As the cold Nashville morning drew on, Run Nash participants huddled around outdoor heat lamps trying to stay warm before their big race. After a good stretch and making sure their numbers were secured on their shirts, the runners made their way to the starting line.
The Nashville marathon, half-marathon and 5k running races on Nov. 9 attracted participants from all around Nashville and the surrounding area. But despite the large turn out, running such distances is no easy feat. As first-year Arya Chawla can attest, it can take weeks or even months of preparation to even finish the race.
Chawla successfully completed the half-marathon this weekend, inspired by her running experiences in high school. She decided to challenge herself in Nashville by running the daunting 13.1 mile half marathon, beginning her training seven weeks prior to the race.
“I found it was easier to run with a partner, so I convinced my friend to do the race with me,” Chawla said. “I think that going through this process with someone else kept me motivated and made the experience more enjoyable overall.”
With a partner by her side, Arya ran three times a week and cross-trained twice a week. She found that it was most effective to increase her mileage gradually as she got closer to the race.
“The longest run we did before the race was nine miles,” Chawla said. “It wasn’t necessary for us to do the whole 13.1 miles because we knew if we could run nine, we could do the whole race once the time came.”
Run Nash had the goal of creating an energetic atmosphere to support runners through the intimidating distance. When coordinating the courses for each race, the organization used their location to excite the runners and keep them entertained at each mile, embedding the historic and lively portions of Nashville into every route. Runners got to race through East Nashville, The Gulch, and even down Broadway.
“It was so much fun to run through the streets of downtown Nashville with so many around me and supporting the group,” Chawla said.
Run Nash lined the course with energetic supporters to amp up the runners along particularly difficult portions. The ending half of the race, where runner’s wills grow particularly weary, had clusters of excited crowd patrons cheering on the racers.
“It was all worth it once we finished the race since we felt such a sense of accomplishment,” Chawla said. “We are definitely going to try and train for the next half-marathon because this experience was so cool.”
For those who missed out on this weekend’s race, not to worry: there’s plenty more to come. Those looking for a great running experience in Nashville should check out these upcoming race opportunities.
