Brian Yowler's Staging Area

Location: Bear Lake is a beautiful area to spend a few days!
Course: The Wyoming course is an out-and-back on a paved road through the cattle ranches of Wyoming with snow-capped mountains looming in the distance. Spectacular! There were even some ranchers moving their cattle down the road, so I had the incredibly unique experience of running through the herd! (twice due to out/back) The course has several uphills during the first half with a few that are challenging. Aid stations are plentiful and well-stocked. I don’t need crowd support, but if you do, you’ll need to bring your own! There’s little to no support out on the course (although the volunteers at the aid stations are awesome!).
Logistics: These are small races, so it’s easy to show up, park, and get started within a few minutes.
Swag: Although this is a 3-day series, there are unique shirts and awesome unique medals for each day/state!
Race Directors: Tricia and her sister are amazing people! They are great with communication and are clearly passionate about these races. Their enthusiasm is contagious! I loved these races!

Logistics: Deadwood is a cool little town. Parking at the rodeo grounds to catch the shuttle buses was easy. However, there are a few hotels directly across the street from marathon parking (rodeo grounds), so it would be easy to walk to the shuttle buses, if you prefer.
Races: Except for the first 1.5 miles of the full marathon (on the roads), the entire course is point-to-point on a crushed gravel rail-trail. The Half marathon is WAY more popular than the full marathon. The biggest benefit of the half is that it’s the downhill half of the course! The marathon goes uphill for the first 14 miles, then goes down for the remaining 12. As expected, I had a significant negative split (about 10 minutes). However, even being conservative, the first 14 miles definitely took a lot out of me. This is a beautiful course, but it’s not a place to set a PR.
Swag: Medals and short-sleeve t-shirts are very nice. Free race photos are also a nice bonus. If it’s important to you, the shirts and medals are not race specific (even the 5K runners got the same shirt)
Finish line: Having the race director in a tuxedo to high-five you is an awesome touch! I also enjoyed the chocolate milk and beef jerky. Shuttle buses back to the parking lot were prompt and efficient. Overall, a very well organized event.

The Wolf Creek Race Management team always put on well-organized races, and this was no exception. This was the first year for this race, but you wouldn’t know it. The 100 mile, 100K, and 20 mile races start 30 minutes apart, so the course is never crowded.
Course: The first mile is uphill on pavement and the last 2 miles are also on pavement, but the rest of the 20 mile loop is single track, Pennsylvania woods with several stream crossings (only ankle deep, though). Much of the course is very “runable” and would be relatively fast when dry. Due to rain before and during the race, most of the course was very muddy this year, but that just added to the fun!
Aid stations: Furthermore, with 5 aid stations per loop, I could race without a vest or carrying any additional nutrition/hydration.
Swag: The long-sleeve tech shirt is awesome and the finisher medal is well-designed. Perhaps the best part of the day was the fresh-grilled burgers post-race! After 4.5 hours, it sure hit the spot!

This race checked the “Texas” box for me for my 50 states, and I really loved it!
The positives:
-Flat course that’s well supported with aid stations and volunteers
-Plenty of free parking at the start (U of Houston-Sugar Land)
-Medals are nice
-1/4 zips are great!
-Plenty of portos near the start
-Well organized
-Easy for spectators (my wife parked at 1 spot and saw me 4 times)

The negatives (for some folks):
-No race day packet pick-up was frustrating. This race is small enough that race morning pick-up shouldn’t be a problem. Plus…packet pick-up ended at 3PM on Saturday.
-The course is an out-back on a 4-lane road (median in the middle) with 1 lane blocked off for runners in each direction. I felt safe the entire race, but some folks may not like the cars coming toward you in the other lane.
-It’s a fairly “boring” area. There’s just not much to look at. It’s mostly residential. This isn’t the race director’s fault…it’s just a rather dull area.
-Little/no crowd support. This doesn’t bother me, but if you are looking for a race with crowds/cheering, this isn’t for you.
-Few runners in the marathon (91 finishers), so you are running alone.
-Out/back course. You literally run the half marathon, then make a U-turn just prior to the finish line and repeat for the full marathon.
Overall: if you are looking for a simple, well-organized race, on a flat/fast course, this is for you. However, if you are looking for something with big crowds, lots of frills, etc, this may not be your race.

Relatively small race that is VERY well organized and doesn’t skimp on the extras! Every detail is considered!
-Plenty of parking at the school where the race starts
-Coffee and pre-race snacks
-Can hang out pre-race inside the cafeteria
-All-time best race shirt! (super soft hooded long-sleeve T)
-Course is out/back and out/back again for full marathon.
-Flat/Fast course
-Plentiful aid stations that were well-stocked with water, sports drink, gels
-Super enthusiastic volunteers!
-Easy and available shuttle vans back to the start for runners (and from the start to the finish for spectators!)
-5-year age group awards 3 deep!
-Great selection of post-race food at the cafeteria.
-Couldn’t ask for a better race!

