Claire Thies's Staging Area

This was my second Vacation Races event, and they did not disappoint! The race production is smooth, the swag is awesome, and the runner’s goodie box after crossing the finish line was full of delights.

The uphill course is a gradual and deceiving at times. I logged a lot of miles hiking the week before the race and was happily exhausted crossing the finish line. I recommend exploring the park in the days leading up to the race instead of after if you prefer less crowds.

A beautiful out and back course along the Columbia River that starts in the bucolic town of Hood River. This was an expensive race, but there was a lot of bang for your buck. They offered both breakfast pre-race and lunch post-race along with plenty of fully stocked aid stations. Runners also received a beanie and a finishers medal. Unfortunately, if you wanted a race shirt it did cost extra, but I liked the idea of something different than your typical race shirt. Be prepared for LOTS of uphill, especially in the first half.

This was my Alabama race, and I definitely recommend it to other runners/walkers. I loved the medal, shirt, free photos, and unique cave finish. With over 700 feet of elevation gain, it was challenging. It’s mostly rolling hills, but the hills at mile 8 and 11.8 were steep and awful. We walked the Cave section, since it was hard to see and wet in areas. Definitely not a race for a PR, but do it for the experience. One more thing…I expected Alabama to be warmer. It was 27 degrees at the start 🥶

This race was hilly and hot! The water stations were 2 miles apart, but by mile 7 I needed water more frequently. I regret not bringing my camelback! The open roads got very busy by the end of the race, if you’re a back of the pack runner like me. Many times I opted for the sidewalk because the traffic was moving fast and not every intersection had someone to stop traffic.
Luckily, the course is clearly marked, because there are a lot of turns!

I liked the shirt and medal, and how patriotic the town was.

Sedona is a beautiful area and the race course has amazing views. The hills were brutal Anna never stopped, making the course challenging. I have one complaint. I was at mile 11ish at the 2:45ish mark when they opened the road we were running on. I did not feel safe at that point. I was surprised because the course time limit was 5 hours.

This race is typically in April; however, the race was pushed to September in 2021 due to covid. The race starts at a marina and follows a paved path with tons of shade from the September heat. I loved that it was not on any open roads. The route had plenty of water stops, but few porta potties (plenty at the start). The swag was great – zip up hoodie and large medal. Milwaukee is a fun town to spend a weekend.

There is so much to like about this race! Nice swag, flat course, sufficient aid stations, went off without a hitch. The first 8-9 miles are fabulous as you run through the Citadel, battery, and gorgeous historic Charleston. The last few miles are in an industrial area and not scenic at all. However, the race ends at a beautiful park and the after party was nice with free food, drinks, and if you want more there are plenty of food trucks. I unfortunately had tendinitis issues flare up and by mile 10 or so just wanted to be done!

Spend a few days being a tourist in Charleston. You won’t be disappointed!

One downside, which wasn’t an issue for me, but you told ave to be at mile 10.3 within 2:45. I was told that these runners were picked up and drive in a bus to 10.3 and allowed to finish and get their medal. I don’t like this for 2 reasons. 1 – they didn’t finish the half and got a half medal. 2 – if their results are counted, they have their finishing times faster than the people how ran the whole thing!

I was super impressed with the swag and postcards race party. Runners received a nice long sleeved tech shirt, cool medal, tons of food at the end, free beer and samples of bourbon. They had a live band playing at the post race party that was phenomenal! There is an awful hill in Cherokee Park, but the rest was smooth sailing. Sarah, the 3 hour pacer was awesome. I highly recommend this race.

Wamego does the Wizard of Oz theme well. The pasta feed at packet pick up was a nice touch. I liked the picture on the medal, but it’s not great quality, nor was the race shirt. But I did enjoy the race, rolling hills and all! Fun photo ops with the Wizard of Oz characters.