Amanda Piccirilli-Hall

"...lottery for the Blue Cross Broad Street Run lottery ends Friday night at 11:59PM. We see 


This email funneled through my email last Wednesday. My finger was THIS close to registering, but I'm sorry to inform you Broad Street Run, I'm sitting this year out.

Insert runners guilt here.

I've had a GREAT four year run with the Broad Street Run, last year being my absolute favorite by LUCK, but for now I think I'm going to put this race on the back burner for a little while.

There is lots to love about the Broad Street Run: the course is amazing, running through YOUR city is a bit magical, the crowds are encouraging from start to finish, the bling is awesome, there are plenty of water stations, there are plenty of photo opps, the expo is always a fun time, and you usually ALWAYS run into a fellow runner you know!

But there is also lots I DON'T love, which is why I'm sitting out this year: The race is a little too big. With nearly 40,000 runners it's tight, from start to finish. There is some spacing after mile 3, but the final kick is tight and it's hard to pass anyone. Maybe last year because I was a bit faster, I thought the whole course was congested. With that many runners there is also a back up on the subway to get to the start and don't get me started about the line for the porta potties. It doesn't really matter where you start on race day, but for the last two years I haven't been able to start in my proper corral because I've been stuck in a bathroom line or I was barely getting off the subway in time even though I gave myself ample time to get to the start line (I'm very anal about getting to races with PLENTY of time.)

In my Fifteen in 2015 challenge I have for myself, I'm encouraging myself to try out new races and states - so sitting this one out is okay with me. The way I look at it is that I am giving someone else the opportunity to run one of Philadelphia's greatest and fastest races.

Broad Street, you were good to me, damn good to me. I can't wait to come back in the future - I hope you'll have me back. Good luck to all 2015 participants who get selected in this year's lottery. I know you will all do amazing!!!