After almost 50 marathons in 30 different states, this was by far the most unique and most difficult race I’ve ever completed. I can’t say “run”, because I ran very little. Unless you are a mountain goat, or an elite trail runner, be prepared to do lots and lots of hiking/walking. The course overall has 6000 feet of elevation gain, which is packed into basically 3 never-ending climbs. Even when you get to come down those climbs, they were often either too steep or too rocky for me to run. I’ve only run 1 road marathon that was over 4 hours, and that was the 2nd race of a weekend “double”. Therefore, completing this one in 7.5 hours should give you an idea of how difficult it really is!
Now…the climbs are rewarded with some of the most amazing snow-capped mountain views I’ve ever seen, so I’d suggest that the torture is worth it. Furthermore, although it’s not the 100 miler that Leadville is famous for (and the course is completely different), it’s still put on by the same folks in the same cool Colorado town. Therefore, it’s incredibly well-organized, and you feel well-supported. The aid stations are manned with awesome volunteers and stocked beyond belief!…tons of GU products, waffles, chips, pop, water, GU drinks, fruit, etc. Anything you could possibly want!
Following a few miles of much-needed downhill to the finish, you are rewarded with a red carpet-lined finish, a nice medal, a “finishers” coffee mug, a few cold beers, and a BBQ pork sandwich. You also get emailed FREE race photos, which you will definitely want from this one!

Theme: This was a wonderful race in a small, Kansas town. Furthermore, with it being the hometown of Eisenhower, there’s a great theme of “Ike” that “runs” through the shirts, medals, etc. The “I like Ike” finisher medals are easily one of my favorites! In addition, the race starts/finishes at the Eisenhower library/museum/home! Unfortunately, due to COVID, they were all closed in 2021, but in future years, it would be a great experience to enjoy post-race.
Course: As expected, the course is relatively flat. There are a few hills, but nothing major. I actually appreciated running OUT of town to enjoy the beauty of the fields of Kansas. Looping through the park was also a nice addition, especially to get some shade on a sunny day. I only have 2 “areas for improvement”: 1. There were no mile markers. In the days of GPS, it’s likely not necessary, but it’s nice to confirm where you are on the course. 2. Coming out of the park, there needs to be someone directing folks in the correct direction. (I saw a few folks turn to go back toward the start after their first loop…which was wrong) Otherwise, I really liked the course, as well as the timing mats at all of the turn arounds.
Overall, for his first year as RD, Steve Cathey did a great job! He was present at packet pick-up and made sure to go over the map with us. He also was very present on race day, which is a great sign. I saw him repeatedly go out on the course and run toward the finish with many of the last finishers. He clearly loves this race and has a passion for his community.
I highly recommend this Kansas race!

Super small, inaugural race with only 20 marathoners, but excellent organization! Race started on time, just after the RD gave a full description of the course. There were volunteers at all road crossings and turns, so it was easy to navigate the course. Runner tracking, wooden medals, and nice, soft tech shirts were all nice touches, especially for such a small race.
There are a few hills in the first 6 miles, but after that, it’s all on a rail trail. Therefore, there are slight inclines/declines, but overall, a very pleasant run through the woods of CT.
Due to CoVID, there was no transportation available from the finish back to the start, but Uber was readily available. I would highly recommend this race for anyone looking for a fall marathon in the Northeast.

Very small race on a combination of paved and gravel paths. The half-marathon course consists of 2 out-and-backs. Full marathoners repeat that course twice. There is a very long 2-mile hill on the course, so this isn’t a PR race. However, the views of Lake Mead are incredible, as well as the 4 tunnels that you run through. Furthermore, the small size of this race make logistics, parking, bathrooms, etc. super easy. I HIGHLY recommend this race, especially if you are looking for a Nevada marathon.

Did I mention the hills? Being from Pittsburgh, I’m no stranger to hills, but I didn’t expect so many in the Midwest. This course is tough. My garmin said over 1200 feet of elevation gain! You do get some nice downills coming back into the city, but then miles 22-25 are filled with uphills. The last mile is a relatively steep downhill, but at that point, you’ve given up lots of time climbing in the previous miles.
However, if you’re not looking to PR, it’s a nice race. The swag is great (soft cotton T, Goodr sunglasses, beer/BBQ at the finish, etc) and the race is well organized.

I’ve run over 30 marathons, and this was the hilliest (and 2nd slowest) race I’ve run. There are 3 hills that are almost a mile long and several steep ones in the last few miles that are clearly added intentionally. It’s a tough race. The reward is that there are amazing views of the city and the mountains in a few places.

This race is flat and would make a good PR course. However, as a northerner, this is not the “Florida” that I imagined. None of the course goes through the city of Jacksonville or near the water. It’s all residential. It was also really humid, which made for a very difficult race.

So many things to love here:
Point-to-point race
Take the train to the start!
Giant balloons as mile markers (so motivating to see a balloon!)
Beautiful scenery next to the lake
Fun, beautiful area!

Logistically, it can be a challenge. To make things cheaper, I stayed at an AirBnB in Queens, so my trip on race morning involved a train, a boat, and a bus. But…it’s all part of the experience, right? Overall, I loved the course, and didn’t find it too difficult…until the climb at mile 23 to get into Central Park. That hill put a fork in me. The worst part is the WALK after the finish to get your poncho and food bag! I had to stop several times along the way. My legs had 26.2 in them and not another step more. But…it’s an incredible race with spectators lining the streets the entire way! What a thrill!

I ran this one because I needed a Maine marathon for 50 states, and this fit into our summer vacation schedule. Otherwise, I’d pick a more scenic race for Maine. Overall, this race was fine. It’s 2-loops of a very rolling course. On a warm day, I was toast after the 1st loop. It’s not a PR/BQ kind of course.
Pros: The singlet instead of a shirt was nice! Anything different is always welcome! Having the indoor space to relax pre-race was nice as well. In addition, the post-race massage was fantastic.