Look another race report this week! The Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon.

Short version:

5K split: 28:05 at 9:03/mile pace
10K split: 54:15 at 8:54/mile pace
10M split: 1:27:51 at 8:31/mile pace
Finish: 1:54:01 at 8:26/mile pace

AG 65-69: 4th/68 runners
Male: 495/2080
Overall: 671/4794

Watch splits:
Mile 1: 9:28/mile
Mile 2: 8:50/mile
Mile 3: 8:56/mile
Mile 4: 8:41/mile
Mile 5: 8:30/mile
Mile 6: 8:28/mile
Mile 7: 8:40/mile
Mile 8: 8:36/mile
Mile 9: 8:48/mile
Mile 10: 8:41/mile
Mile 11: 8:44/mile
Mile 12: 8:19/mile
Mile 13: 8:08/mile
Mile 13.2: 8:04/mile

The long version:

Another almost "streak" race for me, I have been running an OKC Memorial Marathon, Half Marathon, or Marathon Relay race every year since 2005. I started running in the summer of 2004 just before my 48th birthday. By the end of that summer I had decided to run a "bucket list" marathon at the 2005 OKC Memorial Marathon the next April. Somehow, I just kept running one of the OKC Memorial races every year since with the exception of 2013, 2015, & 2020

This was the 22nd running of the OKC Memorial race. It is in remembrance of the lives lost in the Murrah Federal Bldg. bombing of 1995. Funds raised on race weekend go to the OKC Memorial Museum to fund the museum. It is the major source of funding for the museum.

This was a last minute sign-up for me. I was reluctant to run a race with a mass-start with Covid still lurking about. And after spending most of January & February not running due to a calf muscle strain, I did not think I would be running any distance races soon. I started easy jogging again in March. By late March, my overall pace was returning and I started increasing my mileage. For the past month I have been averaging about 45 miles per week. Last Saturday, I ran a 5K race. That went so well, I started thinking about running the half marathon. I ended up signing up for the half marathon on Wednesday evening before the Sunday race.

Race day weather was near perfect after yesterday's storms. Temperature at race start was 52 degrees with a 10mph North breeze. It was cloudy with a 30% chance of rain during the race. I overdressed a bit wearing a lightweight rain jacket over a short-sleeved tech shirt. I was comfortable waiting for the race to start. I lined up with the 2 hour pace group with the hope that I would finish in under 2 hours.

The race starts at the Oklahoma City National Memorial in downtown Oklahoma City. It was a crowded start. Runners were staged by pace & that helped with a smooth start though it was still crowded through the downhill downtown portion. The 1st half mile of the race is through downtown OKC before heading east & entering the Bricktown entertainment district. At the baseball park, the race turned north into the wind & up the 1st hill to the Deep Deuce Jazz district. There were a couple of nice jazz groups playing along the course through here. Coming out of Deep Deuce, the race turned due north along the wide boulevard leading past the health center & medical school where I worked before retiring. There was not much protection from the wind here. It became less crowded & I was able to pick up my pace and settle into a pace that I thought I would be able to maintain for the next 10 miles.

The race continued on towards the State Capitol Building with a quick detour east through the Lincoln Terrace neighborhood. before turning west along old Rt 66 for a mile. From there the race continued north through a string of parks in historic neighborhoods. The local residents were out in large numbers to cheer the racers on. There were a lot of unauthorized hydration stations through here serving mimosas & margaritas. I did not partake. Coming out of Edgemere Park is the 2nd big hill on the course. At the base of this hill they were serving Jello shots (for courage, I guess). After topping this hill, we had a nice downhill for about a mile before starting up Gorilla Hill at mile 7. The neighborhood association here has had a very large inflatable gorilla at the top of this hill for several years and has the largest banana aide station I've ever seen at a race. For the half marathon this is the last steep hill for 5 miles.

At mile 7.5 the marathon runners split off from the half marathon runners and we continued west. At mile 8 we turned south onto Classen Boulevard and had the wind at our back for the remainder of the race. At this point I was getting very warm. So, I took off my rain slicker, balled it up and carried it. Classen is another wide boulevard with not much protection from the wind. In a normal year when you get on Classen, you are facing a brutal 20-30mph south wind. Additionally, it is a false flat that increases elevation steadily but gradually over the next 3 miles. In the marathon it's even worse as this is mile 21-24. This year we were fortunate with cool temperatures and the wind at our backs. At mile 11/24 we turn back to the east for a few blocks before continuing south towards downtown through one of Oklahoma City's oldest neighborhoods.

We enter downtown business district at mile 12 with a final hill. The race course has a turn back to the west just as you see/hear the finish line. I wish they would have added the mileage in one of the neighborhoods. I like running straight to the finish. Anyways we went west for a few blocks, turned south for another block, before turning back east with a straight shot at the finish line. I think the little out and back here made me angry as my pace increased on this section. The finish festival is large and well done. I got my medal, some fluids, & finishers shirt, but didn't stick around long. I checked and my official finish time was 1:54:01.

A bit better than expected

Thanks for reading

Boy, you really did great especially as a last minute idea. Great report and pictures.

Congrats Paul. Nice report and photos.

Nice pacing, Paul, and good kick in the last few miles.

what great splits Paul! Ending with your fastest couple miles must have felt awesome to complete it so strong! Great job and congratulations on a last minute decision that went so well for you!

Great run on short notice!

(Those 'false flat' slowly rising bits can be energy real energy suckers if you don't recognize them for what they are).

Congrats on a well-executed race!  I love the negative splits - something I've never managed to do.  Glad you're running so well!

Wow, Paul... what Wildchild and Alexander said. Just a fantastic race especially considering you were off the first two months of the year! You really are running so well. Nice to get that sub-2 hour half with negative splits! I can only imagine...