Some months ago, my older brother Greg called up and said “Hey Matt, I’m running this half-marathon up in Middleton, Wisconsin called the Haunted Hustle.  I think it would be something you and Steph would like.  We could run it together.”

I was intrigued.  First off, I’m a runner and being that this was a Halloween themed course (complete with costume contest), it looked a lot of fun.  Steph thought it would be a good chance to set a new PR in the half-marathon.  She’s set a 5K and Marathon PR this year, why not collect the whole set?  Plus, while I have run literally hundreds of races with my twin brother, in over 25+ years of running, I’ve never run an actual race with my older brother.  Yes, we’ve run in the same race but never together.  So this was a chance to correct that grievous error.

On top of that, Greg suggested making it a family weekend – Steph and I could come up and run the race.  Mom and Dad could come up, spend a weekend with the kids and grand kids.  We’d all have a grand time, or so the premise went.  So we signed up and started training.

The course was fun – a mix of city streets, bike paths, and off road trails plus some really slick bridges and foot paths.  Greg and I stuck together all 13.1 miles.  Whereas some running partners might boost each others spirits with motivational chants or encouragement, it appears the Hughes boys use sarcasm.  For instance, when Greg was starting to feel the pace, I helpfully reminded him that this entire thing was his idea and he’s no longer allowed to pick family vacations.  But hey, it worked so who am I to complain?

Greg and I came in at 1:42:06, impressive considering neither of us had a goal in mind.  Steph was just behind at 1:49:31, a new Personal Record and topping her goal of breaking 1:50.

We all picked up some nice shiny medals and a great long sleeve tech shirt.  Afterwards, we got to spend some quality time with the parents and my niece and nephew.  A pretty good weekend, I have to say.