2025 Antelope Island Duathlon & Run 10K Race Recap -- Syracuse, UT

Official Time: 54:45
Placement: 2nd overall
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 37F - strong breeze from the north east
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: First Time for me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:07	Into a pretty strong wind.  Felt like I was running faster.
2	9:01	Consistent but still still windy.
3	9:03	I can see the turn around. Still feeling okay but slower than I'd like.
4	8:41	The wind is still howling, but at least I felt like it was pushing me
5	8:41	Another consistent mile. Trying to gain ground on the first place runner
6	8:42	Gave up on first place finish, but still running as hard as I could
6.19	1:28	Solid race. Finished strong.
	Total Miles: 6.19 - 54:46

Introduction

Right now there is a bit of a lull in the racing calendar.  I wasn't really expecting to race this weekend but I had a friend who was eager to race. We decided that we'd do something a bit different -- race on a Friday morning.

In the past, OnHillEvent's Antelope Island Duathlon came up on my calendar and I pretty much routinely dismissed it.  It would require a day off from work and it was primarily a bike + run event. But this year, there were a bunch of bike + running events, plus simply running events.  It was also on Antelope Island, a cool state park about 45 minutes from where I lived.

The weather looked fine for the Friday, so we plunked down our money and made it a deal.  For me, I'd be running the 10KM race along the island's causeway.  A perfectly flat and unique course that would ideal for a fast time.

The Race

I arrived an hour before the official start time of 9 AM.  The drive up wasn't bad at all and despite passing through Salt Lake City just before rush hour.  Parking was simple and I had had a friend pick up our bibs the day before.

We had did have a bit of a scare moments before the race started.  A few minutes before the race the person who had gotten our bibs asked if we had found the timing ankle chip in the bag.  I was like, "What?"  Normally they have the mag stripes on the back of the bibs.  I checked -- there was no such thing on the back of my bib.  Given that the race was a duathlon, we had an ankle timing thing.  Fortunately, with there being two sets of races, a bike and runner, it gave me barely enough time to run back to the car, find the ankle things and get them back to the starting line.  

Whew!

The race started at 9:10 or so and we had to fire off one-by-one.  The way the computer was set up and with the bike situation, they had to manually tell people to go.  I figured I was in the first 30 people or so to go.

The Marina

It was chilly and there was a very strong breeze coming from the north.  There wasn't much cover on the course and most people were bundled up.  I was lightly dressed in thin gloves, short shorts, and a simple t-shirt. Within the first quarter mile I was thinking that I was going to freeze and I had made a poor decision not to wear a jacket.  But once I was warmed up, and the sun came out a bit more, I felt comfortable with my choice.

I was actually feeling pretty good -- not PR good but definitely better than usual.  Whatever nagging fatigue issues I've been dealing with for the last few months were not present today.  After started, I ran less than 50 yards and hung a left, for the course's only turn.  To my left and right was the shores of the Great Salt Lake.  Above me, I could hear fighter jets flying overhead from the Hill Air Force base.  The way I was running, I felt like I was making that roaring noise as well.

The race is run on the causeway, which separates the mainland of Utah with the island.  It runs about 6.5 miles and is flat and mostly straight. There is only one tiny hill that supports a small bridge -- but given the right conditions, it is a very fast course.

I thought I was going to go deaf with the wind roaring in my left ear.  I wasn't sure what I was running and didn't want to look at my watch.  While most of the wind was at my side, I felt like a fair amount of it was slowing me down.

The first order of business was to establish a solid pace and I began to overtake some of the initial runners.  I had no idea who was running what distance but we all had to run the same course for the 5K, 10K, and half marathon distances.

Mile 1 rang up almost spot on with the mile marker.  I was running about a 9:09 pace.  Given the windy conditions I was both dismayed and elated.  I was running strong and felt solid. No one was passing me and I was overtaking half marathon runners.

I hit the 5K turn around and saw the lead woman fly by me and make U-turn.  She would wind up winning the 5K.  I also made a mental note of the distance -- 1.55 miles.  The course was coming in accurately.

Mile 2 came up at about the same pace as mile 1.  I was still holding steady but I was really hoping to see mile 3 and if I'd pick up any tailwind on the way back.

The crowd had thinned out and I was passing less and less people.  There were still targets ahead but the actual side-by-side running had ended. In the distance, I could see the next aid station and that is where the turnaround for the 10K would be.  I could hardly wait but everything looked so much further.

