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This is not your regular half marathon, this is a cool half marathon. Wait, did I say cool? I mean incredibly difficult trail running, staircase climbing half marathon. As a rule, I don’t do much research before a race. I make sure the dates line up, the airfare is cheap, and then I sign up. The Blankeneser Heldenlauf Half Marathon had me questioning everything I know, all because of a staircase. Let’s get into this breakdown.
The most important thing to know about the race is that the finish line is at the top of a hill and the starting line is at the bottom. The second thing to know is that there are two versions of the half marathon, the hard one and the easy one. The easy one starts at the water, goes to the town, back to the water, and finally finishes in the town. While the hard course takes a few more trips up and down this massive hill.
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Blankeneser Heldenlauf Half Marathon Course
Blankeneser Heldenlauf Half Marathon starts by sending runners out along the bike trails of the Elbe river. Unfortunately, the flat distance doesn’t last for long and runners are quickly directed up a hill and onto some trails. After this point the course alternates between trails and streets for the remaining distance.
There were two points in this race that felt mean. The first was reaching the town in the first half, and immediately being presented with a steep downhill. Nothing hurts as much as being tired from running uphill, only to realize you are going to have to do it again.
The second point was the staircase. Let me paint the scene, I’ve been following this man for the last several miles, I am briefly distracted by a dog, and when I look up he is gone. But wait, there he is, already at the top of a hill. How did that happen? And then I saw the stairs, about 3 stories tall, this feature felt like the organizers were bullying the runners. Especially when I considered that I signed up for the easy half.
All of that said, I still enjoyed this course. Maybe it was a feature of having run seven other half marathons in the seven months leading up to this race, but it was fun. Embrace the unexpected, and you will have a blast running this race.
Crowds at the Blankeneser Heldenlauf Half Marathon
Since this race was very small, there were not a lot of crowds. But the people that showed up had tons of energy. In large races, I find the crowds can almost be quieter, there are just so many runners that they can’t cheer for everyone, and so they cheer for almost no one. But in this race, every single person I passed gave a real and passionate cheer, just for me. The people of Blankeneser really show up to support this run.
Water Stations and Toilets
There are no bathrooms on the course, there are restrooms at the starting line, so make sure you use them, but once you start you are on your own. Along the course there are also several official water tables, and I saw one unofficial water table set out by neighbors.
Weather
As with any race planning, knowing what to expect from the weather is critical. In August, Hamburg weather fluctuates between a high of 73°F (23°C) to a low of 55°F (13°C), setting up ideal temperatures for a half marathon. As mentioned above, this is partially a trail run, which means lots of shade even for warmer days.
Where to Stay
Although this race is not in Hamburg, I would recommend staying in the city. It was a short train ride away and it opened up lots of possibilities for travel and sight seeing. Blankeneser is a cute and small town, perfect for a post-race celebration, but not central for the rest of your trip.
The Blankeneser Heldenlauf Half Marathon is perfect for experienced runners who are looking to experience a half marathon that isn’t like any other. If you are ready to sign up here is the website. If you are new to half marathons, I would suggest heading to the Netherlands for flatter trails and larger crowds.
I have also created a FaceBook group for female runners who want to find people to run with around the world, join now to see where the next group race will be.
