Austin Aispuro's Staging Area

My wife and I completed the Hangover Half Series together, which contains 2 5Ks & a Half Marathon. Whenever we signed up, the price for these 3 races, along with the swag & medals, are well worth the price, especially when that price is cheaper than most major Half Marathon or Full Marathon races. With signing up, we got a baseball/3 quarter sleeve length shirt, a beanie cap, tech gloves, and either a 1/4 zip pullover or a long sleeve hooded shirt if you sign up for the series.
We were both happy about the 9am start time since, by the time we finished the NYE race and got back to our hotel and settled for bedtime, it was close to 2am, so getting up to do our pre race fuel prep and getting to the starting line was rough. The start and finish line was the same as the night before so it was convenient for us to just step out to the start line if the weather got bad that morning. the first 1.5 miles & the last 1.5 miles were part of the 5k from the night before so we had some familiar routes. After the first 1.5 miles (and first water stop), you will continue straight, pass the 10k & turn around point, and run along the other side of the river until you topside along the street & make your way along the bike path. You will eventually pass the one and only portapotty near a water stop (mile 4 & mile 8) towards a turn around point. You’ll then make your way along a golf course which has some uneven asphalt path until you get back to the other side of the river. You’ll make your way to a bridge & another water stop, that’ll take you to the other side of the river & the 10K/first loop point and you’ll repeat what you just did. Once you finish the loop and make your way back to the 10K point of the course, you’ll turn around and make your way back towards the finish line, where you’ll pass the 1st water stop again and repeat the last part of the 5k from the night before. The 3 water stops they course had along that you hit up twice only had water. it would have been great if they had some electrolytes, fruit or easy carb for an extra boost and maybe an extra toilet or 2 at one of the other stops. Post race had a nice side blingy medal, along with hot chocolate, coffee, donuts, granola bars, and bananas. They were even selling extra/leftover swag if you wanted to take home extra.
Overall this race series was amazing! The production of it was great, the course was simple to follow, SWAG was one of the best, and you can’t beat the price for what you get out of it. It’s a fun race series to participate in over the holiday break. for Half Marathon 50 staters, it’s a great one to add in if you’re looking to a Kansas race. and take your time on leaving to get back home, you will be exhausted after finishing this, so be sure to take a nap between 5ks and stay an extra night after the half to get caught up on rest and to check out the city.

My wife and I completed the Hangover Half Series together, which contains 2 5Ks & a Half Marathon. Whenever we signed up, the price for these 3 races, along with the swag & medals, are well worth the price, especially when that price is cheaper than most major Half Marathon or Full Marathon races. With signing up, we got a baseball/3 quarter sleeve length shirt, a beanie cap, tech gloves, and either a 1/4 zip pullover or a long sleeve hooded shirt if you sign up for the series.
This race started at 5pm and was an optional beer run, if you don’t drink beer, they had root beer available. If you signed up for the beer run, you got to take home a plastic beer stein with the race logo on it. This race was also in El Dorado, KS which was about 30-40 minute drive east of suggested hotel in Wichita & the start line of the 2 other races.
The Race had 5 beer stops total (2 at the start/finish line and 3 along the race route, which was a down and back). Starting area was just outside a community building so it was nice that this was available in case the weather got bad. Volunteers along the race course were very friendly and helpful on letting you know where to go and to help with local small town traffic, especially whenever it got dark & it got difficult to see the chalk arrows along the race path. The Race route was mostly along a bike/walking trail that went though downtown and the local park. Stops along the route only had beer and possibly water, but i don’t recall seeing any water cups or bottles available.
Post race/finish line was your last beer stop, along with your finisher medal, chili and cornbread. Winners of each age group got a pint glass and the winners of the beer run got a pint glass and a case of local beer. We definitely recommend this entire series or if your looking for a fun run with alcohol, then be sure to check this one out.

