The Wilmington Historic Challenge Is Just What I Need It To Be

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I strongly prefer for someone else to manage my long training runs. Why should I figure out my course and my water stops when I can have it done for me? Which is why, for the fifth year in a row, I found myself at the Wilmington Historic Challenge, a half marathon… and 5K.

THE WILMINGTON HISTORIC CHALLENGE DOES THE WORK FOR ME

Given that I still haven’t given up on my dream of cracking the sub-two hour half, you’d think I’d want to approach every half with this goal in mind. For the Wilmington Historic Half in Wilmington, North Carolina, I prefer to register for the Challenge.

It works like this: at 7am, run the 5K. At 7:45am, run the half marathon. Result: a 16 mile long run I don’t have to fully plan myself! With water stops and cheering spectators and medals at the finish. I have found, especially having completed the Marine Corps Marathon at the end of October, that this is sufficient preparation for WDW Marathon Weekend – although your mileage may vary. Well, your mileage would also add up to 16, but you get my metaphorical drift.

Another helpful thing about running in North Carolina is that the seasonal weather patterns. They’re similar to Floridian winter: that is to say, no one knows what’s going to happen. Some years it’s a lovely sunny day; others it’s freezing and overcast. This year it was freezing and overcast, which I didn’t love, but it’s good practice for WDW Marathon Weekend as well.

WHAT’S THIS RACE RECAP FOR, EXACTLY?

I’ve already recapped these races four times, during which the course has not materially changed. In order to keep things fresh, I’m going to change my approach just a bit. Rather than a Whole Sort of General Mish Mash, we’ll divide the post into a couple concentrated parts.

We’ll start with a general overview of the courses for each race, in case there have been subtle changes I haven’t noticed and for anyone who is coming to this post in a vacuum. (Hello! Welcome! Please plumb the archives at will!)

After that, I’ll offer some observations unique to my experience in the race in the hopes that some other runners might find them instructional. Also because if I don’t write down my opinions they haunt me like so many ghosts. I’m sure you understand.

On board? Fantastic! Off we go, then:

THE 5K

The 5K is pretty straightforward, as 5Ks tend to be – although there was an actual start line arch this year. So much more official! Since there’s no course map on the website, though, I thought it might be valuable to sum up real quick.

You start by running parallel to the river for a bit in downtown Wilmington before turning left up the bricks of Market Street. From there it’s out of the cute and whimsical bits and on to more prosaic roads and buildings. There was a water stop a little before mile two in there.

After that you circle back around to the Riverwalk boardwalk area and back to Riverfront Park where you started – and you’re done! If you’re doing the Challenge, you have however much time to kill in the main area between finishing the 5K and the half start. The race site says you must begin exactly at start time, but I have no idea how strictly it’s enforced.

THE HALF

The half begins in the same way the 5K does, with the left turn on Market Street. From there you double back as you did in the 5K, but instead of heading back toward the park cross the Isabel Holmes Bridge.

Shortly after the bridge you run a couple miles on the highway before crossing back over the river via the Cape Fear Bridge. Instead of heading back toward downtown, you instead move away from the finish, heading into Wilmington suburbs. The course circles a lake by way of a series of small parks, and then you may finally turn toward home.

By the last couple miles you’re back in downtown Wilmington proper and again running along the Riverwalk. We did take a slight detour this year due to construction, but hit the finish in the same place we started as per usual: Riverfront Park.

And having done all that, you have now completed the Wilmington Historic Challenge! Challenge runners get both of their medals after the half. Runners may also pick up bananas and water, but any other sustenance will come in the form of drink and barbecue tickets from your bib.

MY WILMINGTON HISTORIC CHALLENGE OBSERVATIONS: ON RACE BASH, THE ORGANIZERS

Race Bash took over the Wilmington Historic Challenge from Coastal Race Productions a couple years ago. They do a fine job, but are still finding their footing in several ways. Here are some things I noticed on this year’s race day, as well as a few items that may be of interest to potential registrants.

Bathrooms. I’m not sure if anything changed, but I found porta potty access much less competitive than it had been in previous years. The real bathrooms attached to the stage still weren’t open, but the lines for the porta potties were MUCH shorter, even ten or so minutes before each race. Either the race organizers added more bathrooms or a bunch of runners chose not to show up because the weather wasn’t great.