I hadn't spotted any return runners yet, so the 10K was lightly attended.  As I got to the turn around -- I still hadn't seen anyone coming back.  Could I really be in first overall?  And how many other 10K runners were behind me who had started late?  

Just as I approached the turn around, one single male runner circled around the 3.1 mile cone and started heading back towards me.  I figured I was about 20 - 30 seconds behind him. As I made my way to the 2nd aid station, I grabbed a bit of water and turned as well.  Putting me in 2nd place.

I had a shot at winning this thing.

I got shouts of encouragement as I made my way back from the outgoing 10K and half marathon runners.  I also got a boost because now the wind -- felt mostly pushing me along -- but I still didn't feel like it was giving me everything I had fought for.

Mile 4 came in nearly 20 seconds faster than mile 3.  The wind was indeed helping.

I kept the first place guy in my sights, but we were pretty much running the same pace.  I'd occasionally gain some ground on him and get complacent and he'd make it up again.  Also, exactly how much time did I have to make up?  He had started earlier than I had, so just how much of a lead did he have?  He was my sole focus and there wasn't another runner tailing me.

Sample stretch of causeway

Things got a little confusing as I sped by the 5K.  The cyclists who were running the 5K edition portion of their race were flying by me and coming at me.  It was encouraging to encounter other runners because it was fairly lonely running.

The last 2 miles went by in a blink of an eye. I was hurting but still maintaining a consistent and strong pace.  I kept trying to tell myself to make a move and catch the first place runner, but it wasn't really happening.  

Runners coming into the finish line

In the distance horizon, I could see the fabled blue OnHillEvent's finishing arches. There was a smattering of people spectating and I got some shouts of encouragement.  I made the final turn and gave it everything I had in the final quarter mile. 

And I finished in 54:45 -- nearly 2 minutes faster than my Lucky 13 10KM race debacle.

Conclusion

As I finished, I grabbed my medal and found my stash bag and cooled off, chatting with other runners.  Now that the sun had come up and I was in a bit of a bowl, the wind wasn't too bad and it was actually a beautiful day.

I ran back to my car to get a bit heavier jacket and wait for my carpool person to finish their half marathon.  I grabbed my phone and checked the results.  Was there a mistake? Had I really finished 2nd?  Maybe first?

I did finish in 2nd and I wasn't short by a minute, but I was 15 seconds behind.  I was happy to have placed 2nd but in a way, I wish I had found a way to find another 15 seconds.

I took my camera and got some photos of the finish area / start area and killed some time until the awards were being given out -- which wasn't long.

It was nice to come home with a pretty cool medal and plaque for my efforts.  The t-shirt was nicely designed and definitely shows I ran a race on Antelope Island.  But again the cotton / polyester blend isn't a hit with me.

Post race refreshments included Fat Boy ice cream bars, oranges, bananas and granola bars.  There was an ample supply for the 250+ runners.

I wound up getting some finishing pictures of my friends as well.

Overall, I was pleased with my race performance.  The overall time, though, isn't indicative of my current fitness though.  Well I guess it is, but given where I was in January, it doesn't seem right.  I did feel fantastic throughout the race and I felt like "Old Racing Eddie"

The race was a bit on the expensive side (nearly $50) but given the current market conditions and that I basically waited until the last minute to register, it was a fair price.  

All in all, it was a fantastic morning for a race and I felt good about it.  It was nice to get out and do something new.  Although, I have run the course before (in the 2012 and 2013 Layton Marathons) it had been a while and it was refreshing to run a "somewhat" new race.

Upcoming Races

04/19: Eggs Legs 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

05/04: 2025 Bob Blazier Run for the Arts 5K -- Crystal Lake, IL (Confirmed)

05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)

06/28: 2025 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2020 Antelope Island 10K Race Recap - Syrase, UT

Official Time: 53:06
Placement: 2nd in the 50-59, 17th overall
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 57F, sunny, 10 mph wind from the east
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2018] [2015] [2013] [2012 (Full marathon)]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:31	Hit immediately by a hill. Ouch!
2	8:40	Fairly flat and then some downhill
3	9:13	Slow grind to the turn around slowly climbing
4	8:13	Get to go down the hill. Fun mile here
5	8:57	Now have to re-ascend the downhill from mile 2.  Oof!
6	8:50	Last quarter mile was a fast downhill, but I was just so dead
6.09	0:38	Go all out towards the finish
	Total Miles: 6.09 - 53:05

Introduction

Races are at a minimum this year, thanks mostly in part to Covid-19.  Fortunately, the state of Utah does have some races and this past weekend I opted to do the Antelope Island 10K.  

