Garden of Life Palm Beaches Marathon Relay Experience
If you are a runner and you haven’t done a relay, you are seriously missing out. I did my first relay (Ragnar Key Biscayne to Key West) in 2013 and quickly got hooked on them because they are so much fun. Not only do you need one another to cover the distance, but you create so many memories along the way. This past weekend I had the privilege of being part of a four-woman relay team for the Garden of Life Palm Beaches Marathon Relay (12.11.22) and it was just what I needed to boost my love of running before diving into the depths of marathon training. The following recap is of my experience as the third runner on our relay team.
Accommodations
We stayed at the Hyatt Place – Downtown West Palm Beach. The three-bed hotel room was spacious and perfectly sized for the three of us who shared the room. The location was within walking distance to expo and the start/finish lines. The hotel itself was clean, new, and even allowed for a late checkout of 1pm.
Expo
This was probably one of the most interesting and low-key expos I have ever been to. Although we had to go through a brief talk about the marathon relay course and exchange points before getting our bibs, bib and t-shirt pick up were quick. The reason I say this was an interesting and low-key expo is because there weren’t that many vendors, but the goody bag was packed with full-size Garden of Life products. We were all impressed with the amount of product we received and loved that we got all the product without having to be “sold” on the product themselves.
Pre-Race
This was one of the most fun pre-race experiences because, as the third runner on our team, I got to spectate the first half of the race. We all decided we would go to the start line to see our first runner off – the team that runs together, starts and finishes together, regardless of the time! I had two superhero muffins early in the morning and a gel about 30-minutes before I started running. A perk of race morning was that we didn’t leave the hotel until 5:30am and were able to calmly walk over to the start line.
Post-Race
As I said, I was the third runner on our team, so even though I finished my run, we were not finished as a team. We sent off our fourth runner and then walked over to the finish line to wait her so we could run through the finish line together. There was beer, pancakes, sausages, and mimosas for the runners int he finisher’s area.
On the Course
I can only speak to the part of the course I ran, which was the “north loop” that covered eight miles of the course. My part of the relay started close to 8:30am and, while the course did run along the water for a good chunk of those 8 miles, there were portions that ran through neighborhoods and a lot of the course was under the sun with little to no coverage. Water, Gatorade, and GU energy gels were at every single water stop (1-2 miles apart) and each of the stations had different themes with the volunteers dressed up in fun costumes.
The relay station itself was straightforward as it was one location near the mile markers for 8, 13, and 21. The marathon course did two loops of the 13.1-mile course. The exchange area was perfect for spectating.
Race Experience
Have I told you how much I love relays? Especially relays that are ran with people who have the same goal as you? No? Well, let me tell you again: I love relays that are done with people who have the same goal as me. Communication is so important when it comes to relays and it’s very important to get clear on what the timing goal of the race is; in our case, the goal was to do our best, have fun, and be around a 10:00 minute per mile pace. Prior to the race, we each picked the leg we wanted to do (runners A and C were about 8 miles with runners B and D being around five miles) and shared what we thought out estimated times would be to complete the distance. This conversation made race day expectations easy to manage and left me feeling prepared because I had an estimate for how long I would have to wait to run and my fellow team members had an estimate for how long it would take me to cover my 8 miles.
Starting a run at 8:30am was hard because the sun was out and I had been awake since 4:30am. Running the north loop was hard too because it felt like it just kept going and going. I relied on my watch for the distance because I wasn’t synced to the course’s mile markers. All I could think about was how hard this particular course is for marathoners because it is a two-loop course and it seemed like the majority of the runners did the half marathon. I had moments of guilt as well because I was running the notoriously hard miles of 13-21 with legs were fresh while surrounded by future marathoners. This ended up being a good thing as I shared a few miles with a marathoner who later thanked me for being with her during the tough miles.
Overall Impression
The relay was an amazing experience and a great way to connect deeper to my fellow runners. The truth is that you get to know people very quickly when you run together; I left the weekend feeling like I knew my teammates better and like I was so lucky to have been asked to even be on a team with them.
The relay at this race was manageable and we executed the exchange of our “baton” timing chip well. I love that the exchange was on the course itself because spectating was made easy. There is truly nothing like running with a great group of women and cheering people on as they chase those finish line goals. I appreciated how straightforward expo was and loved that our hotel made the race experience stress-free and manageable because of how close the hotel was to the start/finish lines.
Beyond all this, I just freaking love relays so much and I can’t wait to do another one soon. While there were plenty of pacers on the course, I’m not sure I would recommend this as a marathon because those later miles can get lonely and I’m not a fan of courses that need to be covered twice in order to get to 26.2 miles. This is just my opinion and I’m sure there are plenty of people who thrive with the course conditions of the Garden of Life Palm Beaches Marathon.
Pros
Race options of 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, and marathon relay.
Bib and shirt pickup was quick and easy.
6:00am start time with a rolling start for the participants. (Race actually started at 6:15am)
Depending on preference, small race and flat course can be good for PRs.
Well-supported and scenic course that is shut down to car traffic.
Plenty of bathrooms near the start area and a single bathroom near the relay exchange area.
Weather was great for us on race day, so sunny conditions were manageable.
Beer, mimosas, and food in the finisher’s area.
Opportunities to spectate in the relay exchange area and near the finish line.
Killer goody bag featuring a ton of Garden of Life products.
Relay procedures were straightforward.
Pretty medals with a bonus that relay runners get the marathon medal.
Several hotel and dining options near the start/finish lines.
Cons
Some coverage on the course, so weather can play a big role in one’s experience of this race. I was told the south loop of the course had more coverage than the north loop.
Few spectators on the course.
Depending on preference, small field for marathoners; there were portions of my leg where there were no runners in sight.
Depending on preference, double loop course can be a mental challenge.
Parking in the surrounding area is not free and meters start collecting at 6:00am.
For those of you who like the numbers, our official time for Team Cookie Runners was 4:17:44. Next big race for me is the Miami Half Marathon at the end of January. Before then, marathon training officially kicks off at the beginning on January! You can support my #TeamSunshine fundraiser for the London Marathon by making a donation to my fundraiser here.
