2024 Publix Florida Half Marathon Race Experience
I ran the Publix Florida Half Marathon in Melbourne, FL on Sunday, February 11th. I ran this race back in 2022 (read all about it here) and signed up for the 2024 edition of it because it was “The Year of the Banana.” Yup. That’s the whole reason. Was it worth it? Short answer is that the medal was worth the race experience. Read on for more on my 2024 experience.
Note: there are links below that I am sharing in support of the businesses I personally interacted with; I do not receive any commission or perks from those businesses.
Accommodations
We’ve gone to Melbourne enough times now to have areas that we like to stay in and, in my case, areas that are close to races. We stayed in an airbnb that was in Palm Bay, a short 10-minute drive away from expo and the race area. Part of what I love about staying at airbnb’s for race weekends is the space; I don’t have to worry about waking my family up when I’m getting race-day ready.
Expo
There was a small expo for this race with a few local vendors that had most of what runners would need for race day. Parking was free and abundant in the riverfront space. Bib and hat pickup were in adjacent tables. My favorite vendor was B3 Treats because Betsy made the cutest race-inspired cookies and I, obviously, had to have them.
Pre-Race
Having done this race in 2022 was a blessing as I had an idea for what to expect race morning. I knew there would be plenty of free parking in downtown Melbourne and I knew that getting to the start line wouldn’t be a stressful event. With a 6:30am start time for the half marathon (this race also features the marathon, 10K, and 5K distances) and a 10-minute drive, I left the airbnb around 5:55am. I made the short walk to the race area with enough time to use the bathroom before starting. I went about my normal morning routine of drinking Vega energizer and eating graham crackers.
Post-Race
You finish the race exactly where you start. There was plenty of water, juice, and carbonated water at the finish line, along with pizza, fruit, and beer for all participants. A perk of this race is being able to hang out after crossing the finish line to watch other runners finish.
On the Course
I’ll start off by saying this is a challenging course due to the route and the elements. The route itself features two bridges around mile 6 and 12 (four if you run the marathon as the marathon course loops twice) and is at the mercy of the elements due to lack of shade and tree coverage. The weather on Sunday was warm for me, sunny, and (very) breezy in the second half of the course.
There were aid stations every 1.5-2 miles with water and gatorade; bathrooms were also at many of the aid stations. I don’t remember seeing a stop with fuel, but there were spectators on the course offering snacks for the runners. The on-course entertainment was amazing with DJs and live music; my favorite musicians were probably the ones on the first bridge that looked straight out of a Renaissance festival.
So, while the course is a challenging one, it is a beautiful one because of those bridge views, the music, and the on-course support. My 2022 thoughts still apply here: this is a local race that gave me a good feel for the Melbourne area.
Race Experience
I was prepared for the bridges this year! I’ve also changed a lot as a runner since 2022 and I went into this run with an incredible sense of gratitude for being able to run and for having the support and resources that allow me to participate in races. I have also been experiementing with mentally approaching races as runs that are part of a greater running story. Yes, the race is important and I hope that race day does say something about my current level of fitness, but I also know that race day can carry a lot of extra pressure when it comes to performance. This one race won’t alter whether I stay a runner or not, and going into this race with that mentality helped me approach the run with a level of acceptance, surrender, and curiousity about what I could do on the run. My goal was to work in a workout and I nailed the first part of the workout in the first half of the race, but that sun (yay) and wind (double yay) in the second half of the race led me to chose to pull back on the effort. My overall goal was to get that banana-themed medal, so it was easy for me to mentally switch how I was going to get that medal. Forward is forward, regardless of whether I run the whole way, do a workout, or walk the rest of the way.
I finished this race feeling incredibly proud of myself and in awe of what I was able to mentally accomplish on this run. Running is a gift and I celebrated that gift for 13.1 miles in Melbourne, FL.
Overall Impression
The Publix Florida Half Marathon might just be my new half marathon in Florida (sounds blasphemous with Disney, right?). Yes, it’s a challenging course, but it is a fun one with a lot of local flair. Even with a field size of less than 1000 half marathoners, I felt surrounded by runners and impressed by all the different pace groups, including several run-walk pace groups. This is a race that truly celebrated the running community and made me fall in love with the city of Melbourne just a little bit more. Would I do this race again? Absolutely, but extra desire to do so if the medal is cute.
Pros (Some repeats from 2022)
Consistent race experience between 2022 and 2024.
Local race with a community feel.
Melbourne has a great running community and you can tell the running community is a strong one.
Start and finish are in the same place.
Plenty of course support.
All the live music was great.
Pacers for half marathon and marathon distances.
Free parking and lots of it!
Incredible water views.
The banana medal.
Depending on your preference, race shirt was an additional fee. You do get a hat with your registration though and I prefer hats over shirts any day.
In-and-out expo experience.
Small field size for achieving race goals, but not so small you feel alone on the course.
Post-race drinks and snacks.
Free race photos.
Cons (Some repeats from 2022)
We can’t control the weather and windy conditions were a challenge for me.
Depending on size preference, smaller field.
Depending on course preferences, bridges were no joke.
Depending on tracking preference, there was no on-the-course tracking for family and friends. (Tracking was only for start and finish)
Depending on course preferences, there were several segments that ran through residential neighborhoods to make up mileage.
This was half #63 for me! Not sure when the next race will be as volleyball has taken over our weekends, but I do have some races on my radar and the Chicago Marathon in the fall!
How amazing is this cookie by B3 Treats?