The Bear Lake Utah Marathon & Half is a race that can be ran on it’s own or if you want to challenge yourself, you can sign up for the Trifecta and take home some additional swag and bragging rights. The trifecta is a great way to gain membership or level up if you are a member of Half Fanatics, Marathon Maniacs or the 50 States Club.
Below are some pros and cons from what me and some of the other runners thought about the race.
scenery- Different kind of scenery today than from the previous races. Along with the white cap mountains & countryside, you get a beautiful view of the lake, neighborhoods & the town of Garden City. This is what I’ve been wanting to see at all 3 races.
Aid stations – Like the previous 2 races for the half, they had 3 ad stations (5 total since the course was a down and back) and they were fully stocked with water, electrolytes, gu, jelly beans, pretzels and a ports potty. Just like the previous 2 races, a negative about the aid stations were they would sometimes run out of cups and toilet paper. It was an issue for the back of the pack runners and most marathoners.
Course – This course was a down & back with mostly paved roads with about 2 miles of trail near the turn around point. The start and finish was in the grass at a small park in downtown Garden City. Once you leave the park area & cross the street, the first 2.5-3 miles, you’re running on a narrow bike path next to the main street, which was great because i felt safe not having to worry about oncoming traffic. Once you make the turn at the lighthouse, you run about 2 miles through some neighborhoods. Just before the second ad station ( & 4th on your way back) you run up a steep hill, but once you get to the top, be sure to turn around and check out the view. When you get to the 5 mile marker, you start making your way towards a trailer park & the beginning of the trail part of the course. It’s an uneven packed country dirt road with large rocks with a gradual incline up to the 3rd ad station & turn around point. Negative – Since I’ve only ran paved courses, it would have been nice to know how much of the course was going to be trail so i could have been better prepared with my training & gear. Still felt odd starting and finishing the course on grass rather than in the parking lot area. My wife is a back of the back runner so on her way towards the finish line, some of the people in the neighborhoods along the course were out mowing, which with her allergies, made it difficult for her to breathe. If the RD could make it know to the community about what is happening during the day, maybe that would help some of the others still out on the course.
Pre & Post Race – Packet pickup for this race was either the day before the first race, the day prior or the morning of the race. You get a tech shirt, drawstring bag, local sponsor swag, and the choice of either a mug or buff. Post race, whenever you finished, you got a nice size medal with a ribbon showing the state and under the pavilion, they had fruit, water and pizza from a local sponsor. If you placed in your age group or overall, you got a gold medal (which they didn’t have available on the first day so they brought them on the second day). They had an announcer and music playing throughout post race so even if you’re a back of the pack runner, everyone is cheering and are happy to see you finish. At this race, they had a local sponsor selling beer & another one handing out ice cream sandwiches.
Con – Like the previous races, a lot of the swag and medals were from the previous year so some people got a medal with a bears head on it (this years design), some got a medal with a bear paw on it (last years design) & some got a different color than others. When i finished, i got a blue medal, but whenever my wife finished her race, she got a yellow one. i had to go get swap out mine so that we matched. Some runners didn’t like the new design because it didn’t say ‘half marathon’ on it. If you ran all 3 races in the trifecta, you got a flask. If you were a marathoner that ran all 3 races, you got a belt buckle. Me & some of the other runners were also expecting to get a separate “Trifecta” medal as well but i never saw any out on the table at the finish line. There was also some confusion about if you registered early, you would get a free hoodie. Me, my wife & some other runners registered in June whenever it first opened up & some runners registered during a Black Friday sale. The RD came by the table & honored what the previous owners of the event promised & we got a hoodie for finishing the event.
Even though the course had trails, I will still say that Utah was my favorite out of the 3 courses. All 3 races had amazing course support & volunteers to help everyone make it through this challenging endurance event. With what this RD & his staff was able to do within the 6 weeks prior to the start of this, I have no doubt that any hiccups that they had will be fixed & this will be THE summer event for every runner. I would still recommend this to any runner who’s looking for a challenge & i look forward to trying this again in the near future.

