Frankie Conway's Staging Area

First off the Medal is gigantic and super heavy. It is one of my favorites.
Pre-race communication was precise and very informative
Expo was top notch and had everything that you might need.
Packet pickup was super easy.
We stayed in a hotel about a mile walk from start/finish line to save some money.
Iriana Pizza was very delicious for my pre-race meal.
Pre-race had an area with tables setup were you and your family could hangout, also had snacks that you could purchase
Plenty of restrooms inside the convention center and plenty of port-a-potties outside
Course did have some hills. Scenery was okay, views of Arkansas River in the first few miles.
Plenty of aid stations along the course. Fully stocked with Gatorade, water, oranges, and some had gels.
Crowd support was great
Staff and volunteers were superb!!!
The mile markers after mile 6 were for the full marathon and did not match your actual mileage. It would be nice if they had them for half and full.
Post race party had spaghetti, cokes, Gatorade, chocolate milk, bananas, beer, fruit bars, yogurt, and Bubble’r sparkling water
This was one of my favorite races. I definitely recommend this race and will be doing it again in the future.

This was state #43 on my 50 States journey.
Pre -race communication was awesome. Lots of email that keep you in the know.
Expo was a disaster, you were told to select a time for packet pickup to not cause congestion. It did not work. The line to get into the Expo wrapped around an entire block. We were in line for almost an hour. Once inside it seemed to be organized to get a bib, but getting your shirt was crazy. Volunteers had a rough day. They had anything and everything that you would need for race day.
We stayed at Four Points Sheraton across the street from the convention center where the expo was located.
We ate pizza at Philly Steak & Pizza about a 4 block walk from the hotel. It was just ok.
Race day started with rain, we had to walk 3 blocks to the bus that shuttles you to the starting line. 15 minutes ride
Strict security at the starting line.
Crowd support was Awesome!!! The best I have ever experienced!
Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed with water, NUN hydration, and gels
Course was mostly flat until about miles 8 to 11 then the hills were very challenging.
Awesome finisher’s medal with a Liberty Bell with a nice long sleeve dri-fit shirt.
Post race snacks including chicken broth, bananas, bottled water, fruit bars, popcorn, orange juice, and apple chips.
Finish line was near Rocky Statue which was cool.
Almost 12,000 runners in the half marathon and another 3,700 in the 8K that started at 11am made the finish line area seem super crowded.
I would recommend this race.

I hoped to see some colorful leaves but we were a few weeks early.
Manchester is a neat country town. The race would have been nice to held in early October in order to see the leaves.
This was a smaller race, it also had a 5K.
They had an Expo but I picked up my bib and shirt the morning of the race. Super easy.
There was plenty of free parking at the starting line.
There was a track at the park where you could warm up before the race.
The course was about a mile through town then you were out to the country. The race was open to traffic.
The course was super hilly. The hill between miles 8 and 9 was no joke!
Aid stations were sufficient and well staffed.
Swag was a super cool medal in the shape for the state of Vermont with a maple leaf on it. The shirt had the same design as the medal on it, but it was cotton blend.
The post race was smaller but had fruit, granola bars, cookies, chips, hydration, and water.
You also got maple syrup.
I recommend this race if you need Vermont.

Expo was 11am to 4pm on Saturday, I was driving in and did not make it to the Expo. I was able to pick my bib up the morning of the race for $20 more
Starting line was at University of Wisconsin Green Bay-Manitowoc Campus
Weather was perfect 46 degrees and sunny
Plenty of port a potties at the starting line
They had 3 different race distances, full , half, and 5 nautical miles. They also had a marathon relay.
The course was an out and back along Lake Michigan
Awesome views of the lake from the course
Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed
Most of the course was along a paved running with some parts on city streets
Race swag you got a super cool glass medal and beach towel. No shirt. I bought a previous year’s shirt for $5. They also had hoodies for sale
Post race had Gatorade, water, bananas, cookies, sodas, and ice cream.
You also got a race token that got you a meal-cheeseburger and fries
They also had a coffee truck and Thai food truck where you could purchase food.
Age group winners received a glass with their logo on it
Overall a very good race that I would recommend

The Expo was great. It had everything that you might need.
Packet pick up was super easy.
Race had over 5,000 runners
Awesome vibe at the starting line, great music!
It was a little warm at the 6:30 pm start time around 81 degrees
The course was mostly flat, with some crowd support and one aid station
Swag was a cool medal and neat t shirt
Post Race had bananas, pretzels, and water
Overall great run that I would recommend

Pre race communication was sufficient
Packet pick up was easy at the local shoe store which usually has a tent sale on running shoes
Plenty of hotels to choose from and free parking at start/finish lines
Shotgun start was exciting, with several pacers from 1:45 to 2:45
Not very scenic, mostly on city streets with a 2 mile trail a mile in and 2 mile run through Spring Lake park around mile 8.
Course has a small rolling hills with about 300 feet gain
Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed
Finish line was at Hopkins Ice House where you could order food and drinks
Post race celebration was excellent, with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, fruit, water, Gatorade, body armor, sodas, and beer.
Swag was super cool spinner medal with Texas on one side and Arkansas on the other side and shirt was dri-fit long sleeve shirt.
I definitely recommend this race and will be running it again since it is my hometown race.

