2025 Hofbrauhaus Cleveland Half Marathon Race Report

When I was living in Michigan, one of the state's best runners once told me that in order to run fast, you have to start fast. This went against my usual mantra of start slow, then ease up. But it worked for him, and perhaps even a bit for me on a few occasions. But not lately. Definitely not lately. After telling my friends (who sometimes actually listen to me) that my goal was to break 1:50 for a half-marathon this year, I provided this recent update: yes, the weather should be good for the Hofbrauhaus Half, but I am just not feeling it. I'm not at my sharpest point right now. I'll just try for something approaching that goal, and hopefully get it done once I'm in better shape.

I see some friends before the start, and it's all good. Once the race begins, all my easy-does-it plans go out the window. This is typical, but I'm probably starting too fast. Still, I'm feeling fine, so why not go with my fast friend's advice? 

Egads. The first mile split is under eight minutes. That's not just a little too fast; it's much too fast. I ease up a little, because that all-out speed is just too all-out. The next few miles, heading East on Euclid Avenue, are at a low eight-minute pace. Even that is still too fast. I can't maintain it, can I? Eventually, we head down to Cleveland's Cultural Gardens. I always like running down here, and I'm still doing well, but will I still be able to still run fast when I have to head back up to Euclid?

Coming back through the Start/Finish area at Mile 1

Halfway goes by in 52 or 53 minutes, and I'm still scared. Chadwick Sunday comes up from behind and runs with me for a while. He had been helping to pace Ladd Clifford and had been sent up ahead to determine if it was truly me that they had been following. It was. The turnaround is at Mile 7, and I get to see Ladd and Chadwick, as well as several other friends. 

And then comes the dreaded Mile 9. This is the hill I'd been worried about - it takes us back up to Euclid Avenue, and it seems to go on forever. Although it's my slowest mile of the day at 8:24, it's still not bad. The next couple of miles are back in the low eight-minute range. Chadwick chases me down and passes me in the final miles as he often does. I wonder where Ladd is, and then I see him directly in back of me as I finish. Those guys started way behind me, so they actually had better gun times.

At the finish, I also see Larry Orwin, who had run much faster, as usual. His son Troy, and several old and new friends also did well. The celebratory beer and brat sure taste good.

It was a good day for all, and a lot of fun. But now that I have achieved my sub-1:50 goal, what the heck do I do now?