Antelope Island is an island just north west of Salt Lake City and is a state park.  It is very popular with cyclists and site seers.  There are some hikes as well as nature walks in the area.  Generally it is a very popular place to go with some incredible views.  It is also home to a herd of buffalo, so one must take caution when visiting the island -- as encounters with them are real and potentially dangerous.

I've done various editions of the Antelope Island races.  It was the site of my first full marathon in Utah and I've done the half a few times.  The past few years I've stuck with doing the shorter distance races.  I just haven't felt prepared to do anything longer than a 10K.  In years past it was known as the Layton Marathon.  When it moved to be run on the island entirely, it switched names and is now called Antelope Island Marathon.

This year's race started in yet another location -- the west side of the island.  I hadn't really been to this side of the island, let alone run on it, so part of the route would be entirely new to me.

The Race

I arrived just after 8:15 AM for the 9 AM start.  Packet pickup was purposely staggered and it easy to get my bib, use the facilities (and send off the half marathoners).

It gave me plenty of time to do a shake out run and get a layout of the area.  One thing that made me realize that this was going to be a hilly race was that immediately after starting we would have to ascend up a hill -- that just looked daunting (it turned out to be slightly longer than a quarter mile).  I definitely wanted to be warmed up and ready to run when the race started.

The race started at 9 AM but with Covid restrictions, we were started in cycles of about 10 seconds.  So we lined up roughly to pace, and the race director would send off a runner.  The next person would walk up, they would record your number and off you'd go. 

I had warmed up pretty well and I surprised myself by taking on the first hill fairly aggressively.  I wound up passing a couple of runners in the immediate minutes of the race.  

The hill was short lived fortunately and I tucked the knowledge that I'd have a cruise to the finish experience on the way back (the course was out and back).

The race leveled out for a while and I hit a decent pace and felt very comfortable running.  I hit the first mile comfortably at 8:30, which was better than I figured.

Mile 2 was nice in that I got a nice, long downhill.  Part of me was worried though on account that I would have to come back up that hill at mile 5.  Usually by mile 4.5 I just want the race to be over.  But I went with it 

Mile 3 seemed like the longest.  We were now running on the main drag of the island and it was a climb that never seemed to end.  While it wasn't like the first hill, this one was just a solid grade up.  Some of the leaders of the half marathon, marathon and 10K were already coming back.  It was disheartening to see them running downhill while I was doing my best to reach the summit.

Finally I hit the turn around. I glanced down at my Garmin and saw that the course was likely going to come up short: about 3:05 miles instead of the requisite 3.10.

It was a joy to run down the hill that had taken a lot out of me and it was also energizing to get some cheers and hellos from people who were trailing me.  I knocked off one of my fastest miles as a result -- my only wish was that the rest of the race was going to be like this.

Unfortunately as soon as I turned the corner to hit the last 5K back, I hit a stone wall.  The hill that I had taken advantage of at mile 2-ish was staring me in the face.  And it seemed so daunting.

The next mile and a half or so were a blur.  I was hurting bad.  My legs felt like Jello and I couldn't wait for the finish.  I felt like by pace would hit around 10 minutes per mile, but I am happy to report that it wasn't that bad -- it just felt that bad.

Finally, the blessed downhill and finish line came into view.  The finish line and people milling about looked so tiny from my vantage point.  I looked behind me, and I couldn't really tell who was in my race (was the guy on my tail in the half or was he running the 10K).  Either way, I gave it all I got.

My legs don't really move as fast as they used to.  I have plenty of endurance, but my turnover isn't that great and the (much) younger guy flew by me in the closing seconds.  I don't think he was in my race let alone my age group but still -- it is a race... and I have my pride.

Conclusion

I crossed the finish line in a somewhat disappointing 53 minutes.  But if I take into account the hills that I had to conquer, it wasn't that bad of a race.  My Garmin is reporting about 380 feet of elevation gain throughout the 6 miles (including 380 downhill).

I really love the island and half the reason why I do this race is I get a chance to drive around and snap some pictures.  Most of the pictures from this race recap are post race pictures and not of the course.  However, a lot of the course does visit the spots I photographed.  

I wound up taking second place in my age group.  I could've walked the entire thing and gotten the same result.  There were only 2 of us in the 50 - 54 age group.  

The medal was definitely more impressive than years past.  It was heavy and beautifully designed.  The shirt had a nice design as well but it was the cotton / polyester blend, which I am not a fan of (I like 100% polyester).  Still the race shirt will work for short runs or knocking around on the weekends.