Mid South Races for Hope was a smaller race in Wynne, Arkansas celebrating their 25th anniversary. The race supports an awesome cause by helping foster children. They had several distances to choose from including marathon, half marathon, 5K, and kids fun run. They went all out with pre race breakfast items available including donuts, muffins, bananas, clementines, coffee, water, and Gatorade. Race day packet pick up was super easy. Race starts at local church and after a few blocks in the city, you are out on country roads. Course is an out and back, with plenty of aid stations. Course was fast, I ran a PR. Crowd support was non existent. Post race had a live band, petting zoo, food trucks, bounce house for kids, several local vendors setup selling merchandise, and world class BBQ lunch with homemade desserts. I recommend this race.

Pre race communication was great, constant updates were emailed leading up to the race
Expo was at the convention center, super easy and had several booths with anything you might need.
We stayed downtown a couples of blocks from start/finish line, walked everywhere.
We loved the inter harbor area, from the old ships to the delicious crab cakes.
Race day the half marathon started at 9:45 am, with no corrals so beginning of race was very congested with runners and walkers.
Course was on city streets, with plenty of well staffed aid stations.
Crowd support was great.
It was a hilly course but it was not as bad as I thought it would be.
Swag was a long sleeve dri-fit shirt and a super cool crab medal.
Post race food was bananas, granola bars, apples, oranges, water.
I definitely recommend this race if you need Maryland.

Pre race communication was great 👍
Packet pick up and expo was on the small side at a civic center, but was super easy.
Be prepared to pay for parking, we parked at our hotel $40 per day, and walked everywhere.
Cool race start, when race director blew into a conch shell 🐚
Several pacers for the half marathon
It was 57 degrees at the start but very humid. Being from the south and running in humidity, I did not expect it to hit me the way it did.
Course was scenic with views of the Back Cove, Casco Bay, and Portland Harbor.
Course was paved roads, paved running trail, and packed dirt running trail.
Hills are early and often, big hill during the 1st mile, with smaller rolling hills until about mile 9 where another big hill that never seems to end. Felt like you were climbing at least 2 miles. My phone tracked 496 feet elevation gain.
Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed
Course support was great
Around mile 7 we were joined with the 5K runners and this caused some congestion for about a mile until 5K runners split off.
I recommend eating at Flatbread Company, Wood fire pizza was delicious.
Swag was a very nice finisher medal and super cool dri-fit long sleeve 1/4 zip.
Post race party was 🔥! Pizza, ice cream, beer, Nutrigrain bars, bananas, Gatorade, cornhole, and a live band.
I definitely recommend this race, just be prepared for the hills!

Smaller race with about 500 runners between the full, half and 5K
Packet pick up was small, not a expo really
They bus you out to the starting line
Mostly flat course with the exception of the Mississippi River bridge during your first mile.
Fast course, I missed a PR by just a few seconds
Scenery was non existent , other than a nice sunrise over the river on the bus ride out to starting line.
Shirt was a nice dri-fit long sleeve shirt, medal cool with the Mississippi River bridge on it.
Overall and age group winners received very nice trophies
Post race snacks were plentiful, including tamales, pizza, sausage biscuits, donuts, fruit, sodas, chocolate milk, and beer.
The water in this town was brown, be sure to bring bottled water
Overall a great race that I highly recommend!

Pre race communication was excellent
Expo was huge and had everything you might need or want
Staff and volunteers were first class
Course was very scenic, with a hill across the Ambassador’s Bridge and tunnel back into USA
Aid stations were plentiful
Swag was okay with a nice medal and a long sleeve T-shirt
Recovery area was great with plenty of post race snacks
I would definitely recommend this race

I highly recommend this race. Vacation Races always deliver top notch events!
We spent 3 days in the National Park, absolutely beautiful! The mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and wildlife were all amazing to see.
Expo was great and s’mores station was a nice touch
Pre races communication was sufficient
I raced the Elk Double which was a 5K on Friday night and a half marathon on Saturday, you get an extra medal and swag item for doing both races
Swag was awesome dri-fit shirt and very nice heavy medals.
Scenery on course was so beautiful
Race production was smooth with top notch staff and volunteers
Group of Elk passed by the area pre race which was pretty cool
Post race snacks are always great
Vacation races are awesome and highly recommend this race

