Cheri Payne's Staging Area

Well orchestrated!
Funny & energetic Race Director!
Good finish line
Easy to follow course – single track (NOT my favorite)

Packet pick up the day before and same day. We came from out of state and don’t like to do same day packet pick up for races we’re not familiar with. We opted for the day before, but looked like same day packet pick up was easy and not long waits when we arrived at 6:15. Buses departed at 6:30 and 6:15 arrival to pkg lot was perfect.

TIP: Get on the 1st bus and sit towards the front. You’ll be one of the 1st to unload from all the buses = 1st in line for the potties!

Buses to the start line and finish line. That went smoothly.

3 distances each w/ their own start line. Half & 10k course are single track And it’s NARROW ! I assume first half of the full marathon is as well? The way the start lines, start times and runner bibs were staggered + limited # of runners it wasn’t too bad in terms of people bunching up. Single track is just not my favorite, but that’s not a reflection of the race. Merely my personal preference.

Course scenery was beautiful! The course is run on the AZT – Arizona Trail. This is an 800 mile trail spanning from MX to UT. It’s wildflower season in Tucson so made for an even prettier course. Temps were ideal as well.

Terrain? Very rocky at the beginning and uphill at the bottom. RD “warned” us. The course map says mostly downhill, but look closely. There are hills. It is NOT all downhill after the first mile or so. There are 2 tunnels as well. The 2nd one was DARK! Fortunately I had a runner ahead in the distance and could focus on her (kinda). When my husband passed thru it was him and who knows what in that tunnel! Again, RD made us aware of this at the start line. Suggestion for the RD: Add some kind of lighting, flare or something mid tunnel on the 2nd tunnel.

There’s not much in Vail, AZ if you are looking to stay close to the start line. We came from Las Cruces, NM and made a wk vacation of it. We stayed at the Voyager RV Park & Resort which was only 15 min from the race. That was about as close as I found and it was PERFECT! They rent casitas which are pet friendly (we travely w/ our best buddy). They also have a small bldg of hotel rooms (not sure if they are pet friendly?). They have a reasonably priced restaurant on site (cheaper than Chili’s/Applebees). They have shower facilities which would be perfect if you have to check out of your room before the race, but still wanted some place to shower post race before traveling home. They also had a gym if you are looking to work out pre race.

Finish line was good. Beers, agua frescas (think fancy flavored lemonades) that were COLD, snacks and a mariachi band. A few NA beers added to the beer cooler would be a nice touch. Seeing that offered more at finish lines and we enjoy that!

You had to take a bus from the finish line back to your cars, but buses ran regularly and didn’t have to wait long. I’m usually not a fan of races that require buses, but this went well on both ends. Buses were required merely bc of almost no parking at the start line and limited at the finish line. There is a small amount of parking at the finish line if you have friends/family who want to join you, but it is limited.

My only “negative” (and I use that word lightly) was the race swag. We received a pair of socks. Good quality socks, but just socks. Not my favorite by any means. However, that’s also a personal preference. Some people love getting socks. A Race Director will never make everyone happy with all their decisions and I feel bad even mentioning it.

We were one of the first to arrive at packet pick up so managed to snag coupons for free ice creams from Hawaiian Bros. As you can tell from the photo that was a hit the next day after hiking at the Saguaro National Park!

GREAT job overall. Really glad we made the trek from Las Cruces, NM

TOUGH course! 6.5 miles with I believe 1,000+ ft elevation gain. The 2nd half back down was obviously much better! All paved roads/trails and very well marked. Beautiful scenery going up if you could breath :). Saw grey deer and wild turkeys. Course well marked and well manned. Beautiful Huachuca Mountains!

Small race, but we are growing to like these better than big races. Can arrive 30 min before start, park across the street, no wait for bathrooms, etc…… You of course don’t have the spectator support. Know that it’s just a different vibe as a small race vs large race. Both are good.

The race shirt was terrible. I can usually tell races where a non runner handled the tshirt order…..unfortunately. Unisex sizes which I dislike & only S/M/L. They had a 5k & Fun Run which meant kids participating so they should at least offer an XS or kids sizes too. The sz small fit my husband who is 6’1″ and normally wears a Lg! I normally wear a Kids Lg. If no kids sz I then wear a female cut XS. Long distance runners are going to be petite/smaller. Races need to keep that in mind. The shirts were colored though and not white….thank you for that!

