I had never been to Mississippi before this race. I didn’t have any preconceived notions about it other than remembering that in grade school I always thought it was the most fun state to spell.

I signed up for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon in Biloxi. It’s the biggest race in the state (or so I was told) and my sister wanted to do it so that was that. Also, December isn’t the easiest time to find races where you aren’t in danger of not being able to feel your toes due to the cold and the average temp there is in the 60s so I was a fan based on that alone.

We arrived on Saturday around lunchtime and grabbed an Uber to the hotel. We stayed at the host hotel (Beau Rivage) which was right on the beach and across the street from packet pickup and the finish line which I found very convenient. The race expo was really just a tent with bib pickup and some race swag for sale. Although fairly small it was charming and the T-shirt’s were soft which is key to a good race shirt.

After packet pickup I went to dinner with some people from the 50 States running club I’m in. It’s always nice to meet other people who enjoy talking about running as much as I do. It’s also a great way to get recommendations on other races. Everyone was really kind and welcoming.

Sunday morning they bused us to the start line. The course was almost entirely flat (which was nice) and along the beach (which was pretty). One thing I really liked about the race was a water stop every 1.5 miles. Honestly though, I got bored with the lack of change. I did notice that there was a Waffle House every mile and at one point we saw what looked like a connected Walmart and IHOP which I thought was kind of odd.

There was one little hill when we had to go up an overpass on the highway but that was it as far as elevation. That was a welcome change since I ran on several mountains this year.

The after race party was pretty legit. They gave us 6 tickets for food and drink and had options like gumbo, BBQ sandwiches, chocolate milk, and all kinds of beer. My favorite thing to drink after a race is chocolate milk so thumbs up on that aspect.

The most important part of the trip happened a couple hours later. We went to a place called The Yard. Anyone remember the song Milkshake by Kelis? Well this place sells these expensive, over the top, indulgent milkshakes. It was amazing. I ordered one called Santa’s Cookies, or something like that, that consisted of cookie dough ice cream, whipped cream, sprinkles, a vanilla coated waffle cone, and marshmallow cream. I inhaled that thing. If I ever go back to Biloxi, MS, I’ll make sure to stop by there again.

The rest of my time there consisted of trying local food, enjoying the buffet, gambling, and watching Hallmark movies in the comfort of my hotel room. And…hunting Pokemon. Don’t hate. That game is fun.

Fun Fact. Brett Favre ran this Half Marathon. He beat me though. Damn it.

Next for me is the Louisiana Marathon. I picked that because I need Louisiana and the races are connected so by doing it I’ll get an extra medal. It’s three weeks from now and it’s going to be rough. I thought that if I signed up for a January marathon my training would be better during the winter than it usually is. Turns out, even if I have the imminent pain of 26.2 miles looming, I still hate getting out in the cold and running. I’m in for a world of hurt in a few weeks. But, at least I’ll get three medals for doing two races!