemed like our choices for times to run revolved around which was worse: freezing temperatures or freezing rain. But we slogged through long runs and hoped for spring to relieve the need to run bundled up like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.
Due to a death in the family and an unexpected trip to Chicago, I arrived in Lexington late Friday night, after 10 hours in my car, having missed the expo. My friends Doug and Glenn were already there, and I was barely in the door before Glenn had his expo prize out to show me: a bottle of Knob Creek Bourbon that was specially-selected for this race which he had gotten signed by Runner’s World’s Hal Higdon. The guys had also each purchased an etched Run the Bluegrass rocks glass, and Doug had kindly picked one up for me too. Happy to finally be out of my car, we all went to the lobby to have a nightcap and then were off to bed at a pretty decent hour.
We woke up at 6 am for the 9 am race. We stayed at the race hotel, the Hyatt Downtown, so we were pretty close to the race start. We grabbed breakfast at the hotel lobby. I had hot cereal and some fruit, which is evidently my pre-race ritual now. Then we were off to the race.
The drive there is worth mentioning actually. There was a low fog hanging over the low spots of the farms along the way, and temperatures just around freezing had frozen the fog in spots and added a gorgeous sparkle to the landscape. The sun was working hard to burn the fog away and the scene was another perfect picture of the South.
We arrived at Keenland Thoroughbred Race Track over an hour before the race. Walking up to the spired main building I could see the finish line off to my right. Perhaps the little detail of pre-race that made me the happiest is that the racetrack had plenty of inside bathrooms. There is nothing in this world better than knowing you don’t have to go to the port-a-potty before a race. I popped a lemon-lime Nuun Hydration tablet in my water bottle (what, you didn’t think I was going to mention my sponsor!? CLICK HERE to see my brand new Ambassador Page!!) and then it was time to go.
We made our way down to race start about quarter to nine, and maybe it’s just the speed of the South, but no one seemed in much hurry to get to the start. We found our spot in our corral among the other 4000+ runners and chatted with the people around us. Mainly, I talked to a guy named Andy, who was funny and kind and kept my mind off of the 13.1 hilly miles in front of us. The race started just a little late and by the time we hit the start line, the temperature outside was absolutely perfect.
Now, dear readers, I’ve been thinking for 5 days what to tell you about the race. You see, I don’t want to scare you off because you should definitely do this race. I’m not going to lie to you though, it’s hilly. Real hilly. And if I do this race again next year, I shall never, ever skip one of Brian Pahlmann’s hill repeat training sessions down at the river. Ever.
I noticed the first long hill we climbed had a name: Songbird Hill. It was a good name, since I could hear some meadowlarks off in the field. The next hill was also graced with a sign at the top dubbing it Rose Hill. And at the top of the next hill there was another sign and another name and I remembered what someone in the bike club once told me, “It’s only a real hill if it’s got a name.” Well looking from the crest of the hill we were on across the rolling landscape in front of us, I thought, “Gosh, there are going to be a lot of names.”
In spite of the fact that we were woefully underprepared for a course like this, both Doug and I were surprised to see the first several miles melting away. The course was very well-marked and large flags called out each mile. Intermittently along the course there were bands playing a wide variety of music (Seriously: there was some screamo at one corner and a bluegrass band at the next. WIDE variety…) but mostly the course was a quiet country road with little to hear aside from footfalls.
Near the bluegrass band was one of those scenes I’d clearly imagined before the race- a yard full of chickens and one proud Tom turkey out strutting his stuff, wearing his feathers tall like royal regalia. Not far up the road was the first close-to-the-fence horse, a big black and white draft horse who stood by the fence waiting for the next runner who would come over and give him a scratch on the cheek. He was very sweet and made me smile. That sort of thing really helps me get my mind off the primary problem: the hills. My god, the hills.
We were struggling mightily up one hill that Doug named, “The Widow Maker,” when (now don’t miss the irony here) a little old man came by us and said, “You know what a little old man once told me about hills? It’s just ground!”
Somewhere just past the halfway point, I called out, “Well there’s no turning back now; it’s further to turn around!” which drew a laugh from a couple of girls in the vicinity. The girls were named Kim and Laura and we ran with them on and off for the rest of the race. Kim is also a blogger and writes one called This Healthy Endeavor. It’s got recipes and race reports and more. You should go check it out. Half way is also the point I chose to eat a second V-Fuel Endurance Gel. The VFuel really helped me get through this tough race and didn’t give me any tummy problems at all. That’s why I love it. (Click here to see my contest to win Nuun and VFuel!!!!!)
