Syracuse Half Marathon 2026
This was my 6th running of the Syracuse Half Marathon, and my first with someone coaching me. How would this day go?
Pre-Race
We chose to stay at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, just like last year, and had dinner reservations at Francesca’s. Unlike last year, the weather this year was far less wintry, with race temperatures in the low 40s. Still, the potential for rain made planning somewhat difficult.
At packet pickup, I found I was assigned an auspicious number! As the number of the beast, I thought 666 was a good omen, ‘cause “Beast Coast” is a thing, right? In numerology, it is sometimes interpreted as a sign to rebalance thoughts, which could also come in handy in the heat of the race.
After filling our bellies and packaging up the leftovers, we headed back to our separate rooms in the hotel and tried to get a good night’s sleep.
The Race
The wind whined outside our hotel windows as our alarms went off. As I peered out into the semi-darkness, I saw street signs and stop lights swinging in the breeze. All I wanted to do was get back into bed and enjoy a few more minutes of warmth, but alas it was time to get dressed. I opted for a tight-fitting shirt (in case it rained), shorts, a backwards hat, and my Houdini windbreaker.
This is my first year working with a coach, and my pre-race prescription was a 10-minute warmup. We stayed close to the start line, so I did a leg swing and lunge matrix in the room and then headed out to find a route to get my 10 minutes in. Wouldn’t you know, it started to rain right then? Luckily, the Syracuse bus depot is on the next block, and as I ran by, I saw the deserted terminal as more of a covered track than bus depot. Loops under cover! Amy and Elizabeth tucked in behind me with the same idea, and we enjoyed the dryness of cover as we warmed up. The bus depot also had a bathroom that was very convenient. We headed to the start corral and I found Xander up near the start line.
This year marked the debut of a new course format due to major construction on the highways that bisect Syracuse. It was fun to see my coach and a few other local runners at the start, too!
Section 1
I’ll provide some commentary of the sections of the new course, since it was so new. After a quick turn left, we started heading south, running the streets near or on the last miles of the prior course. It was easy to be disoriented here, since there were a few turns, but the best part was the intersection after looping north again and seeing southbound runners in the same place.
Section 2
After running north for a bit along a commercial thoroughfare, we turned to the right to get into some neighborhoods, which was lovely. I believe the prior course also skirted Washington Square Park (it looked so familiar). Then, a jarring transition to a highway overpass that descended to lake level and the Destiny Mall complex. I was skeptical of how this section would feel. I mean, who wants to run around the perimeter of a mall? It was pretty fun, though. Beer was on offer on the south side (I declined), and the lululemon cheering zone was on the lake side. After completing the loop, we did a hairpin turn to go over another bridge to cross Onondaga Creek.
Section 3
The course followed Van Rensselaer Street and ran past Ian Golden’s new Finger Lakes Running Company’s new location there. I didn’t know exactly where it was in the moment, but it’s cool to have a frame of reference now. There were a few odd turns after that, and one that went through a legit construction zone with shoddy streets, but the real gift came at the hill on Catawba Street. My legs were torched but I made it up the hill without walking. There was a table at the top with Kleenex and Swedish Fish, and I opted for the latter as I exclaimed, “Who put that hill there?”
Then it was a straight shot along the out-and-back section of the course to the finish line. I was toast, but just focused on putting one leg in front of the other.
As I came down the home stretch, another runner came up alongside me and challenged me for speed. I answered and we had a delightful sprint to the finish. I love the expression on my face as I realized that we were going to have a playful end to the race.
Aftermath
Since my A- goal race was just a week after this race, I didn’t RACE this race. I aimed for the first 10 miles at a 6:50-7:05 pace, and nailed it at a 6:47. The plan was for me to surge for the remainder of the miles, but it turned out to be simply holding on. My closing miles were 6:39, 7:14 (that damned hill!) and 6:30. I cooled down for ten minutes after downing some water, and paid for my efforts with a huge blister on the pad of my right foot (rainy wet streets and cushy socks) and a few blackened toenails. All in all, I was really happy with the effort and won $25 to Fleet Feet for my age group finish.
13.1 mi in 1:29:02 // 112 of 2462 overall, 2 of 65 age group, 6:48 pace // strava