I was SO excited to run the GO! Halloween Eureka Half Marathon again this fall! This was actually the first race I ran after I started training with my running coach, so I was curious to see how I’d do on this course with a little more training under my belt. I was also excited that they decided to remove one of the two big hills at the beginning of the race (yay!). The race started at 7:00 a.m., which is my FAVORITE time for a race (the earlier, the better!), and we couldn’t have asked for more PERFECT weather with temperatures ranging from 52–59 degrees!
Overall, I felt like I ran a really good race, but for some reason I just didn’t have that usual Energizer Bunny (!!) energy that I normally feel after a good taper and carb load. Life has been EXTRA busy lately, and I think everything may have just caught up with me a little during this training cycle. My legs were feeling a bit tired even before taper week, and while I was hoping they’d bounce back by race day, they just weren’t quite as fresh as usual. But hey, not every race can be one of those magical race days where everything comes together perfectly!
I was holding on pretty well until around mile 10, when I started to slip a little behind my goal pace. It didn’t help that this part of the course was a pretty boring out-and-back on a trail (note to self: bring my Shokz and some music next time!). I kept pushing, but I could tell that a sub-2:00 finish and a new half marathon PR weren’t going to happen that day. Those last few miles were TOUGH, and I was struggling to even maintain a 9:25 pace! But I hung in there and gave it everything I had until I crossed that finish line.
I ended up finishing in 2:01:40, which was a 3-minute and 7-second COURSE PR (!!)! And honestly, I was REALLY proud of that time, especially considering how I felt during those last few miles! Of course, I would have loved to sneak in under 2 hours, but sometimes you just have to celebrate what your body CAN do instead of focusing on what it couldn’t do that day. Another half marathon in the books (#25!!), another course PR, and another finish line to celebrate!
Spaghetti is ALWAYS my meal of choice the night before a race, and this time we decided to head to Pastaria in Clayton, a restaurant we hadn’t been to in ages! They’re usually pretty quick, which is perfect when you want to get home early before race day, and the food did NOT disappoint! I enjoyed some of their delicious bread, a few risotto balls, a big plate of spaghetti and a nice, fizzy Coca-Cola! The perfect pre-race carb-loading dinner!
Here I am before the race started, at 7:00 a.m.! I got up at 4:00 a.m. that morning to eat my waffles and banana (plus a bottle of water) and then once we arrived I used the bathroom, did a half mile warm up, used the bathroom again and then took a GU gel while lining up.
My shiny new medal!
My splits! Looking back, I do wish I had taken those first couple of miles a little slower, especially with that BIG hill at the beginning of the race! My heart rate climbed higher than it normally does at those paces, and I can’t help but wonder if starting out a little more conservatively would have helped me later in the race. It’s funny because when I ran the Lincoln Half Marathon this past spring, that course actually had MORE rolling hills and elevation gain overall, yet my heart rate stayed mostly in the 140s–150s, and I was able to maintain a faster pace! Just goes to show that some days your body is ready to GO, and other days it has different plans for you. Ha!
Even though my legs started to betray me around mile 10 (!!), I’m proud of how I hung in there and kept pushing through those final miles. And when I compare these splits to the last time I ran Eureka in 2024, they’re SO much stronger! It’s easy to get caught up in what you wish you had done differently, but looking back at how far I’ve come really puts things into perspective. Every race teaches you something, and I’m taking this one as another learning experience!
Here are my race stats for the 2026 Great GO! Halloween Race.
Time: 2:01:40
Pace: 9:18
And, of course, I always love sharing a photo of the post-race snacks! The beer was actually REALLY good, and I enjoyed a little of it once I got home. I’m not a huge beer drinker, and I definitely can’t drink much right after running a half marathon! Ha! I always crave something SALTY after a race, though, and Lay’s Potato Chips always hit the spot!
For my post-race meal, we picked up some takeout from The Concord Grill, which has THE BEST toasted ravioli! I ordered their shrimp platter with mashed potatoes and dumplings, and of course, we had to get some of their delicious toasted ravioli, too! I even treated myself to a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. I was absolutely FAMISHED after running 13.1 miles, and let me tell you, everything tasted SO good! Ha!
As for what’s NEXT on my running calendar, I’m pretty sure I’ll be running the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon in Springfield, IL again this spring! It’s SO close to home, and I absolutely LOVED this race last year! And then, next fall, I’m planning something BIG… another MARATHON to celebrate turning 50!! I’ve actually already entered the Chicago Marathon lottery (eek!!), but with the odds of getting in being somewhere around 1 in 4 to 1 in 7, I’m definitely making sure I have a backup plan! Either way, I’m SO excited to take on 26.2 miles again and see what this next chapter of running brings!
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