See Jane Run Race Series (Seattle) Review

The See Jane Run series is one like no other.  I had not heard of this series until I went to the Bloomsday expo and they were handing out fliers for the upcoming Seattle event.  At the time I was still waffling over the idea of a half marathon, but I visited their website that same night and signed up for my first half marathon within 24 hours.

What drew me to this event was that it was organized by women for women.  Chocolate and champagne at the finish?  That sounded like so much fun.  I thought it would be a great run for my first half.  A smaller event was more inviting to me than one of the big ones like the Rock and Roll series, although the RnR sounds fun, too.  But just read Jane's manifesto and tell me this doesn't sound like a great event series.

I really loved this event and am so glad that I chose this for my first half marathon.  The organizers really know how to cater to women and have a great time.  If you're considering the SJR series in the future, I would not hesitate to recommend it to you! The high points are worth mentioning for sure:

• We received a gorgeous tech T-shirt by Born Fit.
• We received an adorable champagne glass along with champagne at the finish.
• We received chocolate!
• The registration price was very reasonable.
• The race location included free parking.
• Bag checking was available.
• Packet pickup was at the race location on the morning of the race, and the expo booths were there as well which was nice for us out-of-towners.
• The pre-race and post-race activites were great and created such a fun atmosphere.
• You could refill your water bottles at the water stations.
• Brightroom was a great choice for the event photographer.

This was the first year of the Seattle event so there were a couple bumps in the road.  Here's what I hope they do differently next year.

• More bathrooms at the start line and at least 2 at each water station!
• Have a race official managing the bathroom lines so the half marathoners can go first if their event starts first.
• Do not run out of race shirts in any size!  This might mean people have to take the size they actually ordered.
• Do not run out of race medals!  A rain check for a medal would be so disappointing on race day.
• Larger medals--these things are tiny!
• It would be nice to have the shirts, glasses, and medals include the date and location of the event.
• The paths for the out and backs were too narrow for the number of runners in two directions.
• DO NOT RUN OUT OF WATER AT THE FINISH LINE!!!

This year, SJR only had four event locations on their schedule, but I foresee the popularity of this series growing by leaps and bounds.  More popularity can only mean more events, right?  The next and final event on the schedule this year is in Austin, TX on October 9th.  If you're in the area, you should definitely sign up for Jane! And if you sign up by August 9th, the cost is only $75!

Happy running!