April Brown's Staging Area

Difficulty: there were some inclines. Nothing significant. But it was at the beginning at end! The road was super slippery… then sticky when going through the aid stations. Elevation map uploaded. Nothing technical.

Scenery was nice. Right through downtown Barcelona. You can see the course map. It is a city, so more historically scenic than greenery

Production. Expo was small. The typical sale stuff: clothes, gels, etc. they don’t reserve tshirt sizes so by mid day on the last day of the expo there were no more medium shirts. The shirts themselves were quite nice. Very lightweight. Didn’t like that they were white though. That’s about all that came with the registration. Also a one way metro/ bus pass. But perhaps they ran out of those too bc my friend who picked up packet on the last day didn’t get one.
During the race there were plenty of aid stations with water & electrolytes. Further on they had gels, bananas and oranges. I think they had every km marker posted which I really liked. Miles they had 5 mile increments (I think).
The crowd support was great. Lots of people yelling your name. It was so good i would run during when I was supposed to walk!!
After, they had the medal and a cloth bag with fruit and vitamin drink.

I stayed at hostel 360 which was GREAT location. A block from start line, and Literally right by the finish line. But if you have a car/ need a cab, be careful- bc you’ll have to walk to an accessible point as the road in front of the hotel was blocked.
But the hostel will store your stuff for you after check out if you are not staying another night, and you can still shower.
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I also did the Bimbo breakfast run. 3k.
There was 2k people on a 3k course. Lots of stop and go points bc it got congested. This isn’t a run you’re going to PR on unless you’re in the very front maybe. Decent amount of incline. The post run breakfast was a cup of coffee and a half a sandwich. But they did have vegetarian arms gluten free option. The line was long but moved decently quick. Took me 15 min to get through. But… the run and breakfast were free. Packet pick up was at the expo. Came with a loaf of bread and some bread sticks. Scenic.

(That run was not accounted for in the ranking).

(Note from an foreigner perspective).

Difficulty: Elevation map uploaded. 2 rating is because some of the run is on cobble stone road so uneven surfaces. And there are tons of stray dogs that will run out in front of you … such is Turkiye! But no real hills. Temperature was great!

Scenery – As a foreigner, I thought it was great. Started and ended by the Great Mosque down town. Other historical sites (that I don’t know what they are) were passed as well. Perhaps a local might have a different rating… but I took lots of pictures.

Production – Obviously not speaking Turkish impacts stuff, but can’t hold that against the race producers. Packet pick up was day before. Easy process…. once I realized I had to sign a waiver and find my bib number! No expo. You sign the waiver, bring it to the bib people, then go to the other table for your goodie bag! Pre race, there was warm ups led. Relatively clean bathrooms. Road closures for safety. Distance signs at 5,10,15,18,21k. Water bottle stations approx every 5k… but no energy sources. Post race there was free coffee, fruit, bread, massages (when I got there, there was no line!), and lots of dancing and music. Great environment. This is my second Turkey run, and both of them have a banner printed with all the runners names! It’s pretty cool…. except there was no order so it took me forever to find my name!

Swag – Picture uploaded. The only complaint is that they do not keep sizes… so recommend early pick up or you’ll get whatever shirt size they have left. They also apparently give out the medal in your swag bag… which I thought was pretty funny. If medals are your thing… this one is nothing to brag about.

Overall, with currency exchange, the run was <30USD. So, absolutely zero complaints about the run. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Also of note, the Turkish report age based on year of birth, not DOB. So if you turn ie 60 later that calendar year, you will be in the 60 age group for that run.

Difficulty- 2… but really only not that bad. Over all slow steady incline to the half way point. Slow downhill on the way back. Elevation pic uploaded. The path was on a gravel bike trail . Kind of narrow but not really an issue except when you passed a group of bikers. And it was hot.
– scenery- through a park the whole time. Saw some birds, 1 deer, a frog, and lots of greenery and water.
-production- no complaints. They ended up doing a split start for the half marathon. They started a group at 0840 as well as the planned 0900 start to spread out runners. There were the 4 anticipated aid stations. First being at the start line. The second one didn’t have gel out as anticipated which is unfortunate as I skipped it at the start anticipating one ahead. But other than that. Water, electrolytes, and CarbBoom at the stops.
I did my packet pick up day of. Super easy. They only had large and small shirts left. Not sure if that’s based on orders, or if they were running out. Thankfully I’m a small. Shirt was a cotton tee. Medal was race specific (No date or distance on it) and very small (I don’t mind small ones, but I do prefer year specific!) image uploaded. At packet pick up day of they had bagel and cream cheese, coffee, bananas, 2 different kind of cliff bars and 2 granola bars.
After, they had Ethiopian food as advertised. It was phenomenal.
-swag – other than shirt and medal there were none.
Overall it was a nice run. Definitely not recommended if you’re looking for big production/ fancy swag. But overall- was nice.