Probably the most beautiful moment of the race for me was at mile 8. We crested *another* hill and at the top there were 3 sets of mares and foals running wide arcs around their fenced pasture. It was breathtaking to watch, and even though I was getting pretty exhausted, their enthusiasm for running returned the spring to my step and the smile to my face.
I’m not going to get too much into the end of the race… it was hilly, I was undertrained, and I did a lot of walking. That’s okay though. Doug stuck right by my side and we did the thing together. Then, just past a little marching band stationed at the last corner (WIDE variety of music…) the finish line came into sight. We ran out the last “point-one” as quick as we could and were presented with what is probably my favorite half-marathon medal to date.
Sorry this blog got so long folks! Thanks for sticking with me! Run the Bluegrass was a terrific race. I posted a personal worst time- but I also feel like I worked really hard for it and was super proud anyway. I couldn’t have done it without my training partner Doug, who helped me through the long, bleak winter training and shared in the fun in Lexington. Glenn finished in front of us, but he was great to have around and was fun the entire trip.
Special thanks go to the race director Eric Marr and his team for making every part of the race beautiful. From the specially chosen barrels of Knob Creek Bourbon, to the ribbons based on the silks of the famous thoroughbred filly Genuine Risk, this was a race with an eye for the details that make an experience special.
Also, a big shout-out to Andy, Kim, Laura, Amanda Jones and her friends, and Lisa- new friends from the race. I absolutely loved the size of this race. It made it easy to meet people, share a Kentucky Ale, and lament the hills like we’d been running together forever. Lisa if you’re reading this: I’ll see you this weekend in Allerton. I can’t believe we were both silly enough to sign up for the same two half marathons on back-to-back weekends.
If you make it down for this race next year (and you totally should) make sure you take a little time to explore Lexington. It’s an awesome town with lots to do. We toured the Town Branch Bourbon Distillery after the race and also got a taste of downtown at a really great creole joint called Bourbon and Toulouse for dinner. Then we treated ourselves to pie by the famous Missy’s Pies at Ramsey’s Restaurant for desert. I had coconut cream. Wow.
Just remember: If you sign up for this race next year… don’t skimp on the hill training. 🙂
It’s funny because I tend to like races that have one or two signature hills — one challenging beacon midrace that largely determines how you pace yourself. But 8 or 9 and you just end up hurting.
Glad to see you made it through despite being undertrained. Nice pictures too 🙂
Yes indeed, this race was something else when it came to hills. We all agreed that it would be difficult to even try train for something like that in Central Illinois. Flat, flat, flat! On the bright side, I doubt I will ever complain about hills around here again. At times in this race the downhill hurt as much or more as the up. Either way, the pretty course and well-run race made this a fun event and I’m glad we did it. I hope I’m not too torn up to have fun at this trail half on Saturday. Who knows, maybe I’ll cut a good 10 minutes off my time 😀
Thank you for reading, Dan! Also… you should enter my contest and maybe win some Nuun or VFuel. I bet you’d like them both.
loved reading your blog – and so thankful you remembered the name of the hills – I tried really hard to but all I remembered was Rose something. Will be following you and your adventures 🙂 Geniene (1/2 of Team Crazy Awesome http://runningcrazyawesome.blogspot.com/)
Thank you so much! And thanks for leaving a comment. I’ll also be checking out your blog 🙂 way to make it through a tough, tough race. I, thankfully, have a much flatter trail half marathon this weekend. It’s a good thing too- because I’m not especially recovered yet! If you get the chance, also check out my contest blog- It’s my first contest since I got “sponsored” and I’d love to get some entries from Team Crazy Awesome! https://adventurefoot.com/2013/04/01/win-with-adventure-foot/
Thank you so very much for writing such a glowing yet spot on review of The Run The Bluegrass Half Marathon! I actually ran the Rookie 7 Miler; this was my first race as I am very new fan of running. I Absolutely Loved it! Though not as challenging as the 13.1 the 7 miler was such a exile rating challenge that I am planning on running the half next year. Thank you again for a wonderful report of the race! See you next year!
Whew! What a race to pick for a first! My first race was a 5K and it was just a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve done a ton of running including an Ultra Marathon! You never know what will happen when you first start out. If you’re taking down those Kentucky Hills already, you may just be unstoppable! Congrats on your finish of the 7 miler- if you can do that 7-you should come up to run a half in Illinois. Nice, flat, Illinois! Lol. Here’s the blog from my first 5K. Makes me smile to see how far I’ve come and I’m sure you will feel the same someday 🙂 https://adventurefoot.com/2011/12/12/archive-i-can-see-for-miles/
If you get the chance, also check out my contest blog- It’s my first contest since I got “sponsored” and I’d love to get some entries from my Run the Bluegrass friends 🙂 https://adventurefoot.com/2013/04/01/win-with-adventure-foot/
If you want another beautiful Kentucky Half Marathon, you should try the Iron Horse Half Marathon in Midway, KY, in October. Absolutely breathtaking! I ran it last year, and I loved it. Lots of “rolling hills” though.