The Bear Lake Idaho Marathon & Half is a race that can be ran on it’s own or if you want to challenge yourself, you can sign up for the Trifecta and take home some additional swag and bragging rights. The trifecta is a great way to gain membership or level up if you are a member of Half Fanatics or Marathon Maniacs. When we signed up for this series, a different company was putting together this race but about six weeks prior to the event, someone new bought the race and it was surprising how organized these races were. Below are some pros and cons from what me and some of the other runners thought about the race.
scenery- throughout the race you are surrounded by countryside and mountains. A negative about the scenery was that the location for this race changed 3 times and the first two times, we had the chance to run by the lake.
Aid stations – For the half, they had 3 ad stations (5 total since the course was a down and back) and they were fully stocked with water, electrolytes, gu, jelly beans, pretzels and a ports potty. The only negative about the aid stations were they would sometimes run out of cups and toilet paper. It was an issue for the back of the pack and most marathoners.
Course – Mostly flat course throughout with some small inclines. Negative- since we ran out in the country, the roads were 90% rocky dirt roads with pot holes and loose gravel throughout and there was no trees for shade from the sun.
Pre & Post Race – Packet pickup was either the day before or the morning of the race. If you picked up your pack the day before, you got a tech shirt, drawstring bag sponsor swag and the choice of either a mug or buff. If you picked up the day of the race, you got a different design shirt and drawstring bag and a buff. Post race, whenever you finished you got a nice size medal with a ribbon showing the state and under the pavilion, they had fruit, water and pizza from a local sponsor. If you placed in your age group or overall, you got a gold medal (which they didn’t have available on the first day. They had an announcer and music playing throughout post race so even if you’re a back of the pack runner, everyone is cheering and are happy to see you finish.
Con – a lot of the swag and medals were from the previous year so some people got a medal with a bears head on it (this years design) and some got a medal with a bear paw on it (last years design). Some runners didn’t like the new design because it didn’t say ‘half marathon’ on it. I also was expecting that we would get a shirt for each state we were in but for the size of the race, I’m okay with what we got.
Overall it was a good race to run. Not my favorite of the 3 but If the current race director was able to get all this done within 6 weeks, I’m sure next years series will be well worth it.

This is the second time I’ve participated in this race & i feel like they know how to do a race right!
My wife and I did the Cowtown Challenge (5K or 10K on Saturday, Half, Full or Ultra on Sunday) so we can get the extra swag & it was worth. Along with the shirts & medals for both races, you also get a challenger medal & an extra piece of swag (this year it was a 16oz tumbler). The 5K was a nice distance around the expo building and through the botanical garden nearby. Beer, bananas, yogurt & other post race essentials were waiting for us after we picked up our swag.

The Expo was enjoyable. Not as crazy and crowded as last years 40th anniversary run, so we were able to walk through it without running into a lot of people. Well laid out with an assortment of different vendors.

The Sunday race started off cold in the high 30s but once the race started and the sun started coming out, it became more comfortable. I love the waterfall corral setup with 4-5 minute intervals, makes it feel less congested and chaotic so you’re not having to dip and dodge slower runners. The race had some nice rolling hill throughout the run, taking you through some neighborhoods out to the Historic Stockyards before making your way back towards the finish line. Once you enter the stockyards, it’s about a half mile of brick road with a few uneven spots but there is some great crowd support to keep you motivated. At mile 9, you’ll run into the steepest hill on the Half course, at least a half mile until you pass the courthouse and make your way through the sundance square & the split point. Mile 10-11 is another steep hill but then it’s mostly downhill until you reach mile 12, there it’s a gradual uphill run until the finish line.
After you finish the race, i got my medal, some water, a lightweight mylar jacket, & post race food (Bananas, Chicken soup, yogurt, fruit, & ice cream). They had a beer in the post race area but it took almost 20-30 minutes for them to start serving runners. My only complaint about the post race experience is that i wish there were some vendors or food trucks there to supply runners with more heartier food (ex, BBQ, Tacos, Sandwiches, etc.)
This was the last of a 3 part race series with medals that connect to each other, so i’m looking forward to seeing what they do for 2020, whether it’s part of another series or they change it up to something different. Me and my wife will be running this again next year & I think i’ll be signing up for the full.

