Fort Ben Half Marathon – Race Recap

The Fort Ben Half Marathon is done! I went into this one treating it as a training race in the middle of my marathon block, not a race to push for a time. And it’s a good thing, because this course was one of the hilliest I’ve ever run. It was also one of the prettiest. Here’s everything, from packet pickup to the post-race burger.

Why I Ran the Fort Ben Half Marathon

I signed up for this race back in January, at the same time I signed up for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. I’m working toward completing the IndyThon, a three-race series: the 5K I ran in Indy back in June, this half marathon, and the Monumental Marathon on November 7. With Fort Ben done, I’m two races in, with just the big one left.

This was also the B race in my marathon training block, so the goal was simple: run it comfortably, practice race-day routines, and stay healthy for the marathon.

Packet Pickup and the Night Before

The race was far enough from home that we traveled and stayed in a hotel. We drove out for packet pickup on Friday, and of course I couldn’t leave without buying an Indy-themed hat.

Bib in hand, and a new Indy hat to go with it. 🧢

Sleeping in a hotel is always a toss-up, and the night before a race is rough no matter where I am. I didn’t sleep great, so I was very tired when my alarm went off.

Race Morning

I woke up at 5 AM and had a Honey Stinger waffle, which has become my go-to before long runs lately. I usually have one, but for the marathon I’m still deciding between two or three.

The drive to the start was only about 15 minutes, and we got there with around 40 minutes to spare. Parking was easy, right across the street and free. It was cold, probably in the 40s, so I wore a sweater and left it with my husband before the start. One of my favorite little details: there were bonfires set up all around the start area to keep everyone warm. It was honestly perfect race weather: sunny, crisp, and cool, warming up to the high 50s or low 60s by the end.

What I Wore

Race day flat lay. 🍂

I did the one thing every runner is told not to do: I raced in brand new shoes. I bought the ASICS Superblast 3s, which I was already planning to get for the marathon, and figured I’d debut them at the half. Normally I’d do a few shorter runs in new shoes before taking them on a long run, but I bought them the morning before the race, so there was no time. (Scary, I know.)

Fresh out of the box and straight to a half marathon. 👟

I also wore my bibSNAPS from BibBoards, which hold your race bib in place without safety pins. I’ve owned a pair for a while and love them. Fun news: the founder of BibBoards recently reached out and sent me some to try, which is my very first brand sample! The ones I wore at Fort Ben are the pair I already owned and bought myself. I’ll be sharing my full, honest thoughts in my BibBoards review.

No safety pins needed. 📌

Disclosure: BibBoards sent me free product to review. The pair I wore in this race is my own, and all opinions are my own.

The Start

There were so many people! I was originally assigned to corral C, but I moved myself back to corral D since I wasn’t planning to race this one. The start had a great crowd, with cheerleaders and tons of signs. It was a really fun energy to start a race in.

Lined up in corral D and ready to go. 🏁

The Course: Beautiful, and So Hilly

Overall, this course was beautiful. Most of it ran through Fort Harrison State Park, which is so pretty, and I’d never been there before, so I’m really glad I signed up. Part of the race was on the road, but everything was well organized and easy to follow. There were plenty of aid stations every 2 to 3 miles, along with porta potties, which I needed around mile 11, so I was very glad they were there.

Out on the course at Fort Ben. 🌳

But the hills. This race was SO hilly. Around mile 2, there was an absolutely massive, diabolical hill, and that was just one of many. Some miles had three or four hills in them, and there were very few flat stretches anywhere on the course. It was a really hard course. I was so glad we had good weather for it.

That hill in the distance? Yeah, we ran up that. ⛰️

My Cheer Squad

One of the best parts of the race was seeing my husband and our dog, Scout, at several spots along the course. Spotting them out there always gives me a boost.

Scout on cheer duty, and my husband catching me mid-race. 🐾

Fueling

I took a BPN Go Gel at the start, two packs of SaltStick chews during the race, and a Huma caffeinated gel as my last one. I usually take a caffeinated gel at the start, but I’d seen a video recommending saving it for later in the race, so I tried that. I think it gave me a little more energy toward the end, so I’ll likely do the same at the marathon.

How My Body Held Up

Surprisingly, I didn’t really have any Achilles or calf pain, which has been bothering me for much of this training block. My feet themselves felt achy, which might be the new shoes. My hips hurt a bit, but nowhere near as badly as they do on my 16-mile long runs. After a week of stomach pain, acid reflux, and headaches, I’ll take it.

The Finish

By the last few miles, my legs were toast from all the hills. But there’s just something about hitting that last mile of a race, no matter the distance. You get a huge rush of adrenaline and excitement because you’re almost there. I finished strong, and smiling.

My finish time was 2:35, which is my slowest half marathon. But I went into this as a training run, most of the course was hills, and I came out of it feeling good with the marathon just five weeks away. I’m happy with that.

Medal number two of the IndyThon. 🏅

Post-Race

We headed home right after, but made a stop at Freddy’s on the way, and it was so good. Burgers after a half marathon just hit different.

Tips If You’re Running the Fort Ben Half Marathon

Final Thoughts

Fort Ben was hard, beautiful, and exactly what I needed in the middle of marathon training. It wasn’t fast, but it was a great chance to practice race morning, test my fueling plan and new shoes, and remind myself that I can handle a tough course. Two IndyThon races down, one to go.

You can read about the rest of race week in my marathon training week 12 recap, and follow the full journey on my Training & Progress page.