Newburyport Half Marathon

October 26, 2025

9:15AM

Newburyport, MA

I wasn't super excited about this race, after doing the big NYC half in the spring, this race felt very small time comparitively. While I like doing more local races/Southern NE races, there was just little prestige or history with this one. I wanted to help Notch with the grand prix races, so I committed to this one early although it certainly wouldn't have been my first choice if not part of the USATF-NE grand prix. I regarded this as the next sub-1:10 attempt after falling just short in New York City in March. Back then I had the utmost confidence that the goal would fall in Newburyport- I made some major pacing mistakes in NYC and if I got myself in similar fitness and executed better, surely I'd get those 6 seconds. 

Fast forward to October and I wasn't so sure anymore. The logic there was fine, but I simply just wasn't in the shape I was back in March. After a dream of an amazing first 3/4 of the Boston block with the best workouts and shorter races of my life, I couldn't replicate that success this time around. I had some poor distance races, especially a really bad showing at the Twin Cities 10 Mile barely breaking 57 minutes and it took quite a while for the workouts to start clicking. Even then, they weren't as strong as the spring equivalents. I finally had a decent race at the Pell Bridge Run, but 4 miles in a low key race is very different than Half Marathon grand prix. This would be a big test. It felt totally unrealistic and stupid to go out at sub-1:10 pace. Instead, I'd aim to go out around 1:11 pace or just over. This wasn't a goal that excited me, but I felt a realistically good target here would be under 1:11. With good execution, it should be possible and being just over would be fine too. I mostly wanted to prove to myself I could run around 5:25 for the half to reinforce low 5:40s in the marathon was possible.

I had another issue going in as my achilles was achy and annoying all week, not what you want going into a half marathon. Many times when this shows up before an important race, the mileage reduction and easier workout in the last few days is enough to calm things down. Not this time around as I could still feel the irritation the day before, on strides and even walking to the bathroom the night before. Not an ideal scenario, but I'd just have to hope for the best. 

One reason I wasn't excited for this race was the course. Often there are bizzarely bad course features in these grand prix events, and this was no exception. Like many grand prix start, this one starts in a parking lot/side road then makes a few sharp turns immediately. There course is nice through 10K, then has two out and backs/cone turnarounds in the second half before the last 1.5 is on a bike path with some really tight turns on and off that. Overall, this would be a medium difficulty course with about 400' elevation gain and plenty of turns- nothing crazy, but certainly not a "fast" course either. 

I drove up to a hotel in Tewksbury the night before- drive felt a bit too long to do race morning for a bigger effort. I was a little worried the parking might be tough, but I got there decently early and there were some spots in the large parking lots. I believe people had to find street parking once that filled up. It felt a little chilly getting out of the car. Got my bib, used bathroom, headed over to the Notch tent and was soon warming up. My achilles did not feel great on the warm-up and I'd just have to hope for the best. After getting back, I would have liked to try and use the bathroom again but the port-a-potty lines were crazy and I wasn't going to risk missing the start. There wasn't a very good spot to do strides as the start line road quickly curved left and was also adjacent to all the parking so it was very crowded. I got in a few partial ones before heading to the start. 

Race started and the two turns onto Merrimac Street went by quickly. Found myself in a small pack with a few Notch guys- Willy and Steve, plus some CMS guys I recognized. I felt some achilles strain which was concerning but the pace/effort felt super easy, which has certainly not been the case in most races this fall. The achilles discomfort would subside shortly and be fairly minor for the remainder of the race. 

Unlike many other grand prix races, this one was not as deep and it was easy to move around. I slowly worked to the front of the and worked with the other Notch guys. There was a waterstop on the side, which I went to get but dropped the cup. Mile 1 was 5:23 on my watch- pretty good start and ideal to maintain right there. Around mile 2, I'd look at my watch and see the pace was over 5:30 and everyone seemed content to coast at that. I feel I often get in these situations where I'm comfortable in a pack doing minimal work, but the pace is too slow. 

We turned off the main road, and with people slowing more with a small hill, I moved to the front and entered no man's land to run a slightly faster pace. This was definitely the right move because I think I was close to 11:00 at the 2 mile marker- too slow. The next mile or so was along Maudslay state park with decent scenery. By picking up the pace about 10 seconds per mile, I was moving up quickly. I'd join a person or group then decide I had nice momentum going and continue forward past them. This included one Notch runner I didn't know who it was. This moved me into 4th for Notch- with much faster guys AJ, Danny and Claudio well ahead. This was the first time I had been in a scoring position for Notch since April- we'll see how that plays out. 

