The Capital City River Run in downtown Lansing celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. The race highlights the beauty of the capital city by following primarily the Lansing River Trail. This was my first time participating and I was excited to be completing it with a friend for his first half marathon.
There are multiple distances over the course of two days. Saturday kicks off the event with the one-mile kids’ race. Sunday features the annual 5K, half marathon relay, and half marathon.
The Half Marathon Course
Runners and spectators filled the streets Sunday morning in preparation for the start of the race. The State Capitol building towered in the background as we lined up at the start of the race.
For about 2 miles, we stuck to the main road. Cones blocked off passing traffic and police stopped the traffic at all of the road crossings we encountered.
After passing the first aid station, we turned and began the journey on the Lansing River Trail. The next two miles of the course were relatively flat and easy. It offered beautiful views of the Red Cedar River.
From mile 4 to about 5, we were back on the road and had to tackle the highest hill on the course. Cones divided us from the coming traffic. It was my least favorite portion of the race and I was personally very glad to get back on the river trail.
The remainder of the race was entirely on the South Lansing Pathway and the Lansing River Trail. Any road crossings were blocked by volunteers and police officers. This section had lovely scenic areas, views of the Grand River, and a pleasant section through Hawk Island Park.
The last 2 miles we made our way past Potter Park Zoo, the spot where the Red Cedar River and Grand River merge, and finally ended at Rotary Park on the Grand River.
Oddly enough, this half marathon had drop bags and pacers for certain times. I have never participated in a race that had volunteer pacers or a half marathon that handled drop bags. It was an interesting and different experience.
The entire course is paved and very well-marked with cones and arrows. Aid stations were roughly every 2 miles and offered water and Gatorade. There were plenty of volunteers out on the course.
The course cutoff was 4 hours.
Goodies
All participants of the Capital City River Run 5K, half marathon relay, and half marathon received a very nice hooded sweatshirt with the 2023 logo on it.
All finishers received a heavy-duty medal.
Overall
This was a fun, fast, and relatively flat race. It is an excellent beginner half marathon or for those wanting to really push their speed.
We really enjoyed participating and had a lot of fun along the way. We are both looking forward to doing it again next year.
To learn more about the Capital City River Run visit RunSignUp.