They gave us yet another sling pack bag. Please no more of these….runners have too many of these! We also got a water bottle, bottle opener, post it notes and a Rice Krispie treat in the bag that was hard as a rock. Skip all the extra stuff that most of us toss and go with better shirts or socks or hats…..please!

The food table post race had a basket for donations. I’ve never seen this before? I thought the post race food was included in entry fees? They ran out of donuts/bagels/muffins by the time my husband finished (2:45) and were already almost out when I finished (2:10). Need to stock a bit more.

Good medals!

Nice outdoor area for post race. Even had tables & seating which was nice for a change. Especially after the legs did all that uphill running.

Packet pickup was a breeze.

Super nice people and volunteers around every corner.

We stayed in the quirky, eclectic and incredibly cool town of Bisbee (35 min away) and made this a vacation destination race. Well worth it, but be sure to train for this one.

Small FLAT race that’s popular with 50 state club runners. NO crowd support but given the nature of the course (1’ish mile down the trail, 1’ish mile back the same trail and repeat) you support each other. Back and forth, back and forth. Wasn’t sure how I would like this. Would I be bored? Would it be repetitious? I’m used to primarily BIG marathons like the Houston Marathon for example so this made me “nervous” pre race. Wasn’t as “bad” as I had expected. Just know this going in to it.

The event is held on Sat and Sun. We chose Sat due to more people participating that day. Wanted the added support from other participants.

Course is 100% flat and all along an asphalt trail. Trail runs along the Rio Grande River. However, the river is mostly dried up this time of year and you can’t see the river anyway. There is heavy brush/vegetation between the trail & river. Not a lot to see/look at along the course.

Timing is very unofficial. No chip time. You take a rubber band for each loop you finish. When you have 12 rubber bands/loops you are done. You walk to the finisher table and get your time. I waited in line behind another runner to get my time and then the person giving times was confused taking up more time. Confident I had several minutes added to my time due to this, but I wasn’t running it for the time. FYI if timing is important to you.

Tshirt design has a fun design except….. Nowhere does it say marathon on it? I am collecting my marathon shirts for a quilt some day. The shirt merely says Deadrunning.net. That’s it! The shirt could be for anything. ???? Really should have said Marathon or something.

Shirt also was unisex and only sz S/M/L. This is a pet peeve of mine. Long distance runners can tend to be small people. A sz small unisex shirt is too big for me even as a night shirt. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE offer male/female sizing or at least a XS option if you are going with unisex.

Pretty good options for beverages, snacks, refueling. Sodas, chips, mini sandwiches, candy, fruit, olives, pickles, etc….Many options!

No entertainment along the course. It’s just you and the other participants and it’s a small field. Be ok with that.

Medal is AWESOME! Where they failed with the tshirt they succeeded with the medal.

A LOT of swag for the dollar on this race with some great scenery!

Came from Houston (9+ hr drive) to run the 2 ocean bridges. Definitely a unique venue, but the bridges can be tough especially if there is any wind coming off the ocean.

Free fresh beignets at the Expo
Free pasta dinner for all runners
Long sleeve shirt
Lots of food at the finish line especially for a shorter (15k) race – red beans/rice, tortilla wraps, muffins, fruit, bars, etc
3 free beers
Free massage
A Vendor was even giving out bike helmets!

Everything that comes with the registration felt more like a half marathon, than a 15k/5k. Great job to the crew that puts this event together!

Race ends at the beach with bars/restaurants for your family and friends to enjoy as spectators. Really good after race/party venue!

We were on vacation in Gadsen/Leesburg, AL from Houston so signed up for Mocs On The Rocs 10k. Race is held on the trails of Noccalula Park. Had planned to visit the park to hike so why not run it?! After the race we hiked another 3 miles so we could hike behind the actual waterfall itself….a MUST do!

GREAT course! Be prepared for a challenge! In Houston curbs are our biggest hills, so was a good challenge to say the least! Fall leave change time of year so leaves on ground added to challenge.

Well organized!! Can’t get lost! Course well marked and any turns you shouldn’t take were marked off with police tape! You couldn’t go wrong in the woods even though depending on where you were at in the pack you may or may not have someone to follow.