COURSE DIFFICULTY: rolling hills. Wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. But I don’t have hills to train on! Additionally there is a portion of unpaved road. Really we’d give it a 2.5.
SCENERY- ran by the water and under a covered bridge. Very beautiful area.
PRODUCTION: instructions were clear. Plenty of parking. There were 8 bathrooms, they were all clean and still had TP by the end. There was packet pick up day of- which for an out of towner is very helpful! But I cannot comment on the existence or quality of a pre-run expo. Post run there was bagels with cream cheese, water, popcorn, oranges/ apples/bananas. During the run, the aid stations were stocked with tea flavored electrolyte beverages (which I didn’t think was bad, but my co-runners didn’t care for them) and water. They also had bathrooms at the 5k,10k, and half turn arounds (which were very clearly announced at the beginning). Also, the mile markings I found to be very accurate! The overall organization was good, but just low on amenities as Is expected for a small town run.
SWAG – there was none. The t-shirt was optional, it was a cotton tee (picture uploaded). We did not buy it. No extra swag. Race cost was only $60.

Elevation map, medal, tee, and a couple scenery pics uploaded

– I was a late registrant and signed up at expo. They had coupon codes, which I didn’t see until after… But it’s nice they had them. I was also on a time crunch so I didn’t really get to explore. But they handed out free jerkey!

– overall the course wasn’t difficult. Elevation uploaded in pictures. There were a couple hills but they weren’t terrible.

– scenary… Meh..it was OK. It went through JBSA which – if you’re not military – is prob pretty cool. Lots of Navy and Army support… I don’t know where the AF was! Also they had like half a mile of names and pictures of KIA. Very humbling.

– no complaints on the production. The only major thing was that there was difficulty finding bag drop… I think the map could have specified that the drop was BEHIND city hall vs pointing to the back of a square. Also. More port a potties would have been nice. There were constantly lines at them. Some were straight up across a parking lot! (Not sure if these were normally there or part of the race). Otherwise organization was good. Ooh. My other complaint would be that when you come to aid stations and water is in the right and Gatorade on the left….apparently not all of it on the left is Gatorade. I tried to go for the tables further back to get Gatorade…. But they were water. Only one station with gels. 2 bio freeze areas. 4-5 folks handing out beer or whisky.

– swag… For the price of the run I thought it was kind if skimpy. A reusable plastic string bag, athletic shirt and medal. Post run there were lots of snack options. Tons of jerkey, granola bars, water / Gatorade, fruit, cheese it’s. I didn’t get to stay and explore the other stuff though.

Over all. Very nice run. Would have been nice to run past the Alamo. Cost was pretty hefty. But the military memorial row was very humbling.

-They say you get what you pay for.
Well , when the race is $5 (which later became free) expectations are low. But it greatly exceeded it.
-I didn’t get to do the expo so I’m not sure how that was. Packet pick up at the start was a breeze. Goodies consisted of your cotton Tshirt.
– route was mostly street with excellent safety coverage. There was part that was on a gravel trail. It was mostly flat with a rude hill around mile 7.5 (elevation picture uploaded). Scenery was nice. Ran through a couple of parks.
– production was great. Lots of port a johns at the start… but there were still lines (thank goodness for chip start times!). Hand washing stations, too. Race started on time. There were aid stations no more than 2 miles apart. Mostly the consisted of Gatorade , water, and gu (at every station!). some had m&ms, pretzels, gummy bears & pickle juice. For a free run in a small town, cheer squad was very sufficient. I’ve had way better and way worse.
-swag: cotton Tee and a medal. But post run support was great. Chocolate pie, water, fruit, coffee , hot dogs, chips, heater stations, the normal long free massage booth, music, and then stuff to purchase (Iv fluids, bread, energy stuff, beer, etc). So it gets a 5 shoe review from me! Perhaps had I paid a normal entry fee cost, I would rate the swag at 3. But it was above and beyond for what I paid.
– I recommend this run for sure.

