Counting down to Rock n Roll Raleigh 2017

    This weekend I'll run my 4th Rock n Roll Raleigh Race. For me, this is the race that unlocked the crazy. It was my first half marathon ever. I came back the next year for another half to improve my time. I did that.  Then last year I ran my first full marathon here. That's all after trying to resist the peer pressure to run 26.2 miles. Now I'm getting guys to upgrade to the Full Marathon. It's great.  Now, it's time to do it again. I'll run the 5k on Saturday. Rest or party at a couple of meetups. Then run the marathon on Sunday.
      It's interesting this year because there are a few changes. I've done this 4 times and I can tell you that the changes are good. Instead of ending on Fayetteville street the race will start on Fayetteville Street between the state capitol building and the Duke energy Center for performing arts. It makes sense because Fayetteville Street is where everything BIG happens in Raleigh: parades, festivals, food truck rodeos and Acorn drops on New Years Eve.
     But the race won't end on Fayetteville street. It'll end by the Raleigh convention center's shimmer wall. This is exciting because I'll be able to fall into the finishers festival on tired legs after the race and enjoy the music. In previous years, you basically had to walk two blocks to get your marathon jacket, medals engraved or beer.  It took me about 25 minutes to get from the finish line to the finisher zone last year. Maybe I exaggerated a little, but it felt like a long time.

    Also changing is the trip through Meredith college. You'll enter on Hillsborough street loop around and go back.  You avoid a hill or two but it's not much of an elevation change for the overall course. I can't complain too much because I didn't have to run out to Umstead park but I'm glad for this change. I'm sure there's a reason to make this minor change.

Rock n Roll Raleigh 2016- the marathon finisher jacket 

     There are still plenty of hills....
     Glascock street,
     Peace street,
     Western Blvd,
     Avent Ferry Rd,
     Gorman st,
     Thistledown dr,
     Blair dr
     and Lenoir st to Boyland Ave.
So, really nothing NOTHING has changed.
    Hey, Here you can find last year's assessment of all of the hills along the full and half course. I call it my Race Recon.

Rock N Roll Raleigh 2014

Rock n Roll Raleigh 2014