Gave scenery a 4 instead of a 5 because you MUST watch your every step on the course for trip hazards especially with all the leaves on the ground. Wasn’t able to take in the beautiful scenery as much as I had hoped.

Great finisher shirt! Long sleeved and soft! Would have liked if they had offered an XS for us female runners who are petite from running alot and/or kids who participate.

Average/typical medal.

Top 15 Male and Female awards given of a mug from the Sheriff’s office. Would have preferred something with the race logo/name and perhaps mention of Top 15. Would have been a nice touch and better keepsake.

Small race (150 total?) so parking, bathrooms, start line, etc were a piece of cake! We usually don’t like race day packet pick up due to crowds, but we could have opted for this. We didn’t know, though, so did day before packet pick up.

Finish line offered far more to eat than a typical 5k/10k! Taco Bell burritos, bananas, apples, oreos, granola bars, rice krispie treats, and water of course.

Had an opportunity to meet the Race Director. She even spent time talking to us after the race. You’d think she’d be a bit busy with other things finishing up the race?! 🙂 She told us to stop by her office before we left town to pick up a shirt from previous races since we drove 12+ hrs to participate! Small town genuine hospitality!

Facebook page for the race is the Sheriff’s Dept page so not much information there or on runsignup. However, RD was very quick to respond to my email questions as I was researching the race before deciding to sign up.

Be sure to hike behind the water fall after the race! Well worth it!

Thanks for hosting us Houstonians! Much enjoyed adding this race to our list!

This is my 3rd time running the full marathon at Sugar Land. This group runs a very smooth operation! Everything pre and post race seems to flow well without hitches that we as participants see.

The course is mostly flat. There are a few slight inclines, but nothing anyone can’t handle. I wouldn’t even call them hills. Inclines is more appropriate. The last mile or 2 is wide open and all 3 yrs I’ve run it it’s been very windy coming in to the home stretch. That’s rough when you are already depleted.

The course itself is pretty boring. It’s 2 loops with not much scenery at all and ZERO crowd support! I think that’s where for me it’s mentally challenging. You really have to be good at putting your mind elsewhere during this race because there’s no crowd cheering you on, no signs to read, no dogs to count (that’s often how I pass my time on a marathon course!), etc…… Wish the organizers recruited a few high school bands, cheer squads, or something to position along the course. That would be much appreciated for some added entertainment/distractions.

The swag is great. This year was a long sleeved 1/4 zip pullover. You also had the option of choosing a beach towel instead if you didn’t want the pullover. I love that they give you something more than just a tshirt and I appreciate being given a choice. You also receive a finishers tshirt.

Parking is super easy for this race. They offer VIP parking for extra $$. I would not buy this unless you want the extra VIP tent amenities that go with it. The parking is plentiful and free so no need to pay extra.

The after race goodies are usually plentiful. However, when I finished with a 4:06 which is still many booths were empty and they had left. There were no bananas, no kolaches, no cookies, no chips, etc….There was water, soda, barely warm pepperoni pizza (no cheese pizza) and pork sandwiches. Not much to choose from especially when you don’t eat meat like me! Oops I forgot they did still have free beer! That’s important!

The awards presentation this year was a bit “rough”. They started giving out awards before they had all results in. I think it was b/c they wanted to give the elite runners their’s so they could leave instead of waiting for the others? It just didn’t go smoothly unfortunately.

Overall for the money this is a good race! However, bring your best mental game with you on race day. You need it on this course because it’s you, you and you that day.

If you are looking for a flat course then this may be your race! They changed the course a bit this yr so I can no longer state the race is 100% flat (1 ever so slight incline), but very flat. If you are trying for a BQ and close but not close enough this course may get you there.

Loop course. 1/2 marathoners run 1 loop. Full runs 2 loops. The 1st loop is not so lonely, but once the 1/2 runners start to finish the 2nd loop becomes a bit more sparse. Very little to no crowd support if that is important to you. Not much to see along the way.

The race is small overall. They call this the Everyone’s Marathon b/c they keep the finish line open and promise food for everyone regardless of what your finish time will be. Think that’s great to see all skill levels participating and encouraged.

Start line runs efficiently. If you are trying to place in your gender or division do note that all awards are based on GUN time. In other words, make your way to the front of the start line. There are no corrals, but it is easy to do.