I was handed a bag with my finisher's medal and some snacks.  There was bottled water to drink.  As usual for On Hill Events there was a cooler filled with ice cream sandwiches.  Definitely a crowd pleasure and they taste great after a hard run.

I walked off my nausea and socialized a bit.  Awards are no longer a ceremony but you more or less get in line and they give you your award, if you've won one.  Much quicker and easier but with less fanfare and excitement.  I managed to safely socialize for a bit while wearing my mask before taking a drive around the island.

Overall, I ran fairly well.  I have nothing really to compare it to.  This course was brand new for me so I can't say I would've run faster in years past.  I did run a 51:09 in 2018 but the course was definitely easier than this one.  

The views on this race were great; hopefully it is evidenced with the photos I've attached.  It was an awesome Saturday morning and while the island had plenty of guests on it, it wasn't that crowded.  I did get to see some buffalo as well (including one that was a little too close to the race course during the race).

I paid about $40 for the race about a week or two before registration ended. Given I registered late in the game, it was an okay price to pay.  Fortunately, I had a coupon to help knock down the price.  But the price was fairly standard for a late registration 10K.  Plus, my bib worked as a free park pass.

If this race is around next year and I have an open slot in my calendar, I would definitely run this one again.

Halloween Harvest Half Marathon Race Recap - Syracuse Utah

Official Time: 2:00:54
Placement: 19th male, 7th in the 40 - 49 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Upper 50's at start, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:37	Feeling pretty good
2	8:45	Flat and holding back
3	8:41
4	8:37	Still feeling pretty good
5	8:47
6	9:03	Starting to feel a bit tired
7	8:51	Bang out another pretty fast mile
8	9:02	Beginning of the end, unfortunately
9	9:17	Tired and tired of the course.
10	9:36
11	9:49	Feeling like a death march
12	10:17	351 climb
13	10:29	Please be over
13.11	0:54
Total Miles: 13.11 - 2:00:51

Introduction

In 2014, I did the Halloween Harvest Half Marathon and had a pretty decent time.  The course is flat, they had lots of perks and it fit into my schedule pretty well.  Last year, I noticed a vacancy in my races when it didn't come up, but I jumped at the opportunity when it popped up this year.

The race is held at Black Island Farms, in Syracuse Utah.  It is very close to the Great Salt Lake and the area hasn't been inundated with cookie cutter house.  Black Island Farms has a fall festival that is mostly geared for children that involves outdoor activities, pumpkins, and a massive corn maze.

With the weather looking good and a need to get in a 13 mile run I decided to jump into this half marathon and see what I had.

The Race

The early miles

I rolled in about an hour before the race and wound up meeting a friend of mine, who I waited around 90 minutes with before the 2015 Ogden Marathon.  It was nice to have someone to talk to and it had been nearly 18 months since I had last seen her.  She is blazing fast and actually wound up winning the female half marathon race.

I grabbed my bib and shirt and managed to use the bathroom a few times.  They had a small, informal Halloween costume contest before the race started.

The race starts along the main road and after a mile or two starts getting close to the Great Salt Lake.  In fact, I saw some discarded gels in the ditch from the Layton Marathon that occurred 3 weeks ago.

I felt pretty good at this point, but I felt like I was holding back.  I could feel a little fatigue from the Lake Tahoe Marathon that I had done a few weeks ago.

After about 5 miles the race switches over to a bike trail.  The bike trail is pretty flat and also pretty boring.  I am so thankful that I live near the Jordan River bike trail, where I have pretty bike trail.  This bike trail is flat but doesn't offer many scenic views.

As the race progressed, I could feel my legs becoming more tired and tired.  Also, while my Garmin reports that the trail was downhill (just slightly) it just seemed like the trail was slightly uphill.

By mile 8 or so, I knew I was in trouble.  My pace was off and I could feel the weight of the marathon and last weekend's long run.  I was really upset to see my pace dip below what I was running during last weekend's long run.

The last 2 miles, I was largely running by myself.  Occasionally, someone would pass me, but I was definitely done.

Also, the last 2 miles are the loneliness.  You are running along a back road with even less to look at.  The only thing that kept me going was knowing that the finish line was coming up.

I couldn't even muster a final push at the end.  I just simply finished, grabbed my finisher's award and I could've kicked myself with the dawning realization that I had just run my slowest, non-challenging course half marathon.