Pre race communication was awesome, weekly emails start 6 weeks out
Expo and packet pickup was top notch, convention center was packed with vendors
Pre race Spaghetti supper was super with spaghetti and meatballs, bread, salad, cookies, ice cream, coffee, and chocolate milk
Morning of race parking was a challenge and hectic, we parked in a lot that took a while to get out with all the roads closing. Take the bus if possible
They bus you out to the start, bathrooms at start had very long lines, which is understandable with 7500 runners
Course was along Lake Superior and was easy, mostly flat. Course support was phenomenal!
Aid stations was plentiful and well staffed and well placed.
Staff and volunteers were great
Swag was a nice dri-fit tshirt and cool finishers medal
I definitely recommend this race

Pre race communication was sufficient
Expo was top notch and super easy packet pick up. I spent 15 minutes on compression boots to help my legs recover from running Indy Mini earlier that day
Staff and volunteers were great
Swag was very nice, heavy medal and T-shirt was nothing fancy
Race day we were greeted with thunderstorms and heavy rain, some people felt the race should not been delayed, but I was glad that they let us run.
They did issue a shelter in place, so I stopped for a few minutes, but a lot of runners continued to race.
It felt so good running in the rain!
Course did have some incline, but it did not seem as bad as I thought it would be
Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed
Since this is a bigger race there was some congestion for a couple of miles.
Crowd support was phenomenal even with the storms
Post race party was good in spite of the weather
Overall a very good race and I would definitely recommend it

Smaller race with parts around a college campus
Expo was smaller, but did have a few vendors
Course was great well marked with plenty of aid stations
You finish the race with a loop around the Blue Oval on their track
Recovery area had massage tables, cookies, milk, bananas, beef jerky
Great crowd support around the campus with students cheering you on
Swag was okay, medal was a little small, but you got a nice half zip shirt
A lot of stuff going on all week with different races
I would recommend this race if you need Iowa

Great pre race communication
Expo was good and super easy
Staff and volunteers were very helpful
Great course, did have some hills
Very nice medal and long sleeve dri-fit shirt
Post race snacks included a wrap with chips and cookies and gumbo
1st time running the marathon, I had ran the half marathon a couple of years ago. I definitely would recommend this race.

This was my 6th vacation race and it was my least favorite of all.
Staff and volunteers were phenomenal as usual!
I ran the Gator Double-5K on Friday and Half Marathon on Saturday, and I did not care for either course.
Scenery was lacking on both courses, half marathon course had some very muddy sections that I know that race director has no control over. Very average.
Expo and post race were overall great.
Swag is awesome! I got an extra medal for doing the Gator Double.
I will not run this race again.

Course was flat and fast, out and back
Expo and packet pick up was easy with plenty of options. No signage to let know where to go or if you were in the right place.
Staff and volunteers were helpful.
Aid stations had water and Gatorade, and there was an ample amount of them. I did not see any gels or nutrition.
Nice medal and shirt for swag
Post races was seriously lacking for a race event with around 2,000 runners, with apples, bananas, and wheat bread.
Overall a okay race, but would not not run again.

This is a great trail run, but I am a road runner, it was very challenging for me.
Great production from the great people of Why Racing. Staff and volunteers were top notch.
Smaller race with several options to choose from over 2 days.
You get to run a trail around Henry Hagg lake with parts on the road.
Communication pre race was often and precise.
Parking was $7 and you can purchase when register for the race.
They also had camping at the lake rear the starting line.
Packet pick up was easy with several vendors.
Pre race they had fried oatmeal and coffee.
On the course there were limited aid stations maybe 3 total, which had water, Gatorade, gels, and fruit.
Bathrooms were only in a couple of spots on the course.
You get a post race meal hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit, cookies, water and Gatorade
Race swag was a nice shirt with an awesome medal. Age group winners receive medal also.
Overall a great race that I would recommend.

Phenomenal job by the great staff and volunteers for Vacation Races!
I highly recommend Mount Rainier half marathon and 5K.
Mixed course of trail and road with a few technical spots.
Expo and packet pick up were super easy.
Aid stations along the course were well staffed with water, gnarly, fruit and gels.
If you complete both races Sasquatch Double, you get extra swag. Medal and shirt.
Post race snack boxes with bananas and chocolate milk.
Awesome finisher’s 🏅 along with a dri-fit shirt.
Another great race that should be on everyone’s list!

I would recommend this race if you are looking for a challenge.
Hills and altitude the second half were very tough for me even though I trained for hills
Race expo was on the smaller side
Medal was a little smaller for the half marathon, wife ran the 10K got the same medal
Shirt was nice
I placed 2nd in my age group and received a bag with a pair of socks, honey stinger waffles and some sports salve, bummed I did not get a medal
Awesome views along the Elk River

St. Jude half marathon is a great charity to support.
I was blown away by the young lady who sung the National Anthem
Packet pick up was more technical than most but they let you know in advance
Staff and volunteers were amazing
Course was good with some hills with awesome support at aid stations
Communication leading up to the race was awesome
Post race was great
Medal and shirt were high quality
I definitely would recommend this race