Little Rock Half Marathon
Little Rock, Arkansas
Sunday, March 1, 2015

On Sunday, March 1, 2015 I race walked the Little Rock Half Marathon in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was not the best conditions for a race as the temperature varied from 34 to 38 degrees with light on and off rain and slight wind. Fortunately the temperature stayed warm enough that there was no ice on the course which utilized roads that were completely closed to traffic. The course has quite a bit of up and down with no parts very challenging. Water/Gatorade stations were located every 1 to 1.5 miles and were manned by plenty of enthusiastic, efficient volunteers who tended to the needs of the participants despite the miserable conditions. I really appreciated their efforts as well as the police, firemen, and other volunteers who controlled all the intersections and kept everyone safe. Surprisingly there were quite a few spectators spread out all along the course. Two noteworthy spectators were Arkansas Governor, Asa Hutchinson and his wife, who were cheering on the street outside the Governor’s Mansion which was located near mile 8 on the course. Another notable celebrity at the event was my friend, Bart Yasso, who is the chief running officer for Runner’s World magazine who spoke at the race exposition and announced at both the start and the finish lines. This is the fifth year that I have done this event, 3 marathons and 2 half marathons. It is always very well organized and fun to do. The race directors go out of their way to see that the participants receive the best experience possible. An example of this involved the huge race medals. Two weeks before the event I received an email that explained that it was doubtful that the race medals were going to be able to reach Little Rock in time for the race because the medals were on a ship in Los Angeles Harbor and could not clear customs because the striking longshoremen would not unload them. The race directors quickly had substitute medals made that could be handed out at the race and would send every finisher their custom medal in the mail when it finally arrives in Little Rock and can be processed. As a result the participants were happy instead of disappointed.