08/16/2026
Yesterday I ran the Drake Well Marathon half marathon, and I cannot recommend it enough!
It's small but well organized, and the course is fun! The first half ran through Titusville, which is home to more pristine Victorian mansions than I've ever seen in one place before. The second half is on a paved trail through the woods, which was beautiful and calm.
Now for the best part - you get to feel like a pirate, following a map to treasure!
The primary guidance throughout the many turns on this course were faded yellow arrows painted on the road. I stopped in more than one intersection looking for the next arrow!
Ultimately I found them all and got my treasure - a spiffy finishers medal and all the watermelon I could eat.
This aspect of the course kept me focused on the moment and the course, because if I zoned out I risked missing a turn. I overthink everything, and this is one run where that didn't happen for me, thanks to those arrows.
I had a few goals for this race:
1 hydrate well - done. Liquid IV in my bottles and water at most water stops
2 take a honey stinger gel every half hour - done, with no tummy issues
3 start slow and build to target pace, then hold it. - mostly done, I maintained even pacing and didn't bonk, but I didn't quite make it to the pace I wanted.
4 finish between 2:36-2:42 - almost. I finished in 2:44:11.
Overall, I was smiling the whole time, and will definitely run this one again! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
