Red Nose Half Marathon with Puppet Runner and Captain Van Dyke

There’s not much in this world that’s free. If you are looking for something of quality that is also free the list dwindles down to next to nothing. However, as long the Red Nose Half Marathon in Columbus, GA, is around, there will always be at least one high-quality free thing!

When I first heard about the Red Nose several years ago I scoffed a bit at the thought of a free half marathon. I race directed a marathon where we were able to keep the cost down to $40 or less with full amenities. A decent half marathon for nothing? Unlikely. However, it was free so I tried it anyway. I have now returned several times. How good is this race? I would gladly pay for it .

Red Nose Half Marathon is put on as a beautiful New Year’s present to the running community. It has everything you could want: a beautiful course run along the banks of the Chattahoochee River, excellent hydration, strong course management, and even free GU at one aid station. The race crosses bridges, goes into Alabama on the opposite side of the river, and provides constant scenery and points of interest. Volunteers are everywhere. Now, the weather can be downright chilly, but not today. High 50s for the entire race and cloudy. Perfect running weather.

Red Nose was another experiment for the Puppet Runner concept. As I have mentioned before, most of my puppet runs were on Disney property. Doing silly things while running is practically expected at Disney. My first puppet run away from the Mouse was in Cocoa, FL, at the Space Coast Half Marathon. While this race had a slightly more serious vibe, plenty of people were in costume - including the volunteers. I fit right in. Red Nose would be different. I have rarely seen any type of costume at this race. A thousand or so runners come for a free race to kick off the new year. It’s not for random silliness. So, I decided that Red Nose would be the perfect test. Is running with puppets such a silly concept that it won’t work at more serious races?

In short, no.

Followers of the Puppet Runner page on Facebook voted in a tournament style elimination to decide which puppet would accompany me for the Red Nose Half Marathon. Captain Van Dyke, my mouthy pirate friend, was the overwhelming choice. I chose not to costume myself instead wearing my latest Double Agent gear from the Half Fanatic/Marathon Maniac folks. The pirate would be strange enough.

The race is so well organized. Packet pickup at Big Dog Running was handled so well that I took notes for the next time I race-direct. All the pre-race needs were well handled. While this free race does not include a shirt, one was available for purchase. I didn’t get one (I’m drowning in shirts), but I almost regretted it. Quality shirt.

The race starts in the middle of downtown Columbus. I wandered around for a few minutes feeling a bit self-conscious. I am almost immune to embarrassment, but there’s something daunting about doing something unusual in large group. Luckily many friendly people put me at ease. Several folks wanted to know the Captain’s name or whether we counted as two runners. My favorite question was which one of us would finish first. I even had several confused dogs try to figure out what this strange little man was on my left hand.

There were numerous pace groups which allowed us to line up in a rough approximation of our projected finish times. After the start we spent the first 3 miles or so touring the downtown area before the course led us to the river walk.

If you have never had a chance to run the Columbus River Walk you are seriously missing something wonderful. The views of the river, including a great stretch of rapids, are invigorating. This city takes serious pride in itself. The river walk is beautifully maintained - even with public restrooms. I particularly liked looking at the old riverside mills and factories that have been converted into modern lofts, storefronts, or museums. It’s an impressive stretch.

The Captain was enjoying himself by waving at the volunteers and spectators. I had made the conscious choice not to try to talk for the Captain during the race. My usual performance of this puppet includes a boisterous voice and an overbearing, but comic, personality. I thought I would need the air for running. It felt strange to have a quiet Captain with me.

This course has a fairly long stretch of out-and-back which I have come to love for puppet running. I get a chance to wave at and encourage almost everyone! I even decided to wave at some of the elite runners as they tore back towards the finish - I usually just have my puppets clap for them. I was shocked to actually get a few waves back from the speedy folks and numerous smiles and chuckles. When the main pack of the race reached me it was an endless series of waves and interactions. As always, I was amazed by how people react. One lady passed me with good pace then promptly dashed to the side so she could turn around and take pictures of us as we came towards her. That’s quite a compliment! There were way more in-race pictures of us taken than I expected. I was very glad my new headphones kept my ears open so I could talk with my fellow runners. Honestly, I was so into the view and the runners I probably didn’t even need the music today. That’s amazing in itself!

After being cheered into the finishing line back in downtown Columbus, I was presented with my medal. Yes, this free race has a medal. A GREAT medal. Not just a cheap, generic thing but a full color medal of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer complete with glitter and a fake jewel for his nose. A good selection of post-race snacks was just around the corner too along with a medical tent. Again, this race is legit.

There were also tons of photographers on the course. And, yes, the pictures are free too. I’m looking forward to them being posted soon!

So, after Captain Van Dyke claimed the medal from me — as usual — we waved at some friends and headed home. I needed to rest up - the Disney Half and Full Marathons are coming up next weekend.