Whew, where to start with the Gold Coast Half Marathon. Traveling 15 hours to a different area of the world, different time zone, I was really unsure how this would go. I was already planning to go to Australia with or without running Goldie. Way back when, I made a note to sign up for the race on the day it opened, but when I tried after work it was sold out.
The Gold Coast Half Marathon has always been on my (very short) bucket list. I applied and was selected to raise money for the Domestic Violence Prevention Centre, and I (really we) raised over $2000. But racing hard was never the goal…running fast is always fun, but I wasn’t going to lose sleep about how fast.
I also wasn’t going to out of my way to rest and relax before the Gold Coast Half Marathon. I was in Australia and I wanted to make the most of it! We arrived the Sunday before and there were several days I logged over 30,000 steps or even 40,000 steps. A hard cry from a taper. In fact it was probably one of the most anti tapers, but I don’t regret it and we saw some really fun and cool places. My hip was also a bit tighter than I would prefer from all the sitting and walking so needless to say I wasn’t feeling my absolute best.
We arrived a bit later to the chaotic Gold Coast. Someone told me the Gold Coast was like the Atlantic City of Australia but I do think it’s much nicer. Race day came early and I woke up around 3:30 am. I felt tired. Dad and I walked the 2.5 miles to the Gold Coast Half Marathon race start. With some of my fastest half marathons, I have walked my warm up versus run. Due to the bag check and bathroom line, I arrived to the Gold Coast Half Marathon race start at 6:12 but was unable to get to right wave A. I ended up starting with the 2:00 pacers.
Gold Coast Half Marathon Race:
The Gold Coast Half Marathon went off and I didn’t start until around 3 minutes later. I was kind of disappointed because it was a 10,000 person race so you were really unable to run fast or pass people if you started in the wrong area for you. I told myself: you know what? I’m running freaking Australia and I’mc certainly not winning so I decided not to even try and weave/wast energy and just go with it. I was passing people and I ran on the outer line (basically anti tangent) because there was more room there. My first mile was 7:23 and I actually did think I would likely run around 7:30 pace based on previous activities throughout the week.
But slowly I started to feel better and better. My next mile was 7:16 followed by a 7:08 and 7:04. I passed the 1:50 pacers around mile 1 and the 1:40 pacers around mile 4. From there, I was just starting trucking along. My confidence was feeling good because I was getting faster. I’ve run a lot of half marathons in the last five years, but I can’t recall one that I have had such a confidence boost. We also had a bit of a tailwind going out.
I hit mile 5 in around 36 minutes. The next two miles of the Gold Coast Half Marathon were an out and back and seeing people ahead gave me more of a boost. I ran two 6:47 miles and I thought: I wonder if I could break 1:30 today? Doing some math, I knew I would need to likely run some 6:30 miles to make that happen so that didn’t seem possible.
I hit the turn around in 46:33 and my goal became to run under 1:33 and negative split. As we turned around, I felt a bit of headwind. It was not bad but it did make running feel not as easy. I just kind of trucked along passing people along the way. By the time I knew it, we were at 15k and I thought: Can I break 7:00 pace for 10 miles? I hit 10 in 1:09.58. You’d never guess I’ve run over 100 half marathons based on that revelation.
The last 5k was a bit more of a grind. I was running around 6:55 pace and as we got closer to the water, I could feel more wind. I looked down and thought: I’m not really slowly down and yes it feels hard, but not terrible. I kept trucking along and picking out people 15 feet ahead. Can I pass that person in blue shorts? How about that person in yellow shorts? It kept me entertained and by the time I knew it, we were at my least favorite mile…11-12. Then I saw 2k to go and I just tried to go as hard as I could. Which wasn’t very much harder.
At around 13, we ran under a giant Gold Coast banner. I don’t love when races do this because you think I’m done. I thought: there is no way this course is short…and I ran the tangent. From there, I kept powering through and crossed the Gold Coast Half Marathon finish line in 1:32.08.
Thoughts:
Not my fastest half marathon of the year, but kind of an interesting one. This was my best executed race in quite some time. I do believe had I actually tapered, I could have likely run under 1:30. I’m looking forward to chasing that goal again in the fall. I really enjoyed the Gold Coast Half Marathon and wish it was closer because it was one of my favorite half marathons to date.
Gold Coast Half Marathon Q&A
Is the Gold Coast Half Marathon a fast course?
Yes, the Gold Coast Half Marathon course is fast, flat, and scenic. Even starting farther back than planned, I was able to work my way through the field and run faster as the race went on. The course gives you a lot of room once it opens up, although your start wave can make a big difference in the first few miles.
What is the Gold Coast Half Marathon start like?
The Gold Coast Half Marathon start was chaotic for me. I walked 2.5 miles to the race start with Dad, which has worked well for me before, but bag check and the bathroom line took longer than expected. I arrived around 6:12 and could not get into Wave A, so I started near the 2:00 pacers. Give yourself more time than you think you need.
Can you run a personal best at the Gold Coast Half Marathon?
Yes, I think the Gold Coast Half Marathon is a great course for a personal best. The course is flat, the crowd support is strong, and the out-and-back sections help keep you engaged. Plus, the weather is usually pretty good!
Would I run the Gold Coast Half Marathon again?
Yes, I would absolutely run the Gold Coast Half Marathon again. It ended up being one of my favorite half marathons to date. I loved the course, the race atmosphere, and the experience of running in Australia.
You can Strava here and more race recaps here.
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Questions for you:
Have you run the Gold Coast Half Marathon?
What is your favorite half marathon race?