This is part of a series of posts from my quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states. Connecticut was my 12th state.
The Stratton Faxon Half Marathon in Fairfield, Connecticut was Runner’s World magazine’s race of the month for June 2008. That just so happens to be when I ran it. Given this and the fact that I had already been to Vermont and absolutely loved it, I had high expectations for this race and coming to Connecticut for the first time.
I know not all of the New England states are exactly the same, but still I was excited about going to Connecticut. While this part of Connecticut is beautiful, I didn’t find the same draw that I did to Vermont.
For the race, we ran past some stately homes in nice neighborhoods and along the water (Long Island Sound) with a finish at Jennings Beach, but in general I didn’t find the course very interesting and there were a lot of hills as well. There wasn’t really anything that made it stand out from other races other than the fire trucks at the end.
This race was also a hot one, which I didn’t expect. Since it’s so far north, I expected it to be cooler but not only was it really hot, it was also very humid, also unexpected. Given the heat and humidity, I was surprised to have finished in the time I did: 2:00:36. Food at the finish was typical bananas, oranges, bagels.
For pre-race accommodations, the Fairfield Circle Inn is close to the race start, as is the Hotel Hi Ho. We stayed at the Fairfield Circle Inn and it was fine, has an outdoor pool (always a bonus if you have children), and late check-out for runners. Before and after the race we flew into/out of New York City, which is only about an hour away by car. We spent some time in Fairfield but it is small so there’s not a ton of things to do. I recommend going to Lake Mohegan Recreation Area if you have the time. This is a race where it’s easy to tack on a mini-vacation to New York City after the race, too.
runningtotravel 