You receive a finishers shirt. You also receive a participant “gift”. This year you could choose from a back pack, sweat shirt or my favorite finisher item ever…..a bright blue long sleeve 3/4 pullover. Great swag item!!!

Finish line is full of food and cold beer. Pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, sausage, cookies, danishes, and other items I can’t remember. Even had cold soda which for me is even better than cold beer at the finish line. I’m weird that way! 😉

Great race for what you receive for your $$. Great swag! Flat course! Lots of food! All reasons to run this race. However, if crowd support and/or lots to see are what get you through a race then this may be more of a challenge for you.

29 marathons under my belt at the time. Never an Ultra and had only completed 1 trail marathon so really had no idea what to expect. Thought this would be a “1 and done” experience for me, but after finishing in what was a surprising time for my expectations I will definitely run another ultra!

You won’t find the crowd support along an Ultra course like you may or may not at other races. Note to self! However, on this course you had beautiful scenery to view much of the time as the entire race is run on the trails of the Brazos Bend State Park. They offer a 100, 50, 26, and 13 so lots of other runners on the course as well which helps for the absence of crowd support.

This course is FLAT!!! Based on what I’m learning this is NOT typical for trail running. It also is mostly smooth (no branches, stumps, big rocks, obstacles) so minimal tripping and falling. My one other trail marathon I took 6 full face plants where my entire body touched the ground and after the fact learned that’s not uncommon in trail races. Things to learn!

Weather was cold, but from what I hear we got lucky. Many years this race is cold and rainy or muddy. Be prepared.

Definitely a different vibe with trail racing and I think I may like it better. It’s not as competitive. There can be a LOT of walking going on b/c let’s face it running 50 or 100 miles with no walking is impossible for most of us. It’s completely acceptable. Everyone is supportive of each other. It’s all about finishing and not a focus on the time it took. Love the “attitude” of trail runners.

My husband ran his 1st full marathon that day. With a 30 hr course limit due to the 100 mile course I figured there was plenty of time for him to finish and encouraged him to go for it. He said he never felt intimidated even with the 100 mile rock stars on the course passing him and he was walking. Again, trail running seems to be more accepting of any and all paces.

The 50 mile course is 3 loops. People set up their personal “station” at the start line area. When you return to the start to begin your next loop you can stop at your personal station to drop off clothes, get your own fuel, change shoes, or whatever it is you may need. LOVED that concept vs in a typical marathon I am packing everything I may need for 26 miles.

Food on the course is over the top for races sponsored by this group: TROTS. This was my 2nd trail run and both were put on by TROTS. Not sure if other Ultras and Trail races have this much food offered on the course or not. Mashed potatoes & ramen noodles at the start of each loop. PBJ sandwich, cookies, crackers, chips, candies, pies, and more at each of the aid stations along the way. You won’t lack for something to eat along the way. For me there was no need to pack food based on what they provided. They did advertise tacos at the finish line. What they didn’t say was it’s a taco truck, you have to walk back to the pkg lot to get to them and oh yea….you have to pay. 🙁

Extremely well organized race. Given the distances and length of time this race takes for the 100 milers it runs incredibly smooth. I didn’t witness a single hiccup all day.

Limited bathrooms along the way. Not what I was used to from road races. 1 or 2 in the state park that you pass by and don’t recall any port a potties elsewhere on the course? Your in the woods, though, so……

My 1 “complaint” about this race and the other TROT race I’ve completed is the swag. The tshirt was terrible!!! Nowhere does the race say what event I completed. Just says Brazos Bend 100. That’s it. For non runners they wouldn’t have any clue what this was! My husband’s 1st marathon and imagine his disappoint that he finally gets to claim his 1st finishers shirt and no mention of a marathon? Silly I know, but we runners can be silly that way! 🙂 My 1st Ultra and I too was disappointed it didn’t say 50 mile Ultra or something. Also, very minimal differential in the medals based on what race you ran. Wish the shirts were different for each race, clearly spelled out the race/distance and difference in medals based on distance. The other TROT race I completed was the same “complaint”.

Overall a GREAT race based on the price, the flat and smooth course, the scenery, the food and just the atmosphere/attitude among trail runners. If you have not attempted a trail runner and/or ultra before do NOT hesitate. Don’t think you can’t just because you are slow or for any other reason. Even if you walk most or all you will be supported and encouraged and you can do it!