No reason you can’t bulk and also knock out a half marathon at 9 or 9:30/mile. Maybe bulk now and aim to ramp up the cardio late winter to get cut for Spring/Summer.

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Posted by texas tortilla

houston

Member since Dec 2015

4350 posts

Posted on 8/18/25 at 2:31 pm to jordan21210

If you fall in love with half marathons, consider the mini marathon in Indianapolis. First Saturday in may. Race starts downtown and goes out to the speedway. Does a lap around the track and back to town. Great race. If dates matched up, I would fly to Chicago, drive down to indy and then back to Chicago on Sunday morning. Catch a cubs game at Wrigley then fly home Sunday night.LINK

This post was edited on 8/18/25 at 2:36 pm

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Posted by DownSouthJukin

1x tRant Poster of the Millennium

Member since Jan 2014

31776 posts

Posted on 8/21/25 at 10:10 am to Ol boy

quote:
Louisiana marathon/half in Baton Rouge

I’ve been wanting to do that one for quite some time. Good to hear it has good crowd support.

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Posted by lsu for the win

Member since Jun 2022

1589 posts

Posted on 8/21/25 at 11:30 am to DownSouthJukin

This is the best race we have here these days. Great weather, easy parking and drive both in/out. The after party is always a good time (great food, drinks, live music).

Mostly flat course with a minor bridge you run over there and back so nothing major.

Plus, the views are pretty nice

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Posted by DownSouthJukin

1x tRant Poster of the Millennium

Member since Jan 2014

31776 posts

Posted on 8/21/25 at 11:51 am to lsu for the win

That last part is good motivation.

I’ve done the Gulf Coast half a couple times and the winds were brutal. I was going to do North Shore a couple of years ago but had a family emergency, but I expect the winds along the lakeshore would be similar to the Gulf Coast. Having a flat, fast (relative) inland half that time of year would be nice.

This post was edited on 8/21/25 at 11:58 am

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Posted by Aubie Spr96

lolwut?

Member since Dec 2009

44222 posts

Posted on 10/20/25 at 12:29 pm to Aubie Spr96

I asked ChatGPT for a half marathon in Feb that was relatively flat and had good crowd support. Here's the list it generated:

Top flat & lively picks (quick hits)

Surf City Half (Huntington Beach, CA) – flat oceanfront with big crowds (Feb 1, 2026).
Surf City Marathon

Mesa Half (Mesa, AZ) – net-downhill PR factory with great on-course support (Feb 7, 2026).
RunSignup

A1A Fort Lauderdale Half (FL) – flat along the beachfront; easy spectating (Feb 15, 2026).
RaceRaves

Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Half – night race on a flat Strip with huge crowds/entertainment (Feb 22, 2026).
Run Gasparilla

Gasparilla Half (Tampa, FL) – flat Bayshore Blvd + festive pirate-weekend energy (Feb 21–22, 2026).
Run Gasparilla

DONNA Half (Jacksonville Beach, FL) – very flat coastal route with extraordinary community support (Feb 1, 2026).
Visit Jacksonville

Galveston Half (TX) – flat along the Seawall with good local support (Feb 1, 2026).
Galveston Marathon

Disney Princess Half (Walt Disney World, FL) – extremely flat and massively supported; weekend spans Feb 26–Mar 2, 2026, race day is Sun, Mar 1.
rundisney.com

Also in the sheet (flat to gently rolling)

San Francisco Half (Kaiser) – Golden Gate Park/Great Highway (Feb 1, 2026; mostly flat with mild rollers).
San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Surfside Beach Half (TX) – pancake-flat on packed sand; small but enthusiastic crowd (Feb 21, 2026).
venturamarathon.com

Augusta Half (GA) – generally flat Southeastern option (Feb 28, 2026).
hawaii-guide.com

Ventura Half (CA) – fast, flat coastal north of LA (Feb 22, 2026).
findarace.com (UK)

Austin Half (TX) – not flat (rolling/hilly) but elite crowd/entertainment if you prioritize vibes (Feb 15, 2026).
youraustinmarathon.com

Cowtown Half (Fort Worth, TX) – huge, community-driven weekend (race day Sun, Mar 1, weekend Feb 28–Mar 1).
The Cowtown Marathon

Bolded the ones I find most interesting. Thoughts?

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