The Sam Costa Half Marathon is one of my favorite local races. This event is put on by Indy Runners and is coming up on it’s 49th running in March of 2018. I often describe this race as one that’s put on by runners for runners. They don’t have the bells and whistles that many events have, but they attract some seriously fast runners. Just take a look at the course records and age group winning times – the competition is stiff!
For me, the combination of it’s home grown nature, history, and the fast field keep me coming back every year.
Registration: I always sign up early to get the best rate. Early bird pricing is $40 for the general public and $35 for Indy Runners club members. If you wait until race day you will still only pay around $60 ($55 if you bring cash).
Pre-Race: Northview Christian Church serves as the location for this event. The church provides a comfortable place to meet up with friends, keep warm, and most importantly use real restrooms before the race begins. There will be plenty of announcements about when to head out to the start line, so stay warm as long as you can!
Race Course: The start/finish line is located in the parking lot behind the church. From here runners weave through residential neighborhoods as they head north. This course has some rolling hills throughout and a couple bigger ones (by Central Indiana standards) that you will certainly feel. The first real climb comes at mile 2.5 as you work your way north on Cherry Tree Road.
A little after you hit mile 5 you will start working your way back south along River Road. This section always seems to have a noticeable headwind. My strategy is to make sure I am not alone here and hopefully tuck into a group for this 1.3 mile stretch. From here you turn West on 146th Street. About 1 mile after you turn you will encounter the biggest hill of the race as you climb back up to Cherry Tree. This hill has gotten the best of me at least twice before. I’ve charged this hill too fast and my pace took a hit for the remaining 5 miles. Take your time up this hill so you can finish strong.
The last 5 miles you weave through more neighborhoods. This offers some protection from the wind and you get some occasional crowd support from homeowners sipping their coffee in their driveways.
With about 1/4 mile to go you will pop out on Main Street and hear the energy from the finish line. It’s all up hill from here, literally. Although shorter than the other hills in the race, this one bites hard this late in the race.
Finisher Medal: For the majority of this event’s history there have not been finisher medals. Again, this goes back to the simple, low key nature of the event. The last few years, however, they started offering finisher medals for an extra fee (around $12) when you register for the event.
The only other way to get a medal is to finish in the top 50 positions overall. This usually requires running 1:34 or faster. There is no distinction between the women’s and men’s races when it comes to these Top 50 medals.
Sam Costa Top 50 Medal
Post Race: Outside just past the finish line you can expect the standard runner’s fare of bananas, cookies, water, and gatorade. Inside the church you can get a print out of your results and wait for the awards ceremony if you are fortunate enough to snag an age group spot. And if you happen to win your age group you get your name immortalized on the back of next year’s race t-shirt. Pretty awesome, huh?
To sign up or learn more about the event visit the official event site at SamCosta.com.