On November 30th I completed my 8th marathon, the NCR Marathon in Maryland. This took place on the NCR trail in northern Maryland and is considered a small, local race. I signed up for this in June and definitely had my doubts along the way as I was training. This was my first marathon after having my second baby in July 2023 and life has been a little crazy this year! In the end it all worked out and I met my goal, and I am so glad I ran this race. I’m hoping to share my experience for anyone else who is having their doubts about running a marathon or is considering running this race. My NCR Marathon 2024 race recap may be long but you can also jump around to the parts you want to read! Feel free to leave a comment with any questions as well.
Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
Table of contents
NCR Marathon 2024 Race Recap
NCR Marathon Training
I decided to sign up for this back in June when the price was low. At that time, I was doing 1 run a week on the NCR trail and I liked that I would not have to travel for the race. In July my work schedule changed and I could no longer run on the trail during the week. I had a half marathon on September 15th so I focused on training for that and then after the half I shifted my focus to marathon training.
For most of this year I have dealt with a little hamstring irritation that seems to flare up when I do too much speedwork. Going into this race my goal was a bit slower than what I “should” have been able to run based on my time in the half. (I had run a 1:46 half, but set the goal of running a sub 4 marathon). This allowed me to focus on volume and not as much on speed. I wanted to go into the race feeling comfortable that I could cover 26.2 miles.
I probably did about half of my runs on the treadmill. The rest were around my neighborhood. For my last 20 and 16 milers I used some leave time from work to go up to the NCR for my long run. During those runs I added in some marathon paced miles.
Throughout all of this I was working with a PT to keep my hamstring at bay. I did 2 heavy lifting sessions per week and started adding in activation exercises and drills before my runs. I also tried to focus a bit more on nutrition by making sure I was fueling well before and after my runs and getting in enough protein especially after hard workouts.
Race Week
The race was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so I had a short work week. My kids were sick the week leading up to the race and I was so sure I would get it too. By some miracle I did not get sick. I did a few easy runs throughout the week and started a carb load on Wednesday.
On Friday we decorated for Christmas and I picked up my bib but I didn’t do much else. Packet pick up was easy and we got a nice soft hoodie which I know I will get alot of use out of!
It was kind of nice to have 2 days off before the race. Driving and sitting really bothers my hamstring and I typically spend ALOT of time in the car every day driving the kids to school and daycare, so it was really good to not have to do that. I also spent some time making a 4+ hour playlist. I never run with music but wanted to have some entertainment for this run since it’s so small without much to see.
As I was checking the forecast I saw that it was supposed to be in the 20s and windy throughout most of the race. The real feel at the start was in the teens. I had to make some last minute switches to my race outfit and I hoped it would work out since I hadn’t worn winter running clothes in a long time!
Pre-Race
I didn’t need to leave for the race until 6:45 which meant I had a lot more time in the morning than usual. I drank coffee, ate a bagel and banana, and packed up my things. I was planning to nurse my daughter when she woke up but she decided to sleep in. I ended up having to go in at 6:30 and did a quick session before I headed out.
There is no parking at the NCR marathon race start line so we parked at a Satellite lot and got a bus to a school where we could wait in the gym before the start. I tried to eat another pop tart before leaving my car but I was really not feeling it (I think I had reached my limits of carbs this week) but I got down as much as I could.
It was so cold waiting for the bus but it came quickly. I wore some extra clothes that I put in my bag and checked before the start. I figured it would be good to have them after I finished too.
The gym we were in did not have bathrooms for us so there were porta potties outside. There was a line but it moved quickly, and since the marathon started before the half they let us go first. I did my best to stay warm by doing a warm up and staying in the gym for as long as I could.
NCR Marathon Logistics
The race started at a school which is at the top of a hill. The first .8 miles is down the hill before turning onto the NCR trail. Then you basically just run an out and back, turning around at about 13.5 or so miles. The race finishes on the trail so you don’t need to run back up the hill at the end!
NCR Marathon Start
We started right on time at 8:30. I got my music going so I wouldn’t have to mess with it while I was running. Even though I had warmed up my legs were still so cold and felt like they didn’t know how to run when we started. I was glad to be running down a hill to give me some momentum. It felt like I was going slow because of how my legs felt, but really I had no idea what my pace was and I tried not to look at my watch too soon.
I was shocked (and a bit worried) when my first mile clocked in at 8:23. I was planning to run around 9min/mile for the whole race and wanted to start slower than that, although I knew the downhill may make my pace feel easier. Once we were on the flat trail I tried to settle into a pace that was a little bit under goal pace.
Miles 1-14
After a fast downhill first mile I was able to settle into a better pace and ran my second mile in 9:11. This is always a daunting part of a long run or long race for me, knowing there is so far to go. I took fuel every 25 minutes and just tried to relax. Around mile 10 my calf cramped a bit, but it passed after a couple of miles. I hit 13.1 miles in 2:00:51. This was right where I wanted to be, knowing that if I could pick things up just. a bit on the way back I would get a sub 4.