The course went over 95 on a bridge. I passed one Battle Road runner who looked around and then dashed into the woods. Came up on another water stop, and once again I came up empty. This time the guy decided at the last minute to shove the cup in my face, resulting in a wet singlet and no drink for me. There were a few steeper bumps and lots of turns through neighborhoods in miles 4 and 5. I passed a few more guys and continued to run around 5:15 pace. Around 5 we began a 1.5 mile out and back section which was fairly remote and scenic. Went by a nice pond and the road was divided by cones since everyone would return through there. I caught two BAA runners and thought I'd work with them but I still had a nice pace going and just passed them and kept going on. The next section went by shortly and I started seeing other runners coming back with several of the Notch guys far up front. It really didn't seem like they were that far ahead of me but the cone turnaround make the distance deceiving. I realized I was fairly high up in the field, maybe 15th or 16th place. The turnaround was on top of a hill which was nice because you didn't have much momentum coming in so the turnaround itself wouldn't be a huge momentum killer, then you'd automatically get some back. 

Going back was kind of fun getting to see everyone else come back at you and having that nice feeling of "you have to run more than me". Willy was not far behind and I certainly hadn't put the race away for 4th Notch. Seeing everyone come back at you is one of the few advantages of a cone turnaround format. Got a few cheers for my name, but mostly random "Go Notch" from people I didn't know. I slowly caught another guy and wrapped up the OAB portion. Fairly even splits close to 5:15 through Miles 3 to 8. 

I was definitely starting to fatigue a bit but I was also at 8 miles now, with 5 to go things should be manageable to hold on for a sub-1:11 finish. Certainly a very different (and welcome) feeling than Twin Cities or North Shore. Cruised to a 5:20 and 5:14 miles 9 and 10 on a long straightaway before getting to the final 5K. I don't recall any splits for this race. Passed one guy who would be the last I'd pass in the race. 

Mile 11 involved cone turnaround number on a flat straight side road, which was more fatiguing being later in the race and not having that uphill to downhill shift. I dropped about 10 seconds per mile back for a quarter mile before getting back to it. I started to feel pretty weak just past mile 11. There were a few turns in Mile 12, including a very sharp one on the final bike path and I let things slip to a 5:27 not feeling great. Two guys had faded in front of me and others weren't far behind. I really struggled coming off that tight turn and it took a full half mile or so to finally get to going as I ran probably over 5:30 for a while. The course shifted to a slight downhill before the last series of awkward turns off the bike path and back in the park. I didn't have a big kick- wasn't closing to catching those guys but held my own place for a 1:10:20, 13th place finish. 

With a 13.27 distance on my watch, I think all the extra turns added some distance. Even substracting a full 15 seconds would only tie my PR, so I would have needed a very fast course to get under 1:10 that day. 

Coming in wanting a sub-1:11 and coming off tough races, this race was a big success. 40 seconds under, a fairly even and well paced race, and only 15 seconds off NYC? Really not much to criticize or walk home disappointed there. The only disappointment is that I'll finish up 2025 not meeting a major time goal of mine of sub-1:10. However, as mentioned the conditions and my fitness did not line up for a realistic attempt at it. This was a much smoother pace job than NYC, I fell off a bit the last 2 miles but giving up about 20 seconds total isn't really all that bad. Overall, this felt like I proved to myself that I'm as good as ever and I have a good shot of sub-2:30 in Philadelphia. 

Post-race I could feel I had strained my achilles further and would be dealing with that for the next week, but given how well it held up during the race I can't complain. As for the event, I wasn't super impressed. The organization was fine, but two cones turnarounds, lots of unexciting neighborhoods and lots of turns, the first few volunteer tables dropping the cup on me, and just a few pre-packaged snacks for post race foods - not great. Plus there wasn't good places to do strides, and the bathroom line was terrible. I'd probably skip this one in the future, grand prix or not. 

13th is by far my best placement in a grand prix event, but clearly this one was not as competitive as others. I think my previous best was 25th at the Big Steps 5K and other than that, I'm usually not in the top 40. I scored for Notch getting 4th and Notch got the win overall, so that feels like a nice bounce-back when I was wondering if I truly belonged on a team after two 7th place finishes on the team. Passed a big test here and onto the final 4 weeks for a big marathon attempt.