Crystal Pressley's Staging Area

This was a well organized event. Great weather, location, and execution of the event. Shuttles to the start were convenient and on time. The course was difficult with an uphill climb for the first 8 miles. After this it was mostly downhill with a few smaller climbs. The first few miles were on a gravel/dirt road with the rest paved. The finish was in Keystone with tons of crowd support and walking distance of hotels if you stayed there.
There was plenty to see and do in Keystone and surrounding areas. Definitely take some extra time to explore.

I flew in to Fresno and the drive was about an hour to Oakhurst where I stayed. This was only about 15 min from packet pickup which was easy.
The start line could only be accessed by shuttle which was simple enough, but a last minute issue with one of the companies caused significant delays. Frustrating on race morning, but things happen. The ride was about 30 minutes to the start.
There were plenty of porta potties without significant lines, but I’m not sure how much of this was because of the delays. Gear check was right there which made it convenient to stay warm until you were ready to start.
It was a rolling start where you pretty much start when you’re ready, which I had not experienced before. Just make sure you will finish within the time limit. I liked it as I didn’t have to wait around and there was not much congestion, which was nice. The first five or so miles was on trail, which had some fairly large rocks making the ground, uneven, but not awful. There were great views for pictures if that’s your thing.
The majority of the rest of the race was paved road, which was mostly downhill. The grade on the road was not bad and I didn’t really have any issues with finding a good place to run that didn’t bother my knees or ankles like I have experienced other races. Some people did have issues with the long downhill causing knee pain, but was fine for me.
There were plenty of aid stations with nutrition at the later stops, including gels, oranges and bananas.
I really appreciate the cup free vacation races as it eliminates so much trash on the ground!
There was decent crowd support as you reached back into town and headed towards the finish. There wasn’t much to the finish line as the post run festivities were held at an alternate location. I didn’t make it to this so I can’t comment on it. I spent the afternoon in Yosemite park. Shuttles back to the pickup areas ran smoothly.
If you’re planning on visiting Yosemite, just realize especially from Oakhurst it’s about an hour and a half to the main part of the park. It’s an absolutely beautiful place with tons to do and would recommend spending some extra time there if you have the chance. You do need a park reservation for the weekend.
There were a few issues, but overall I would recommend and would do again.

This was by far the toughest run I have done, but I don’t regret it at all! Packet pickup was easy. Plenty of parking on race morning. The weather was perfect at the start though warmed up quickly. The first 7 miles was as paved and had a legit steep hill midway. Otherwise rolling hills is an accurate description. The trail was rough for me and I was not prepared for the substantial rocks and slopes. I slipped and rolled my ankle several times and had to slow down, but many people seemed to do just fine. It was narrow and difficult to pass and let others pass at times but most people around me at least seemed considerate. The scenery was amazing! Don’t forget to take it all in! Definitely recommend!

I also enjoyed the city of Tucson which had plenty to do and see including the Saguaro National Park and the museum. Highly recommend if you have time.

The expo was a little difficult at the start as I was one of the first people to arrive right after 10 and there were no signs to direct parking which caused some confusion. I noticed great signage on the way out.

At check in my bib was one of the ones that did not get printed so I had to wait about 30 min until they arrived. There were vendors to pass the time, but I had hoped to check in quickly to make it to another activity. When the bibs finally came I was given a bib that contained someone else’s info that had to be marked through. At least the staff at the tables were understanding and provided me with the appropriate items. I missed the socks at this point.

There was a downpour right before the 5k which actually cooled things off a bit. The course itself was fine however it crossed a street in one part and there was an issue with making sure the road was clear between each wave so there was an abnormally extended delay between each wave. If you were not at the very front the you could wait at least 30-45 min to start. It was also not arranged in corrals so walkers and runners were mixed together. Because of the delayed starts I finished up about and hour later than predicted.

This mattered because the 5k is an evening race. Townsend is a small town with limited food options and most close relatively early so finishing late to then find several places closed, closing, or out of items was frustrating. Even Pizza Hut stopped taking orders 2 hrs before closing. That being said, plan ahead to get food so you can get to bed at a reasonable time if you’re doing the half the next morning.

The half was well organized. It was an early morning, but there was plenty of parking and shuttles to the start line. Corrals were labeled and waves went off appropriately. The course was through tree lined roads and along some streams/rivers which was nice, but it wasn’t the most scenic run they’ve held. The weather was perfect, and the rolling hills were not bad. My only issue with the course was that the roads in the middle part of the course sloped pretty significantly which was incredibly painful on the joints. Running at the top or bottom of the lane was not any better. We finally transitioned to a paved trail which was much better. No issues with crossing traffic though. There were a few cars that passed in the opposite lane but did not feel excessive.

The finish line was well energetic and well organized.

Overall this was a good run and I’m glad I did it.

Bonus is that it’s super close to the National park making it easy to explore.

Great location. Course with beautiful views, a few rolling hills. The change in elevation from the east coast was more noticeable than I expected but not overly limiting. Race was well organized and didn’t mind running in a few areas with continuing traffic. Friendly and helpful staff and volunteers. Shuttles to and from start were convenient. Well stocked and placed aid stations. Overall recommend.

No better place to run a marathon! I did the foley in 2018 and came back this year. Great production as usual. Getting up at 3 in the morning is always fun! Lol. Character stops were great. Well supported. Sufficient fuel along the course.