Difficulty/ course: the start was kind of congested. If you’re going for a PR make sure to get in front. They could prob benefit from doing waves next time. sure, there were hills, but there were also horses and camel!! It had rained the days before and the race directors warned of the mud in the road (… I don’t think that was mud!). Elevation map uploaded in pics. Additionally, there were TEN aid stations, and in between the aid stations there were coolers of ice!! And many people left their sprinklers on for you to run through.
-scenery: did I mention camels and horses? Beautiful farm land all around… of course it comes with the fresh aroma of the farm land, but hey, it just adds to the full experience!
Production: super smooth! Packet pick up was a breeze! Pre run bathrooms were the quickest I’ve seen- even for the crowd as big as it was! Post run meal line was kind of long, but moved fast as there were 2 lanes. Food was grilled chicken, brats, hot dogs, and potato salad. Plus there was a little known rib stand right in front so you could get your appetizer. The massage booth was as would be expected, but the wait was worth it!!
Swag- whoopie pie and a tech shirt. Some folks said the shirts were small, but they seemed good to me (but I’ma small person!) I did buy a previous year’s shirt a size smaller and they were actually the same size! So something to ask about when ordering your shirt! If you ran the 5k and the half you got your choice of a hand made serving tray, cutting board, or water bottle! (Water bottle wasn’t home made). I’m sure no one has made it this far without knowing about the medals. Yes. They’re heavy.
– we stayed in a airbnb and had a late check out accommodation which was super nice!
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– bah pick up was easy. It was available at start line despite the website not stating that. Qdoba was there with free chips and salsa or queso. It’ s a one way run. But the shuttles are available at stat and finish so you can park at either end. They run about every 5 min. Highly recommend parking at the finish and shuttle to the start- you don’t want have to catch a bus back after you just ran (maybe unless you live down that way!)
– swag consisted of tech shirt and draw string bag. In true Alaska style, then after party was awesome. Your bib got you a locally brewed beer or soda. Two local bread companies were present giving out bread/ cookies/ grilled cheese. Messages. Chips, fruit and water. And other booths.
– course was kind of hilly , up and down. Elevation map in pics…. Ok it doesn’t look nearly as painful as I thought it was! 😂
-weather was BEAUTIFUL! Moose at the start line.

-difficulty: not steep hills… but lots of them! Elevation pic for half uploaded
– scenery: was great! Mostly along a coast line. Would have been better if it wasn’t raining. But I won’t hold that against them🙃
-swag: got a insulated drawstring bag with a toiletries (toothbrush, hand sanitizer, muscle cream, Vaseline, chapstick, bandaids, nail file, hand soap paper), canned salmon, post card and luggage tag. Out of staters will get a coin. Shirt is long sleeve tech shirt. Finishers get medal and pin. After meal was a slice of pizza and trail mix, Gatorade, fruit, bagels, PB. I was told there was less this yr than others.
– ok… organization. Organization for the run itself was not lacking. But I think for being an island that takes a LOT of coordination to get to, they could have done better helping out of Towners with coordination. I saw multiple folks walking to the run… from 2-5 miles away. In addition, for those that came in on the ferry … cabs were like $80 to get from ferry to area of run as many stated they couldn’t find rental cars. Everyone who travels knows costs accumulate. But for here- there isn’t just costs, there’s lack of resources.
I rented a car in Ketchikan and put it on the ferry to have a vehicle here. Highly advised. Plus then you can explore the island!!
Over all I would love to do it again, and would suggest anyone do it ONLY if you have transportation. I would not recommend it otherwise as I don’t think you can get the true experience if the race weekends and island. Community was great!!! Just needs transportation coordination

Organization was great. Packet pick up was simple and quick. No real expo though.. Just a couple of booths of sale stuff, so it would have been nice to have packet pick up available day of. But I guess that could be a coordination issue as this was a one way run. I’m sure that was well advertised somwhere. But somehow we missed all those spots until night before what we were planning our hotel departure time. But. No big deal. Pleanty of parking and bus options to take you to the start. At the start you were able to hang out inside the school, use the indoor bathrooms, and stay warm.
– the run itself was great. Pleanty of water and Gatorade stations (though more water than Gatorade). Lots of sideline volunteers handing out jelly beans, m&ms, fruit, and cold towels.
– course was relatively flat (elevation uploaded in pics). But I walked this half. scenery was nice. Ran through a park for a while. I didn’t see any wild life. Except some dogs to pet! My uncle said there were “three bear” at mile 8.25. I was on the look out… But all I saw was “free beer”. I think maybe he took them up on that beer offer 🤷‍♀️
-swag was nice, got a white, long sleeve athletic shift (unisex), and a koozie (not from the run), and of course the conveted medal.
– after you had the option of food from one of four different food trucks and 2 cups of free beer. Panera was also out there with bagels. And this is the only place I’ve seen a post run massage with no line!

