Diva's Half Marathon 2012 (Long Island) Race Report

The one word I would use to describe this race is "fun".  I did this race last year, so I knew what to expect going in.

The race starts and finishes in Eisenhower Park on Long Island, some of the course is pretty, some not so pretty (hello, prison on the highway).  It's fairly flat (good for a PR), but very crowded at the start so if you line up anywhere except for the front you spend quite a lot of time dodging people (not so good for a PR).

I ran the race with my friend Sam, who seems to be my go-to-girl for races this summer.  I wasn't running for time since the Nike Women's Marathon was the following Sunday and I hadn't really been training.  Sam is training for the Philadelphia Marathon so she wasn't planning to go all out on this race either, but she wanted to finish in less than two hours, so we kept this goal in mind while we were running.

It was a beautiful day and we were surrounded by about a thousand women... all wearing pink.  I kid you not.  This race is literally a sea of pink.  Good luck on spotting any of your friends if they are in pink.  At one point near the end of the race I was talking to this one woman next to me for about two minutes before I realized it wasn't Sam, but some other lady wearing a pink shirt and black capris.  I was wearing blue.  I am not a pink girl at all.

I had a super fantastic time running and chatting with Sam.  I really enjoyed the enthusiastic crowd support, especially the three men who were dressed up as very interesting looking ladies (of the night, I think).  I saw them three times (those girls really got around) and they were so funny. 

The highlights of the race were at the end.  Around mile 12 you run through a tiara and boa (yes, pink) station and getting glammed up for your finisher picture.  The boa is a bit annoying because it flops around while you are running, but I think it's a cute idea.  When you cross the finish line you get a glass of champagne (I chose the ginger ale alternative), a rose, and a medal from a shirtless, buff fireman.  The finisher's medal at this race is probably the biggest and nicest one that I have ever seen at any race.  It is truly blinged out.

The Noggin's monkey modeling my bling

I crossed the finish line of this race with Sam laughing and smiling, which never happens to me.  i'm never the person with their arms raised and a huge smile at the end, but this time I was.  I loved the whole experience (Thanks, Sam!) and would definitely recommend this race to anyone, especially as a first time half marathon.  You have to do it with a girlfriend though, it makes the experience so much better.

Don't make fun of my crazy race outfit - I get enough of that from the Russian

My only two criticisms of the race are no number pick-up race morning and no gu/fuel/whatever on the race course.  The first point means that if you, like me, don't live on Long Island then you have to drive across Manhattan twice in one weekend (SO not recommended for anyone who, like me, has any form of road rage).  I really don't understand why there is traffic on 495 on Long Island at all times of the day (even early morning on a Saturday).  The second point means that you have to be really prepared and carry your own fuel during the race, which is not that big of a deal, but I think it's nice when a longer race at least offers this to the participants.

Overall a very positive experience.  I will probably be back again next year, unless it conflicts with another race.