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This year’s Cap City was a bittersweet one for me. It was supposed to be my first half. But, as we all know, no matter how hard you train and how ready you may be, things can change in a second—like when a dog decides to tackle you from behind and knock you to the sidewalk a week before your race, and you end up with a twisted ankle and a bruised tailbone. So my first Cap City Half ended up being my second Cap City Quarter instead.
Fortunately, though, this race is just too much fun—and though I may have spent the week wallowing in self-pity, all was (almost) forgotten on race day.
The packet pickup and expo at the Vue in downtown Columbus is a fun and well-organized event. Considering that it serves 10,000 participants, it all goes incredibly smoothly. I had to pick up three packets and change my own registration, and I was able to take care of everything in a matter of minutes.
The rest of the expo offers branded shirts and deals on shoes and gear. It isn’t a huge event, but it does a good job of building excitement for the big day.
With their registration, participants each receive a Craft tech shirt, a high-quality drawstring backpack, and a race booklet with tips, course information, and more—along with a handful of coupons from sponsors.
With 10,000 racers converging on downtown Columbus at 7 am on a Saturday, things can definitely get a little congested. I’ve never been one to arrive early for races—because I’d rather get that extra 10 minutes of sleep—but I make an exception for this race. There’s plenty of parking to accommodate everyone, but it just takes some time to get everyone where they need to be. Fortunately, once you’re parked and settled, racers can make their way up to the Columbus Commons, where the party is already getting started. It’s a great place to hang out and stretch and check your gear before the race starts.
Racers line up in corrals in front of the State House, with quarter and half racers lining up in the first nine corrals and 5k racers behind them. With so many racers, it takes a while to get everyone off and running (or walking), but it’s done in a way that allows everyone to spread out, preventing the usual congestion at the beginning of the race.
The course for the quarter marathon travels south through German Village, back up north toward the Short North, and back through the Arena District, past shops and restaurants and homes, where the neighbors often come out to watch and cheer on the racers (I keep forgetting to go back and revisit the bar where a crew cheers out front in their lederhosen). This is definitely a high-energy race, with musicians and DJs hired to hang out on corners and keep everyone pumped up—even through chilly, rainy conditions—and plenty of spectators with signs to cheer racers on. Even the police officers get in on the fun—and you might see them dancing along with the crowd. There are plenty of photographers along the way, too, so you’ll be sure to have plenty of race photos to check out later.
Aid stations and porta-potties are plentiful, with great volunteers ready to hand off Gatorade and water—and to call out words of encouragement. And I appreciated the fact that trash receptacles were spread out, so I could keep going while drinking—without having to choose between littering and carrying my cup to the next stop.
Courses are well marked and interesting—and, overall, everything about the race is just organized and managed well.
I’ll be honest here: the party is a pretty big part of the draw for me. The race itself is done really well, but the fun really starts when you cross the finish line. The Cap City definitely knows how to celebrate.
After you grab your finisher’s medal, your bottle of water, your banana, and your bagel, racers return to the Commons for the party. The entire open area is filled with racers and booths. You can find booths for various sponsors, along with plenty of giveaways, and you can do a little shopping for extra gear or clothing (last year, my friends and I all bought clearance-price jackets because it was just so very cold). You’ll also be able to cash in tickets for things like pizza and wings, a flute of sparkling wine, a can of White Claw, a custom can of Land Grant beer, and, my personal favorite, Teremana margaritas (while also snapping selfies with cardboard cutouts of Dwayne Johnson)—all while a live band keeps the energy going from the stage.
Whether you just completed your first race, or you PRed, or you barely made it over the finish line, this party makes it feel like you’ve really done something awesome.
The Cap City is a fun and memorable race. Whether you’re taking on the 5k, the quarter, or the half, you’ll get plenty of support through a scenic course through town. And you’ll end with a huge party to celebrate all of the hard work that you put into race day.
Choosing a spring race can be tough—because there are so many options in a matter of just a few short weeks—but the Cap City is worth adding to your race calendar at least once.
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