This was my first half marathon in Missouri & my first half as a fanatic & it was a fun experience. Me & my wife stayed at the Westin, which is right outside the start & finish line, across the street from packet pick-up and it hosted the maniac & fanatic VIP area. The expo was smaller than what i expected but had everything you need race day & vendors to get custom swag along with your long sleeve hooded t-shirt you get with registration.
The weather was perfect on race day. i have 2 complaints about the starting area: 1) it was one long corral. i wish they had some breaks in the corral so i could’ve gotten with my pace group & 2) the 10K runners should’ve started with the 5K runners (i feel like that this would’ve helped with the crowd at the start of the race & with a 6hr time limit for the full, there still would have been plenty of time for those that are not runners).
All the talk about the hills with this race is an understatement. It was the most challenging race with hills I’ve done since running Tulsa’s RT. 66 half. This race took you through most of downtown KC with a few miles going through neighborhoods. The first 1.5-2 miles of the half is a steady incline until you run downhill towards the 5k mark. Another incline around mile 5-10k mark with the last half of the race is a gradual incline & rolling hills until mile 12, which is all downhill until the finish.
The finishers area is in the park between the start & finish line with most of the vendors from the expo including custom swag (i bought a pullover with KC finisher logo). This year they had free beer & BBQ sandwich which was delicious (Boulevard wheat was the best) & after checking everything else out i went back up to the VIP area at the Westin & relaxed with additional amenities as i waited for my wife to finish her race.
If you’re looking for a challenging race & needing to knock out Missouri as one of your 50 states, i highly recommend this one. I would love to run this one again in the near future & hopefully improve my time.

Me, My fiancee & her parents ran this half marathon together. This was my first time running the Russvegas half & i couldn’t be happier with the experience!
It felt like the whole town was involved with the race, cheering everyone on as they ran past their “spirit station”, as you run throughout the town. The support alone will make me want to run in this race again.
The course is fairly flat with a steep hill at an overpass before you get to mile 12. You start the race downtown as you run along a few neighborhoods, onto main street out to the lake, run past some farm fields, back into town, you run through the college as you make your way back to the finish about 2 blocks away from where you start.
The finisher medal is nice! Any medal that lights up and spins has to be added to your collections.
The packet pickup/expo was fairly small. mostly the sponsors tent with 1-2 canopies for race gear/russvegas apparel but the race pullover was really nice & they had some great deals on previous race years apparel.
We will definitely run this race again soon. We cant wait to go back!

Had a fun time in Tulsa with this race. The expo was in a different location than where they had the starting line. Had a great start to the race. there was a few areas to where they had construction along the course but still had some beautiful sights to see. Two issues: 1) i had finished the race, & the restrooms were outside the finishers area, whenever i tried to go back into the area for the food, i wasnt allowed back in. Also, you had to pay for a finishers shirt. normally this would come with your registration after you finished but this wasn’t available. we still got our registration jacket and medal.

Fun Sunday race with a St. Patty’s day theme. The Race course takes you along one of the neighborhoods near Fassler Hall. The start of the race had a very short declining hill so whenever you get towards the finish, it’s going a short, steep incline. Along with a green shirt, you get a nice size finishers medal & 2 green beers if you’re over 21. It’s a fun race with a huge turnout (over 700 runners)

Cold, Thanksgiving morning to participate in a Thanksgiving Day Race, but the production of it was amazing. They also have an area at the start line to make a donation to Toys for Tots. Race swag & medal looked great. Start & finish line was downtown near the Memorial so you get a great scenic view of Bricktown during this race.
This race is a must if you’re in OKC over the Thanksgiving break & want to burn some calories before you eat 5000 during the holiday meal.