Today I was pacing the Wake Forest Historic Half marathon. I have been trying to run this event for the last 3 years, but it either landed at the same time as a Tar Heel Double Down challenge or too close after Umstead for me to really commit to a specific pace. This year, I was very fortunate that it was a few weeks after Umstead and a week after the Tar Heel Double Down challenge. I am volunteering as a 2:30 pacer. I’m taking it easy and not pushing the pace since I am still recovering from Umstead.

This morning, I had the usual latte with hot cereal and a caffeinated gel before the start. The event location is at a High School. There, I met with a few friends and the other pacers who were ready to provide their expertise to other runners in the event.

There was no need for a warm-up today since my goal today was to help pace. Judy was the other pacer on my time. She was a really experienced runner who was dabbling in her first event, volunteering as a pacer. We were ready to have a lot of fun today. We walked just behind the 2:15 pacers, and after a few announcements, the National Anthem, and the countdown, off we went.

---

Mile 1-6: Very uneventful miles. The temperature was really decent for running, cloud coverage provided a shield from the sun and a cool breeze that, from time to time was welcoming. We started running at a slightly slower pace than needed. Not knowing much about the course was providing an additional unknown as we were not aware of all the details of the hills or when or not to press the pace. We talked to the few runners running about the same target pace. There were plenty of 1st time half-marathoners eager to achieve and complete the challenge. But quickly thinned out to about five runners around us, as the hills were relentless. Judy was holding a solid pace while I will slow down some to try get a couple stragglers back on track and to pace.

Miles 7-12: The hills continued, and we were all feeling great. I grabbed water at almost every aid station, and got a few sips from my water bottle from time to time. By now, we were seeing a few returning runners out of the two long hill sections. Once we were past the very long hill and the looped turnaround, with 5 miles left, I was trying to help traffic go around the runners. Given that traffic was open and some roads had some traffic going. Judy and I continued to cheer the runners as we continued our way. We needed to pick up the pace a little bit. The hills were taking a little bit of a toll on the runners, but we could not wait too much as we still had a goal to meet. One nice long downhill mile 10, but we knew it was going to be an uphill battle heading back at mile 12.

Mile 12 to finish: The final stretch, one more long uphill, before we headed to the last segment downhill towards the finish line. We pressed on the pace as we wanted to keep it close to the 2:30-hour mark. There are no other runners in front, but just a couple behind that were trying really hard to come in before 2:30 mark. We cheered for them as loudly as we could. Judy hung with one of the runners who stayed with us for most of the event. I hung back as there were two other runners coming in strong. I knew there was less than .1 of a mile left, I yelled, “Almost there, 1 minute left, GO GO GO!!!!” It was so phenomenal see them cross the line before the clock hit the 2:30 time. This is why I love to volunteer and pace, seeing the runners crossing and meeting their dreams and goals.

I hung around at the finish line area briefly to see a few of the other runners who started with us. Even though they were not able to stay with us, their accomplishment was amazing. This was no easy half; the course is super hilly and challenging, but also very fulfilling

Month/Year	Event	Location	Type	Time
Apr-25	Wake Forest Historic Half	NC	Half	2:29:42

Event Highlights:

Course: Great, ample road right of the start but very hilly. Around 225 runners. With the ample road, there is no problem starting, maneuvering around runners, and finding a comfortable pace.

Venue: At a High School, there are plenty of bathrooms. At the finish line area, good food, plenty to drink, and snacks.

Expo: No Expo

Weather: Cloud coverage for the most part, high 60ºs with low humidity.

Fueling:

Pre-Race: 1 serving of Hot Cereal, latte, and gel 10 minutes before start.

Race: Water aid stations and one pouch of baby food.

Post: Protein Shake within an hour of the event.

Learning Points:

• Pacing and helping others during an event is great. Especially seeing them achieve their goals.
• Negative splits are not necessarily the approach for every single race. Always consider the type of course, elevation changes, and complexity of the event.