Race Name: The Haunted Half
Distances offered: Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run
Distance I ran: 5K
Timed? Yes, chipped.
Location: SLC, UT
Traveled? No
Recommended? Yes!
We are a bunch of Halloween nuts around here, so when offered the opportunity to combine two of our favorite things - running and Halloween - there was no turning it down! This race is actually one of two - there is a second race next Saturday in another city a couple of hours away. We're doing that one too. ;)
A few highlights of this race: The race is started by the Headless Horseman himself! Obviously, costumes are required - and people have tons of fun with them! I actually only saw a handful of people NOT in costume. The second half of the 5K (and last bit of the Half) come down a paved trail along City Creek and into Memory Grove Park. The last tenth of a mile or so was all decked out with Halloween decorations - ghosts in the trees, skeletons walking their skeleton dogs, and even a haunted tunnel to run through! I'll admit it, one of the guys in the tunnel really got me, lol!
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| Zorro and Lady Zorro! |
Pre-race communication: 4/5
All pre-race communication from the race organizers went smoothly and was very clear. I received only two emails: one to confirm my registration, and one a few days before the race conveying all the details of packet pickup and race day info. I also followed the race on Facebook, which I feel added a lot to the overall communication - they gave previews of the race shirt and medals, as well as course updates and general teasers to keep us excited. The only reason I'm not giving it the full 5/5 is because I never had any problems that required contacting the organizers, so I can't speak to how quickly or how well they responded.
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| A moody fairy...(no, seriously, that's what she decided she was!) |
Packet pickup: 5/5
Packet pickup was at the Infinity Event Center in downtown Salt Lake and took place from 10am to 8pm the day before the race. There were a few booths of race sponsors that mostly had activities, though there were a couple with things for sale. We got there around 6pm and there were no lines! There were other runners there, but the tables were well staffed and efficient, and we got in and out quickly.
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| Bill Nye The Science Guy |
The schwag: 4/5
The race shirt is a loose-fitting, long-sleeve, pullover tech shirt. Noticeably absent? Ads! Again! That's the second one in a row! The shirts were the same for each distance.
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| Front |
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| Back |
In the bag: race bib and safety pins, race shirt, plastic vampire teeth, plastic spiders, ads for local running stores and the race charity, and a race window cling.
Race parking and getting the race started: 5/5
Parking at the race was at and around the State Capitol building. There is tons of parking at the capitol, and when you add in on-street parking, it didn't seem like anyone had to park too far away. The Half Marathon start was way up Emigration Canyon, so runners were bussed up. The 5K started at the northeast corner of the State Capitol complex. There were TONS of port-a-potties at the starting line. The starting line itself was a large, inflatable arch, and after an enthusiastic count down from the runners, the Headless Horseman smashed his pumpkin to the ground to start the race!
The course: 4/5
The course was beautiful! The 5K started by looping the State Capitol complex, before heading down into City Creek Canyon. This time of the year, the trees are flaming yellow and orange with a thin, blowing layer of leaves across the path. It was gorgeous! The route was mostly downhill, but did have some pretty serious uphills in the first mile.
The atmosphere: 5/5
The overall feel of this race was pretty much a family oriented Halloween party, where people just happened to be running. There wasn't the sense of nervous energy, or martyred determination that is often present at races. It was all fun, relaxed, and overall a great time!
The aid stations: 4/5
There were two aid stations on the 5K. The on-course aid stations were well staffed and provided water in reasonable sized cups - no tiny Dixie cups!
The bling: 5/5
The finish line: 5/5
I would give the finish line party more than 5 stars if I could! The food alone included the standard water, fruit and PowerAde, but also pizza and donuts! There was face painting, bobbing for apples, dancing, and bounce houses for the kids. It was a blast!
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| Face paint! |
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| Napoleon Dynamite dancing to Thriller! |
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| Bobbing for apples! |
Overall Fatty appeal: 5/5
Two aid stations along a 5K route was a huge benefit - as I've mentioned before, I get thirsty easily no matter how hydrated I am, and an aid station every mile makes it so that I don't have to be one of those nerds that wears a Camelback for a 5K... The downhill was also nice - I resigned myself to walking the uphills before the race began, so it was pretty nice!
Final thoughts:
This was my (and my family's) first Halloween race, and it did not disappoint! Running in costumes is a whole different beast, and lessons were learned. But all-in-all, a race featuring a headless horseman, haunted woods, and Halloween party at the end was pretty much awesome!
Stay tuned for a post on running costumes and next week a recap of the Provo Haunted Half - and keep your fingers crossed that that one is as cool as this one was!
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