Last time I came to Savannah for this race, it didn’t happen. It was a dark and painful time in our life and I should have known I wasn’t ready to line up for this one. Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah would have to wait another year.

Today, I lined up for Savannah and I finished happy. I finished with a deep sense of contentment that I have been searching. This race was such a beautiful experience for me and I will always remember the miles I ran down the streets of Savannah. The town now has a special place in my heart and I will definitely come back often.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Half Marathon

At the Expo on Thursday, I got a Convention center parking pass for race day. It was free and spectators can ride the ferry, too. We started out with parking at the Convention and Trade center and taking the ferry across to the start line. This is the BEST way to do this if you have a driver who HATES downtown city driving in the dark.  We are staying in Hilton Head Island, so the drive from east of Savannah was easy with little traffic. We parked around 5:30 and followed the other runners down to the dock. The line was not long and we easily jumped on the ferry. After the race, the ferry is available all day to take us back to the Convention center. This was AWESOME!! Driving in downtown traffic is high on Stephen’s hate list.

It was dark at 6am, but when in Rome…..we follow the crowd. There are several ways to get from the docks to the start line. It is literally right there next to the river. This is another huge plus to this race organization. While we waited for the start, we found a cute little inn that had an open lobby so we could get out of the wind. It was cold and windy. Stephen had fun checking out the gas light lanterns.

Race line up was easy. I found my corral and waited for the start. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we hit our first few steps. I was going to finish and put an exclamation point on race day in Savannah. This race has amazing views and unbeatable crowd support.

A man and his best friend. Cones of shame, shared.

I loved the cypress trees and old world Southern charm. The architecture of this city is unbelievable.

Old glory was represented.

Truth. However, I’m trying to block out the next few days. Election day will be insane.

I crossed the line and got my medal! I actually got 2 medals. I got the Southern Charm for running 3 races in the South. Nashville, New Orleans, and now Savannah. How cool is that??

Thank you, Savannah. This day was more than I could have hoped and every mile was healing. I will definitely come back for more!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Race Series

If you want to sign up for upcoming races to finish 2016 and/or early races in 2017, use my code KATRINARUNS for $15 off registration. I promise, once you experience a Rock ‘n’ Roll race, you’ll love it! The crowd support, frequent fueling stations, ENTERTAINMENT, and post-race activities are truly unique and set this series apart from the rest. I will always support and promote Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series, whether I am selected as an ambassador or not. I plan to branch out from the south next year, so stay tuned! My second stage of running is just beginning. 2016 was epic and it’s not over. But 2017 is going to blow my socks off.