I was excited to reach the turnaround just around 13.5 miles or so. Around this part of the race the trail was more narrow and there were more runners because we were going in both directions, making it difficult if you wanted to pass someone. The course is a gradual uphill on the way out and downhill on the way back, and I was ready to enjoy some downhill miles.
Miles 15-26.2
Even though I was going on a slight downhill I didn’t really feel it. Maybe that was a good thing, because if it was steep it would have worn out my quads. But I expected to see my pace drop a little more than it did. By this point my watch was off by about .2 miles so I knew that my actual overall pace was slower than what my watch said.
I focused on getting to mile 20. My plan was to pick things up during the last 10k. There was another time that my calf cramped. I think that taking salt stick tabs helped, so I am glad I had those.
Mile 20 came and the wind was picking up. I tried to run a bit faster, but with the wind and my legs getting tired it was harder. I didn’t want to burn out too soon, knowing there was still almost an hour left of running. At mile 23 there was a hill- not a huge one but it was significant on a flat course. I powered up it, feeling strong. However, my emotions were all over the place as I realized I still had 3 miles left to go.
I started doing the math at each mile to see how close I was to a sub 4. When I had 2 miles left I calculated that if I could run each mile under 8:50 I would do it. I didn’t want to risk a few seconds of error, so I really tried to push. My last miles were 8:39, 8:30, and 8:00 for the last .53 (according to my watch, which said I ran 26.53 miles).
NCR Marathon Finish Line
I crossed the finish line and saw 3:59 and some seconds but I knew I had done it. It felt so good to reach my goal! I knew I ran a smart race, and while I definitely could have pushed harder this pacing strategy allowed me to finish strong. I don’t think I’ve ever run such even splits in a marathon! (And overall I ran negative splits.)
After finishing I got my medal and a nice blanket that they also gave to finishers. I had signed up for my own race results, so I was able to see my official time which was 3:59:37.
Once I had walked around for a bit I tried to text Rob but I didn’t have phone service at that point. I asked another runner to take my picture. By this point I was freezing so I decided to make my way to the bus that would take us back up the hill to the gym where we checked our bags.
NCR Marathon Post Race
Inside the gym they also had some food: soup, bread, chips, and soda. I tried to eat some soup and bread but couldn’t really get it down. Instead I ended up grabbing a coke and drank it on my drive home. I never drink soda but this actually hit the spot!
After I got my bag and put some warmer clothes back on I got back on the bus to take me to my car. Even though these logistics sounded a bit annoying they were actually really easy and everything went so smoothly!
I drove home, took one of my warmest showers of my life, and ate some leftover pizza. My 5 year old had lots of questions about the race and before I knew it my 1 year old was up from her nap and there was no rest happening post-race.
Race Reflections
I am really happy with how this race went. It’s been a challenging year trying to juggle training, 2 kids, long commutes, work, coaching, and everything else. After questioning if I should even do this race I think it gave me a lot of confidence both in my training and racing. Now I am resting and trying to figure out what’s next!
Thank you for sticking around through that long NCR marathon recap! Hopefully I have made you think a little differently about running a marathon or encouraged you to give it a try if it’s something you are considering. The NCR Marathon was a great event and I will definitely be back someday! I think this would be a great half-marathon to do as well this time of year.
You may also like:
Potomac River Run Marathon
Marathon Race Recovery Weeks
How to Taper for a Marathon Correctly to Achieve Your Race Goals
Have you ever run a small, local marathon?
Would you want to do a race on an out and back trail?
Now it’s time for the Runners’ Roundup! Link up your running and fitness posts below! Join myself, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, and Runs with Pugs to post your favorite running tips, experiences, race and training recaps, workouts, gear, and coaching ideas.
Well done, Lisa!!! I am absolutely amazed at how even you ran this marathon. I think I’ve never seen such a great pacing strategy, you ran like clockwork!
I also love how your position gradually progressed during the race: from a consistent 156th place to 121st place. That final push is impressive!
Congrats to you for hitting your goal! I would think a smaller race with less support and amenities might be more challenging but looks like it was perfect for you. Nice job!
Congratulations! You did the training and ran the time you wanted. Getting it done on a trail makes it even better. It’s so nice you could stay in the gym before and after the race. It would have been tough to have to stand outside!
Oh, Congratulations to you! What a triumph! And that smile on your face is just perfection! Sub 4 is amazing!
I prefer larger races… I get stressed out that I won’t be able to hang, so I want other people around me LOL.
With a few small glitches, the day was perfect for you! So proud of you!
Wow, very impressive and well done for hitting your goal!