Sibiu Half Marathon

Sun streamed bright and early through the curtains of our hotel room, signaling the beginning of a gorgeous Saturday. It was finally May 28, the day of the Sibiu Half Marathon. I (Cameron) had purposefully selected a hotel close to the start line. Hovering between glowing excitement and pre-race jitters, I climbed out of bed and took a quick shower before waking Jessica up and walking down for a quick breakfast about two hours before the start time. Interestingly, seated next to us at breakfast were two young German tourists who were themselves marathoners, so we really enjoyed talking with them about running and life in Europe. At about 8:30, Jessica and I walked the five minutes from our hotel to the grandiose Piața Mare. And because my wife never misses an opportunity for a picture, she captured this quick photo as we entered the medieval square.

Entering Piața Mare before the race

Sibiu is a small but gorgeous city, smack dab in the center of Romania. This would be my fourth time running a half marathon, although my first three were here in Bucharest. As such, I was not surprised to learn that the number of participants was not large. I was surprised, however, when the race officials told me that, although about 2,600 people were running that day, only about 100 of us would run the full distance (21 km/13.1 miles). Oh well, I thought, at least that means I won't be jostling for space all the time.

Funny story: On Friday (the day before), I had gone to pick up my race kit and asked if there were any available maps in case I got lost. Surely with only a small number of runners, I thought, the kit would include a map of the course. The volunteer smiled and said, "Well, we only have maps online. But if you get lost somewhere, I'm sure you could just stop and ask someone how to get back to the course." Umm, what? Luckily the race was well-marked and I never seemed to be all by myself, so that was a relief.

Pre-race warm-up routine which Jessica and I found a bit humorous

Start line

The race officially started at 9 am in the middle of Piața Mare. The sun was shining brilliantly and the city seemed alive with excitement. Perfect weather and temperature for a long run.

Jessica caught me running through the start line

Half Marathon course map through Sibiu

As expected, the Sibiu course had us running through absolutely amazing parts of the city. With water and fruit stations at 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 kilometers, I felt like it was well-structured. I was a bit disappointed that they did not have any type of gatorade like they do in Bucharest, but the water and banana pieces I had along the way did the trick. My strategy that I've had since my second half marathon is always to walk at each of the hydration checkpoints: helps me not choke while running/eating and also gives added energy from a short walk break.

The first five kilometers (3 miles) weave through the old town part of the city, where cobble stone streets take you past centuries-old buildings and the old citadel towers and walls. Definitely a medieval German feel. 

Jessica found a good spot around the 5k mark to catch me in action

 Around the five kilometer mark, the course then turns southwest into a long and narrow park, wonderfully giving runners shade for a couple kilometers or so. After making it through the park, the course then moves alongside a shallow lake until the 10k (6 mile) checkpoint. This couple of km stretch was actually the most grueling for me: no shade and choppy cement, as well as dodging a few families with strollers.

At 10 km, the race moves through the Sibiu zoo. Not many animals were out and about, although I did see an ostrich-type creature and some baboons watching us go by. Ha! The race then transitions seamlessly into the outdoor village museum, which in my opinion is much nicer than the one in Bucharest (more spread out and appears to have greater variety of buildings). I also saw several older men in the village museum cutting grass with a handheld scythe. This stretch between the 10-15 km (6-9 mile) marks is the most rolling, and I did find myself walking more than I thought I would need to on some of the hills.

At 15 km, we all started the moderate climb back up into the city center. This portion of the race again takes you through the long park, and a good bit of it seems to be on a sort of greenway with houses on either side inside the park itself. Quite interesting, really. I was excited, though, to finally make it back into the center area and back onto the cobblestone final stretch. As soon as my feet hit the cobblestone, I realized how close I was to finishing and so was able to muscle out a final sprint to the end. Sure enough, there was Jessica waiting for me with camera ready.
   

Crossing the finish line

 I was thrilled to cross the finish line in a vertical position. Honestly, I felt fine at the finish. And guess what? Personal Record (PR)! It was my best time ever, even though Sibiu is full of rolling hills and Bucharest is flat! Needless to say, I was pretty excited. And who knows, maybe I'll be back next year!

Final time: 2:18:35.

Literally two seconds after I stopped running, Jessica says, "Ok, stand up and I'll take your picture"...

With my finisher's medal (made of clay)