Conclusion

Finish line

The finish line had the typical post race fare:  chocolate milk, bread, fruit, water and Powerade.  I quickly grabbed some fluids and sauntered back to my car and stashed my glass mug (very nice).  I was really stewing over my lack of performance.  I felt good when I started and by the end I couldn't even muster a very solid pace.  My legs simply felt dead.

Finisher's Award

I hung around and socialized with my Ogden Marathon friend and another friend who I had met during the Legacy Midnight Half Marathon this past summer.  It was completely awesome to have some people to chat with about the race.  The latter person and I had run the Legacy Marathon and she had finished a few minutes after me during that race.  This race, she too, struggled.  So there could've been something in the air.

The aid stations were roughly every 2 miles and the volunteers were awesome.  I probably should've carried my own, as I think I was dehydrated at the end.  It also seemed a bit warmer than what it was.  I did pop a gel around mile 8, but that hadn't helped at all.

Simple black long sleeved shirt

The course was well marked in that all the important intersections were marked and they had volunteers at them.  For a pretty small race, I have to give props to the organization.

The race was okay for the price paid.  I had a coupon and I registered a few days before the start, so I wound up getting in for around $55.  I wish they had age group awards (not that I would've won any), but there were strictly awards for the top 3 finishers for each gender.

This race left a bitter taste in my mouth.  I had fun, I completed yet another half marathon, the course was accurate but I just felt disappointed with my performance.  It also is a clear indication that I am going to have good races and bad ones and that I need to take some rest periods.

After the race, I headed over to the Kimchi House (I am in love with Asian cuisine of late), which I had heard had good Korean food.  I definitely enjoyed myself there and that helped alleviate my sorrows.

Halloween Harvest Half Marathon Race Review - Layton Utah

Me after the race near the finish line.

Official Time: 1:57:00
Placement: 26th (men) out of 48 (10th out of 16 in 40 - 49 age group)
Results: Here
Race Website:Here
Weather: Low 50's at the start, upper 60's at finish. Some wind

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:43	Not sure what I got, start out easy
2	8:27	Not working that hard. Settle into 8:30
3	8:38	Keeping it in check
4	8:37	Fairly consistent
5	8:33	Fairly consistent
6	9:16	Hit a decent head wind. Had to take a 30 second leak behind a tree
7	8:38	Back to rolling with the flow
8	8:49	When will the wind end?
9	8:50	Only 4 to go, wind in my face
10	9:43	Sick of the wind.
11	8:58	Okay two miles to go, get tough
12	9:44	Just nothing to work with here. Feeling dead.
13	8:55	Picked up the pace when I saw the finish line in the distance
13.1	0:47	Wiped out, but finished okay.
Total Miles: 13.1

Introduction

I know -- normally after a marathon you are supposed to take about 3 weeks off from running, let along racing.  So what do I do?  I sign up for a half marathon.  Yeah smart move, but let's face it, I've been a race junkie for a while and if I am feeling good, why not roll with it?

I found the Halloween Harvest Half for Saturday morning (10/25/2014) and it was a bargain price of $50.  With a $5 coupon I found on their Facebook page and I was set.  How many times do you find a half marathon, one week from the race start costing a whopping $48?  Not too often.

Halloween Harvest Half Marathon Race Route with Elevation Profile

The Race

I knew I wasn't going to be super competitive in this race.  One, I had no idea what I was able to do given that I had just finished a full marathon and two, the age groups were ten year increments.  When I rolled in, I saw a bunch of whippet-thin 40 year olds and I knew there was no way I was going to place anywhere near the top 3 in my age group.  So right off the bat, I was using this as a mild tempo run / long run.  It was sort of nice to take the competitive edge off myself and just enjoy the race and try to run even splits.  It also gave me an opportunity to toy with new racing strategies. I wound up using a gel at mile 7, which normally I don't use for halves.

Long sleeve tech shirt

I rolled in at about 7:30 for the 8:30 start at the race's location: Black Island Farms.  Located just south-east of the entrance to Antelope Island, Black Island Farms place is an agro-tourism place.  With the fall harvest in full swing, they had a corn maze, animals and all kinds of kids activities.  Also because they get a lot of people visiting they had PLENTY of porta-potties.  No lines at all, ever (major props).

After picking up my shirt and swag bag I wandered around the grounds and snapped some pictures of the animals and the grounds while hardly anyone was there:

Looking east towards Layton at the sunrise

Afterwards, I sat in my car and listened to the radio until the 8:30 start.  I would guess there were about 125 runners there, again mostly women (looking at the results, there were about 50 guys, and 75 women).