Kathi- you know, we actually picked up the flyer for that race! I love the postcard art that they made. It’s a definite possibility for the fall! Thank you for reading!!
Also- check out my contest blog- It’s my first contest since I got “sponsored” and I’d love to get some entries from my Run the Bluegrass friends 🙂 https://adventurefoot.com/2013/04/01/win-with-adventure-foot/
I loved reading your recap, I found your blog through the run the bluegrass Facebook page! This was my first half marathon and I was shocked how much fun I had! I loved everyone stopping to take pictures with the friendly paint horse. I’m glad you got to try Missy’s pies while you were in town.
I’m also glad I had Missy’s Pies!! Yum!
Congratulations on your first half! If you’re anything like me, you’ll be following it up with lots more halfs and lots more bling soon. If my first half was that hilly, I don’t know if I’d make it to my second- so congratulations for being so tough! I highly recommend checking out the Little Rock Half Marathon or even the Illinois Marathon. You can read about those here on my blog under the “Running” category or by searching for it. I’m running another half already … tomorrow. I’m so nervous! Thank you so much for reading, congrats on your first half, and keep up the good work!
Also- check out my contest blog- It’s my first contest since I got “sponsored” and I’d love to get some entries from my Run the Bluegrass friends 🙂 https://adventurefoot.com/2013/04/01/win-with-adventure-foot/
I loved loved loved your recap! So much detail! I agree, it was hard to write because in the end it was tough but I would recommend it…hills and all!! I’m actually thinking about signing up for the Iron Horse Half Marathon Kathi mentioned above because hopefully I’ll be moved back down there by then 🙂
Thank you so much 🙂 I have just been overwhelmed with the great positive attitudes of the people of Kentucky! Next year, I hope to bring many more people from our local club (it was hard since it was Easter weekend this year- I’m guessing it won’t be Easter next..) and we may look into that Iron Horse as well. Congrats on your RTBG finish and best of luck on your future runs!
Also- check out my contest blog- It’s my first contest since I got “sponsored” and I’d love to get some entries from my Run the Bluegrass friends 🙂 https://adventurefoot.com/2013/04/01/win-with-adventure-foot/
I ran this race too, and did a recap of it on my blog. It was my 3rd half, and very challenging, but that’s why I loved it! I didn’t PR, but was wasn’t expecting to with those hills anyway! I think that bottle of bourbon was a great splurge! 🙂
I will check out your report! It was also my 3rd Half Marathon… to be quickly followed by my 4th … tomorrow. Oh my goodness.
Congrats on your finish! This was a tough one! I’ll be saving that bourbon for a special occasion…
And I’ve been telling everyone… but if you want to win some cool prizes from my blog sponsor, check out my first ever contest. It sounds like you have plenty of adventures to enter! https://adventurefoot.com/2013/04/01/win-with-adventure-foot/
Thank you for reading!
I traveled with Lisa that you met at Bluegrass, I will be working a water station at mile 9, give me a shout out, my name is John, see you there!
Sorry thats at Alerton this weekend
Yay! I am so happy that you guys found my blog! My husband and I are headed up as soon as I get off of work. I can’t believe in all of those people I met someone doing Allerton too. Crazy! I will look for you in mile 9- I am planning to wear my new black Run the Bluegrass top- so maybe that’s how you can pick me out! Thanks for reading!!
Also … be sure you and Lisa check out my first ever blog photo contest. Water station photos count too! https://adventurefoot.com/2013/04/01/win-with-adventure-foot/
Hey there, this is Andy and I had a great time meeting you. I believe we will be doing Iron Horse in the Fall. I hope it was as beautiful as this course without the mile nine hill.
Hey Andy!! Great to meet you too. My friends and I were just talking about Iron Horse. That looks like a lot of fun. Either way, I think I’ll be back for RTBG next year. Lexington was just too much fun not to bring a bunch of our club down to experience. I love that it’s a small enough race to be able to meet people in the start and find them again at the end.
I thought I was done half marathoning after RTBG and the trail half I did the following week- at least for the Spring I mean- but in typical fashion, I got talked into doing another one in May. I’m a terrible push over! 🙂 Best of luck with your future races and it was a real pleasure to meet you. Keep following that Adventure Foot!