A few weeks ago I ran another half marathon, this time in Louisville, Kentucky! I am trying to run a race in each US state (this is more of a lifetime goal), so I was excited to run in Kentucky! I chose the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon in Louisville because it had rave reviews and the after-party was legendary! I’m not a big drinker, especially bourbon, but I had a feeling it would still be a good time without the booze. If you DO like bourbon, this could be a very exciting race weekend; but even if you don’t it’s a great time for all! Keep reading to get all the details in my Urban Bourbon Half Marathon Race Recap!
Registration
I signed up online a few months before the race, This race can sell out, but this year I believe it sold out very close to the race date. We received a few emails with details about the event leading up to the race. It was not overwhelming, which is always nice.
Race Expo
The expo was held at Slugger Field in downtown Louisville. This is where the minor league baseball team, the Bats, play. It was a neat location with plenty of free parking. I got my bib easily, along with my wristband for the afterparty. You must wear the band to get access to the afterparty, so I made sure it was on tight! There was a tent for some last-minute gear or nutrition. There was also complimentary bourbon tasting, just in case you didn’t want to wait until after the race.
The expo was small but easy to navigate. I enjoyed seeing the stadium, and my kiddo was a little sad that he couldn’t go inside where the field was. Apparently, we need to go to a baseball game! There was also more race-specific merch available for purchase. All in all a great start to my race weekend!
Race Morning
I woke up feeling just about the worst I have ever felt before a race. My sinus headache that had started the night before was now horrible and making me nauseous. I had cramps, and pretty much felt like I wanted to crawl back into bed. But, I choked down my breakfast and slowly got ready. Luckily the race started at 8 am, so I had a little time to try and psych myself up. On the car ride to the start, I contemplated not running. Yet, since my little family had come all this way I knew I had to at least TRY to run. I told myself I could just walk/run if I needed to, so I committed to finishing the race!
Start Line
Once I got outside and surrounded by other runners, I felt a bit better. There is something so wonderful about race start lines, and people coming together to do a common thing that they love. I got excited to run, even if my body wasn’t 100% on board.
I checked my bag, used one of the many porty-potties available, and forced myself to eat a gel. It was around 60 degrees Fahrenheit that morning, so I was happy to be wearing shorts and a tank top. The start line had pacers throughout, so I placed myself near the 2-hour pacer. I didn’t have hopes of finishing in my goal time, but I’d at least start with them! The race took off on time, and I was so happy to be running another race that all the icky feelings seemed to mute themselves. I could enjoy my favorite thing, racing!
Miles 1-3
We started off running downtown by the waterfront. It is always so fun running on the streets of downtown! I love feeling like this is a unique experience that not many people get to do. There were some small rolling hills to start off with, but I braced myself for larger hills that I knew would come later in the race.
We ran past neighborhoods and a particularly smelly area (possibly manure?) which wasn’t super fun. The crowds along the course were pretty light, but everyone was giving it their all and being very supportive. The first three miles flew by, and I was feeling pretty good!
Miles 4-9
The middle miles of the race were largely through many of Louisville’s parks. When I signed up for the race I was promised “perfect fall scenery”, and this race delivered!
Even though the parks were pretty hilly, the uphills almost always had a downhill. Personally, I don’t mind a large climb if I get to cruise down the other side! So we had miles of gorgeous scenery, mid-sized rolling hills, and plenty of shade from the trees. It was simply perfect.
Around mile 7 the song from Magic Kingdom’s firework show “Happily Ever After” came up on my (randomly created for me) Spotify playlist. This had me grinning from ear to ear as I thought about my husband and the many times we watched the magical show together. It also made me think about how excited our little guy will be to see a Disney fireworks show one day. It’s random moments like this in a race that come out of nowhere and make things even more special! 
Miles 10-13.1
Towards the end of the park section of the race, there was a tiny bit of trail we had to run. It was not a big deal, but it did remind me that trail running is 100% more difficult than road running. I’m in no rush to attempt it, but someday it might make for a nice change of pace.
After we exited the vast park system, we pretty much retraced our steps back to the finish line downtown. We went back past the smelly building, then one last small hill right before we entered downtown. I wasn’t too excited about that last hill, but I knew the end was near so it didn’t slow me down!
Finish Line
Once I crossed the finish line I couldn’t believe my finish time was only three minutes over two hours! During the race, I didn’t focus on my pace, or my watch, and didn’t push myself too hard. So the fact that I almost got my goal time made me pretty dang happy! If I had been feeling better and really pushed hard I would have CRUSHED it! Either way, I was so happy I ran my race and got to experience such a gorgeous half marathon!
After-Party!
The finish line had all the basic stuff you usually get at a race, plus some really tasty Panera sweet rolls. I quickly devoured one of the sweet rolls, used the potties, and looked for my family.
My husband and kiddo met me at the gear check. I wanted to check out the after-party area, which was right down the street. Once inside I got some soup and pizza (all included with my race entry). I decided to pass on the beer and MANY bourbon tastings that were included in my entry. If we had been staying downtown I might have come back a little later for the beer, but honestly, we needed to get back for a nap (the kiddo and parents too!).
The band playing was so energetic and fun! My little guy was dancing and feeling it. He loves music and this made me realize maybe he would like to go see more live bands playing. It was a good time, and I only wish I could have stayed a bit longer.
Swag
The Urban Bourbon Half Marathon had a fun spinner bourbon medal and bourbon-themed cotton long-sleeve shirt. I’m just not that into bourbon, so it wasn’t my favorite race swag. But that IS the theme of the race, so it’s absolutely on point for them to have bourbon-themed EVERYTHING! It’s a very comfortable top, and I can see myself wearing it as it gets cooler out.
Would I Run the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon Again?
The Urban Bourbon delivered on all of its promises! There was gorgeous fall scenery, there were rolling hills, there were LOTS and LOTS of bourbon, and a killer after-party! Though I personally felt pretty icky before the race, the race itself brought me back to life! I would definitely run this race again. I’m so happy I chose the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon as my fall race! I highly recommend it to anyone, bourbon drinker or not. Check it out, you will not be disappointed! Happy racing, and cheers!
Not sure what race to run next? Read How to Choose Your Next Marathon for some ideas!
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