Crystal Pressley's Staging Area

This was my first time running this race and is easily one of my favorites.
The expo was easy to get to. Well organized with lots of support.
Figuring out the train system for race morning was a little stressful if you’re not from the area as there were closures and route changes, so definitely confirm a plan ahead of time which I was glad I did. There will also be plenty of runners headed to the start in Brooklyn that morning. The train ride was fine.
Bag check was seamless. Entering the corrals was a bit chaotic but there was minimal wait before actually starting.
The course was great. Some legit hills but mostly rolling. Crossing the Manhattan bridge was awesome as was running through the streets of NYC and especially through Times Square with a finish in Central Park. Plenty to see. Great crowd support and energy. Adequate aid stations.
The finish was well organized to get a large number of runners through. The medal was ok. Appreciated the mylar blanket. Would definitely do again.

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.