I Gotta Have More Cowbell, Baby!

        This past Sunday I ran the inaugural Mo' Cowbell Half Marathon in historic St. Charles, MO. Not only would I say that this was a great race, but more specifically this would be a great race for a first time half marathoner. Here are the details: 
1. The race had a fun theme (who doesn't love the SNL skit that made the cowbell famous!). Check it out here: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/80a71ef8cb/more-cowbell. Some people we even inspired to don their best cow costumes for the occasion! After the race you had the option to get a complimentary picture taken with a cardboard cutout of a cow and of course there was plenty of the song "Don't Fear the Reaper" by the Blue Oyster Cult. 
2. There was (possibly) a World Record set that morning. The runners packet came complete with a cowbell for all runners and spectators to ring 10 minutes before the start of the race in an effort to break the current World Record of 2055 people ringing 1023 cowbells. 
3. The race shirt was great! Now come on, admit it, you know the shirt is a consideration when picking a race. :) This one was great. All participants received long sleeve New Balance technical shirts with the Mo' Cowbell logo (of course). I don't usually advocate wearing a new shirt for a race but given the 45 degree weather that morning I made an exception (I needed those long sleeves to get me out of the car that morning). To my relief the shirt performed great-my water was wicked and my arms were warm. :) 
4. The course was both scenic and (mostly) flat. The scenery ranged from the river view of Main Street St. Charles, to corn fields, to the quaint New Town neighborhood including around New Town Lake. The constantly changing scenery helped to make the 13.1 miles pass quickly (as quickly as 13.1 miles can pass). Now for the low-down on the hills. Miles 1-9 are pretty darn flat. Mile 10 and definitely mile 11 are hilly and not so much up and down hilly but more like up and up and up hilly. Miles 12 and 13 are your reward as they are mostly downhill or flat giving you a nice opportunity to finish strong. 
5. Record fast race result! I was able to go from the finish line to the Results Tent to find out my official time, pace, rank overall, and rank in my age division. No waiting days for online results here! 
6. With 1500 participants this race is small in comparison to 15,000+ participants in some of the more major races. This is great for the first timer. It means less chaos on what is sure to be a daunting morning. Since this race only has the option of a half marathon (vs those who also offer a full marathon) the day lacked the usual "intensity" that the full marathoners bring to a race. Now, depending on what kind of racer you are, this can be good or bad. Some are invigorated by this intensity (myself included) and some are stressed out by it. Either way, it was no where to be found in this race. I found this race to be enjoyable and fun. 


I can't wait to do it again! :)


For more information check out Mo' Cowbell's official website at www.mocowbellmarathon.com.