I am an ambassador for the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K. I have been compensated for my promotion of the event with a complimentary race entry and other event-related amenities. All opinions are my own.
I was really thrilled to be finally heading out for the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K. Every time we go, I always feel so at home and love finding new things to explore.
We left town at about 10 in the morning. The weather reports coming out of Savannah weren’t pleasant (storms and tornado warnings) and I just wanted to be off the road and safely at our destination. We weren’t the only ones with that idea, so the drive was a little congested, but we made it to the Hilton Savannah Desoto. We were given a fabulous room on the 12th floor with a balcony and view of the city. It was perfect.
We dropped off our bags, grabbed the umbrellas and hit the streets of Savannah.
There was no way I could miss lunch at Treylor Park. We enjoyed our meal at the bar: I had my favorite, the Grilled Apple Pie, while my mom had the PB&J wings.
Since the rain was still holding off, we slipped down to River Street really quickly, just so my mom could get a feel for the area. We both really enjoy walking and soaking up all the ambiance, and I can’t think of a better place for it.
We made our way back to Liberty Street, because it was time to grab my packet and check out the New Balance Fashion Fitness Expo.
Love the red carpet welcome!
The expo was set up on the first floor of the Desoto. It flowed through two large spaces, divided by a corridor: the first was for bibs, bags, and ID check for post-race drinks, while the second was for vendors and shopping. This configuration kept everything nice and spread out, to help avoid overcrowding.
I got my swag (In lieu of shirts, this race provides a really nice New Balance bag. At first, I was unsure on my feelings with this. I love the idea of a shirt, but to be honest, I don’t often wear technical t-shirts because they don’t always fit quite right. I have already used this bag every day since I got it. I think it’s a fair trade, and branded shirts are available for purchase if it’s a must-have).
and made my way through all the great sponsors and vendors.
We took a little rest before getting ready for dinner. While my mom was finishing up, I got a text from Meghan that she had arrived, and I went back to the expo to meet her.
She didn’t have any dinner plans and so I asked her to join us at Corleone’s (Mr PugRunner and I had loved it so much on our preview visit to Savannah a few months back that I booked this reservation on the spot). She was all for it, and we took an Uber to meet Danielle for some carb-loading.
Good food and a nice glass of red wine is just how I like to prepare for a race.
When we left dinner, the rain we had been dreading had started, so there was really nothing do but head back to our respective rooms and call it a night.
The Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K promised to keep weather updates coming regularly, via Facebook and email, so I readied my outfit,
set the alarm and tried to get some sleep.
It was a wonderful opener to the weekend. My mom was loving the charm and character of the city, and I was so happy to be reunited with some old friends, as well as to meet some new ones. Stay tuned for the upcoming race report!
What do you think of the bag vs. race shirt concept?
What’s your favorite pre-race meal?
I’ve never been to Savannah but it is on my to-visit list! I’d be ok without a race shirt because they’re not always to my liking. I like the option of buying one.
Looking forward to the recap.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
I agree. It felt weird not getting a shirt, but I do really love that bag. I ended up not buying a race shirt, just because I wasn’t sure if I would actually wear it after the fact. I do have a ton of workout clothes, so I have to draw a line somewhere.
These cliffhangers kill me! Glad the rain held off long enough to enjoy the city some!
Stacie Seidman recently posted…Truthful Tuesday
Hee hee! I am waiting on some photos. Then I’ll get to it.
Savannah looks so beautiful and you had a great view of the city from your hotel room! The expo looks like it was really nice and hello swag! And the pasta looks amazing. Looking forward to hearing more about the weekend!
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Goals for the Philly Love Run Half Marathon Relay
I absolutely love this hotel. It’s smack dab in the middle of everything and always has such great views. The pasta was awesome: for some reason, there are very few Italian restaurants in Savannah, and thank goodness it’s an incredible one.
I want to do this race next year!!! I love that you get a bag, I would much prefer to have that over a race shirt, its something different.
Toni recently posted…Echo Half Marathon Training Recap Week 1
Come join us! The bag is fantastic. I have been taking it everywhere!
I definitely prefer bags over race shirts! I hardly ever end up wearing them and have a pile that I’ll eventually turn into a blanket. I would love to visit Savannah. I had family there for a long time but never had a chance to visit – they’ve left at this point but since I need to race in Georgia, looking at a race there!
Mar @ Mar on the Run recently posted…Training Week 11: Atlantic City Edition!
Oh, man! It’s definitely worth at least one visit! Gorgeous place: tons of things to see and do and oh, the glorious food and drink! It’s just phenomenal.