Teresa Lawson's Staging Area

Humid (96%) and warm (75). Bring a head lamp. Race starts at 5am and that’s good so that you can get a lot of the race in before sunrise. The race website didn’t mention this, so some were running in the dark on very dark roads. Race course is well marked with arrows/markers spray painted on the pavement. The problem with that is you can’t see that running in the dark unless again you have a headlamp. I added more pros/cons below. It’s an ok race to check the box of saying you did one in MS. Wouldn’t say I’d do it again. Town of Tupelo was a nice place to visit.
Pros: Water stations were plentiful, well-spaced, and the people manning them were wonderful; packet pickup process; early race start time to combat heat; good photo banner at the end; plenty porta-potties and well spaced throughout the course.
Improvement opportunities: Communication and race website information; post race snacks weren’t that much (water and an apple or banana);

Great scenery, great challenge, great aid stations with plenty of variety. Great people! Only disappointment was no medal. Unique swag though as you get a bag of grits instead of a medal. Great post-race atmosphere to hang out and listen to music. The hills are absolutely gnarly but such a great feeling to accomplish and complete them.

I grew up in this area and love where the race is held. It’s beautiful and rugged. The course is difficult but wonderful at the same time. The people who put on the race are amazing and so kind. This race isn’t fancy with blaring start line music, microphones, huge banners, or aid stations every 2 miles. The start is a simple lineup with brief instructions and the course is well marked. The 20K distance has 1 aid station. The aid stations are well stocked with good snacks as well as Tailwind and water. You will not PR and likely finish slower than you wish, but you’ll see amazing sites and be blessed by some of the best people. Usually a small event with small crowds. There’s a good pre-race dinner the night before if you wish to participate and food at the finish line.

I love all VR produced races. They are well run with great swag in great locations. Rocky Mountain was no exception. Great snack boxes and volunteers. The half marathon is mostly downhill after the 5.5 mile mark which is really welcome. Mile 1.5 to 5.5 is a gradual consistent uphill. But after you hit that 5.5 mile mark, the road turns downhill and the views are grand. Great course.

I love all VR produced races. They are well run with great swag in great locations. Mt Rainier was no exception. Friendly people and great snack boxes. I also love that VR always asks for feedback and they’re transparent on what they got wrong and need to improve.

The Red Cedar is a challenge but one that was such fun. It’s well organized, small numbers, and everyone is friendly. All the runners were smiling and happy to be on the trails. There’s creek crossings, rocks, hills, and miles of challenge. It’s got a super ample time allowance for finishing too. It’s not chip timed but I don’t care about such things. 🙂

Loved participating in this great trail race. Small crowd, create swag. Awesome aid stations with great snacks. Wonderful nice people. Would definitely recommend. Course is hard with over 1200 feet total elevation gain, but it’s well organized and its small size makes it a gem. It also raises money for orphans in Honduras. Win, win, win!

Loved my first time running the Flying Pig. Great views, an awesome race mascot, great volunteers, and a city that embraces the race wholeheartedly. There’s some gnarly hills but a great downhill toward the end. The course crosses 3 bridges over the river too. A good race that I’d run again.

The difficult rating is spot on! Definitely a butt-kicker but worth the burn. VR never disappoints in course selection or scenery. The first 3 miles on a gravel road was ok and the rest is on nicely paved road. Miles 5 – 8 were up, up, and up. I walked those miles and most everyone around me did as well. Mile 8 started a great downhill section that was a welcome respite. One last hill at mile 11.5 and then down to the finish line in Keystone. The pacers were great and really helped on the hills and ultimately finishing in my desired time. VR always has plenty of great snacks in a nice to go box when you finish so that you don’t have to eat right away and can try some great products later. I loved that there was a festival in Keystone on race day. It made for a great day enjoying the town after the race!

Yellowstone was an all trail run course. I did the back to back weekends (Tetons/Yellowstone). After 8 days prior of running and then hiking daily in the mountains, my performance wasn’t great. I also struggled with the altitude. Not the race’s fault, I wish my body would do more! The course was challenging for me with lots of rocky, uneven trail. I still love Vacation Races and would do this race again. Vacation Races always does an excellent job with race organization, communication, and giving helpful detailed info. The swag and race merchandise variety is always great too. The Tetons/Yellowstone races are a definite must do.

The views in this race are absolutely stunning. I had a hard time with the altitude but loved the views. I stopped and took pictures several times along the route. You see the Tetons the whole route and the finish line is breathtaking. It’s worth the race just for the finish line. Vacation Races does an excellent job of communicating what to expect and helping you. You should do this race for sure!

Official race was cancelled but with travel already paid for I went to location and ran race anyway. Beautiful scenery with super nice park rangers.

I love the Vacation Races produced runs. This is a gem that goes thru the back roads of Townsend TN. It’s rolling hills and flat, making it a very approachable race.

Nice virtual race with good swag. A great way to stay active during the pandemic. Good experience with website and with receiving swag timely from the company.

The best part of this race is the views! Right along the ocean for a good portion of the race. Saw a whale while I was running just after sunrise. Course is pretty flat and the locals are really nice.

This is truly a great starter sprint triathlon. The starter run through the cave is great. The bike leg isn’t too hard and have great scenery and the kayak is challenging with wonderful scenery. Kayak was challenging for me because I have weak arm strength but was still doable. The race production went smoothly and the volunteers were super nice. I’d do this one again!

Nice half marathon with good organization. Good hotel available right at start/finish line. Course runs along the road and through neighborhoods. You can see some of the backwaters at times, but most of the time you can’t see the water. When I ran the event, the wind was very strong. It was taking 1 step forward and being blown 2 steps backward. Nice police presence along roads.

Love Vacation Races. The 5K that’s part of the Great Smoky Mountain weekend is run on a paved greenway thru Townsend and loops a large field. The field most people prefer to walk as it’s very uneven ground. Still the production from VR is always top class.

The Oak Barrel has great middle TN scenery, wonderful swag, and an awesome after race food party. Whiskey Hill is a butt kicker to tackle but creates a great sense of accomplishment when you reach the top. The April race date in TN can be either warm or some years it can snow. It snowed at the start in 2018. The locals are wonderful and it’s a well organized race.

The Middle Half is a fairly flat course for middle TN. The course runs thru college campus, downtown, around the square, and along some main highways. It’s not the most majestic scenery but the sections around the town square and thru historic downtown are great. The local people are always great and full of smiles.

Ran this race for the 5th time in 2017. It’s a great way to see iconic views of Nashville and the music stages along the race make for a unique experience. It’s a large race with well over 30K runners.

Loved this small town race with beautiful scenery, awesome after race food, and the best part is the local people! Each water station is a competition and runners vote for best station.

Ran the 19.3 miles (10K + Half) Dumbo Double Dare in 2014. Fun race and got to meet Jeff Galloway. Course is flat from what I remember. Fun weekend.

Great production, swag, race, and all things Disney. It’s greatly in your benefit to stay on Disney property. Race start is super early due to needing to complete before part opens. It’s also expensive because it’s Disney. If you love Disney, it’s a great race to run.

This was my first ever half marathon back in 2010 and I walked it. It was the start of my journey to discovering a love for running that would lead me to run this race many times over the years. Race is heavily attended. Music stages are great along the route.