But the organizers are still working on the tech setup. I could hear an announcer was speaking at various points throughout the morning. I could not for the life of me ascertain what was said. One remark I did catch was the heralding of the national anthem… which they never managed to make play. Nor could I hear what anyone was saying before the start of either race. The sole exception was the race announcer calling out names as runners crossed the finish line; that mic worked fine.

The half also started late, but I suspect that was due to extenuating circumstances; see below.

No one is watching bag drop. It’s just a tent where you can put things. Disadvantage: if you were hoping to leave anything of value, maybe don’t. Advantage: you can put your throwaway clothes there and get them back after. I ditched one layer between the 5K and half and no one bothered it.

Handouts are minimal but post-race perks are generous. Gone are the days of extras for the 5K finishers; we used to receive cute hats, and the Challenge runners historically received a bonus tchochtke as well (I still have that bottle opener somewhere). The medals were also smaller this year than years previous, if the giant medal were important to you.

Conversely, the post-race offerings have expanded. This year there were not one but two breweries giving out free beer, and your bib had two free beer tickets plus one ticket for barbecue. I didn’t get any because it was a cold day and I was freeeeezing (and driving), but I think that’s unusually nice. Not to mention photos are free!

P.S. Race shirts run BIG. I’m wearing an XS in the medal pic below.

MY WILMINGTON HISTORIC CHALLENGE OBSERVATIONS: GENERAL THOUGHTS OUT OF MY BRAINHOLE

These races would not be terrible races for PR attempts. Okay, the courses aren’t completely flat. Both the 5K and half include some inclines. The half in particular incorporates more than one full-scale bridge. Neither is what I would be at all inclined (rim shot!) to call hilly, though, and the timings of the bridges are early enough that they’re not awful (looking at you, mile 12 bridge of Run Sunset Beach).

Bridges are slippery when wet. We traversed a couple bridges during the half which included time on metal grating. Surprisingly, no cloth or anything was put down for runners who would prefer it. It had been raining the day before, and I saw a woman almost go down on the slippery metal. Thankfully she was running directly between two men who kept her from falling. Moral: keep an eye on your footing next time you’re in a similar situation.

Keep your head in the game for the Challenge. You may find yourself demoralized in the half after running a 5K. You’ll more than likely get tired sooner than you normally would. I recommend repeating to yourself your actual mileage with the 5K included. You’re not on mile 5 in the half. You’re on mile 8, and that’s half way done, baby! Doesn’t that feel better?

Luck continues to be a performance factor. Perhaps you are wondering about my own personal race performance. I went into the race morning with low expectations for myself. I was just coming back from a Disney trip, where I did not abuse myself or anything crazy but I definitely was not as on top of my hydration and nutrition as I might have liked to be. Also for some reason my digestive system was a little iffy the night before? And yet I wound up feeling fine and knocking out my second fastest Wilmington Historic Half out of the 5 I’ve done. One really never knows, eh?

THE SAD BIT

I wanted to make one more note in this post – one that feels weird to mention but somehow feels weirder not to mention.

In between the 5K and half, I happened to walk the park path the long way to get to the start line. I quickly noticed a group of EMTs clustered near the park stage; at the time, it appeared they were performing CPR. There was a circle of emergency vehicles parked nearby, and I believe this is the reason the race started a few minutes late.

I later found out a 10K runner collapsed before the start of the race and did not revive. Now, this is technically none of my business, and I don’t have much constructive to say about it. On the other hand, I witnessed it personally; thus it felt off to pretend it never happened.

I guess all I can say is that I am grateful that there were paramedics already on hand to do what could be done at this race, and that it is a privilege to run safely in our bodies. I don’t know the woman in question or what happened exactly – the race organizers are understandably keeping that information private – but I hope she is at peace.

So, uh, there’s probably no graceful way to pivot from that. Let’s just bring it home:

WHO IS THE HISTORIC CHALLENGE FOR?

Who should sign up for the Wilmington Historic Challenge vs. just the half? I would say the Challenge is perfect for anyone who, like me, needs a pre-marathon long run but doesn’t feel like riding it out alone. Or maybe for people who are so good at running a half doesn’t feel like enough by itself. Or maybe someone who is less concerned about personal records and prefers the idea of challenging oneself with the Challenge.

At any rate, it’s a somewhat unique race opportunity on a pleasant course with a solid after party. If the Wilmington Historic Challenge appeals to you, I say go for it!

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