The course is fairly flat throughout and the only hills on the course were little "moguls" on the bike trail.  There were some occasional stretches that felt like we were slowly ascending, but for the most part, this course could be qualified as flat (I think it was listed as having about 56 feet of elevation climb).

The first 4 miles or so are on city streets.  It is rural / farm land and the few busy intersections were manned by police.  I did almost get taken out by a woman at mile 9 while I was in the crosswalk.  Utah is absolutely TERRIBLE when it comes to pedestrians rights when dealing with cars.  

I felt it was easy going and I latched onto a few different people and just kept checking my Garmin, hoping to stick to an 8:30 - 8:45 pace.  Usually I get sucked into an overly aggressive pace and I wind up paying a price for it at the end.

I had to go to the bathroom almost from the start. Perhaps my strategy of using iced tea before the race isn't the best idea as it makes me want to pee like crazy.  Unfortunately the porta potta at the mile 5 water station was occupied and I wasn't going to wait.  About 3/4ths of a mile later, I found a cement outcropping along the bike trail and I was far enough ahead of the guys behind me that I ducked behind it and took care of business.  It probably cost me a good 30 seconds though.  

I definitely prefer the Murray bike trail over the Layton ones.  I didn't see a single bathroom / drinking fountain along it (granted Layton is a small municipality) and there wasn't much shade.  It was just a lot of scrub with views of subdivisions and once in a while you could see Antelope Island in the distance.

Also, as I made my way south along the bike trail, I was hit with a headwind.  I've run through some intense wind before and this wasn't that bad, but it was enough to make the latter miles difficult.  

The course wasn't hard to follow and it was well marked.  I was running solo, however, and at times I was worried I was still on the course.  The water stations were at 2 mile increments (starting at mile 3).  My Garmin was basically saying most of the mile markers were long by about .05 miles, but by the time I finished, the race measured out to be exactly 13.10.

Crowd support was fairly minimal.  They did have an announcer calling people's names as one crossed the finish line and other than a few people sitting in their yards watching people run by, there wasn't a lot going on.  However, the water stations were well manned and kept me fueled.

The last two miles were really mentally hard.  It was down a farm service road and there just wasn't much to look at except brown fields (and a bunch of farm hands manhandling cows into their pens).  At this point I was hurting, but I knew I had the endurance to finish the race.  My pace had slipped from the "easy feeling" 8:30s that I had started with, to the mid 9's.  However, I felt I ran a fairly even race without too much of a death march at the end.

Interesting note, that I ran last week's full marathon and reached the half way point in just under two hours and here, I am running a half marathon and I finish with nearly the same time.  Chalk it up to South Jordan's downhills.

The Finish line

Finish line before the race start

Stretch of the early part of the race taken from my car post race

Conclusion

After finishing, I grabbed my cool finisher's award.  I was totally expecting yet another medal, but this is something that I can actually use:

I also spoke with the race director and personally thanked him for a nice experience and keeping the price down.  He wound up giving me a free Road-Id gift certificate.  How cool is that? 

Post race refreshments consisted of fruit, cookies and snack bars.  They also had plenty of chocolate milk which tasted absolutely awesome.  They also had sports drink and water.  

I wound up killing a lot of time at the farm.  I chatted with random people and swapped race experiences.  They had a ton of different animals and surprisingly for a nice day, it wasn't a madhouse with kids.  I probably should've done the corn maze, but I was tired and didn't feel like getting lost and trying to figure it out.  Black Island Farms does boast the largest corn maze in Utah, however.

This little guy was looking for food from me I think

As you can tell from the pictures, it was an absolutely beautiful day at the race and I wound up kicking back and soaked up the rays for about an hour.  I had been given 3 passes to get into the park and since I hadn't used them I wound up giving them to a family of 3 on the way out.  If you have kids, though, this is a great race as the kids will get a free pass and there is so much for them to do.

Anytime I am in Layton, I wind up going to the Golden Corral.  The Layton one is one of the better ones and I wasn't disappointed (I know, I really *need* to stop eating there).

Layton Golden Corral - where half marathoners go to eat!

I would do this race again next year.  I know it is a small race, but it would've been nice to have 5-year age group increments.  I am not sure I would've been in the running for that, but it would've given me a bit more motivation to shoot for a better time.  Also, next year, I'll definitely find some kids that want to go and let them enjoy the park.  The wrist bands really make the race worth while and I would've liked to have given them to someone I knew.