Over all the run was great. Production was smooth. Course was flat and well marked (elevation pic uploaded). Mostly team through neighborhoods with some great cheer support from the community. Great job Coasties

– Organization was non notable, thus I’d say it went smoothly. We did run day packet pick up. Deducted 1 “shoe” because the run ended up being 12.95 per my watch and multiple others commented it was short.
– Swag was simple. Nice light weight t-shirt, small wooden medal and a couple little things (pic uploaded). Post race I can’t really comment on since we were in a time crunch, so all I can comment on is the strawberry & chocolate milk, granola bars, and sports drink. Site said jambalaya was there, but I didn’t see any )
– road support was almost non existent. There were police at major intersections, and folks at some of the turns. They appear to be high school students. Other than that not much of a cheer squad.
-over all it was a small (52 Half marathon runners) , local run. It’s not one I would travel for unless I’m in the general vicinity (ie I traveled 2 hours bc I was always out this way). But I like supporting local events. And I really like the unique medal.

Course: Started off with a very steady decline then mostly flat the remainder of the way. Last couple miles was on gravel/ dirt trail. But over all nice route. Not overly scenic but still nice. There were definitely areas that were mostly shade – and when the temp is in the 20s already, made for a chilly run.
Production: no complaints. Though when we headed to the pasta dinner we were quite surprised to hear so much cheering! Pep rally at the pre-feed. Turned out we walked into the middle school BBall game. Oops. suggestion would be to to post signs on where the pasta dinner was….Minor detail though.
Aid stations at least every 2 miles. Each one had water, Gatorade, and Gu. Many also had candy. Start and finish are not at the same spot, but there is a shuttle. Bag pick up is at the finish. Finish line had water, bananas, aluminum blankets. But back at the school there was 5 different soups, sub sandwiches, pizza, Gatorade, water, hot drinks.
Swag: nice hoodie shirt with a pouch pocket and a nice medal. I thought the shirt was unique.

This race supports charities!

Nice local run.

Course : pretty flat. < 350' total ascent per my Garmin. Scenary for the half isn't anything spectacular. It doesn't really go along the river, but through the city of Kenai. The fall colors are beautiful though.
Support: is a community run put on by the city. So very much supported by the town. Very minimal spectators though. But the volunteers were great.
Swag: The cost for the run was low relative to other halves I’ve done. But, registration included, long sleeve tech shirt, socks, finisher medal, spaghetti dinner, and raindeer sausage and beer after the run….as well as some sponsor swag. Pretty decent for the cost. However if you’re looking for a fancy medal, this isn’t it.
Lodging – lots of lodging available. It’s about 3-3.5 hr from Anchorage depending on construction. I stayed at the Tanglewood B&B. Very accommodating. Basically told me I had to check out “before 8 pm bc that’s when I get ready for bed “. So was about to come back, shower, and collect my stuff without being concerned about time! Highly recommended.
Overall it was a great local run. Hope to do it again next year!

Military mile is actually a separate run “the Mile”. This run is – while open to anyone – is free for military (and you get a medal!), and creates a bit of sibling rivalry among the branches of service.
Run is held down town around a park square.
This year, there was a bit of disorganization with scheduling. Email confirmation gave one time for start while the website said something different. Likewise, a coworker got yet an even different email confirmation that had the same time as the site, but a different location.
Thankfully my crew all made it to the right location (although not initially) and on time (since we just opted to show up to the earliest mentioned start). However, we did meet folks who missed it due to the email time.
This was my first time doing the mile, so I can’t vouch for it being just a one time hiccup. However aside from that – if you actually made it to the run, it was well done.

Highly supported by the community. Lots of volunteers & cheerers. Food spread was amazing and mostly home made! and then you saw pictures of the spread that existed before you finished. Not sure whether to be more impressed or jealous! Swag bag had lots of snacks. Photos were free without watermarks. Great photo ops with cows. 10/ 10 recommend.
Only down side…I hate hills!

Well organized local run. Bus schedule was pretty straight forward to / from start / finish line. Scenary is marked kind of low bc well… It was the middle of the night. But don’t let that deter you! It was still a very fun race. My first time, accompanied by two repeats (and none of us are from NV).
Medal and shirt were fun.
Costumes were also fun!
Unfortunately my mom dropped out part way through and had to catch a ride to the finish with the spouse of a volunteer. Maybe having a transport aid team would be beneficial. Otherwise great fun option for a NV run.