Cheri Payne's Staging Area

Largest 15k in the U.S.! The course was full the entire time! At all times I could look ahead of me and see a sea of runners. Kept thinking it would thin out, but it never did. It wasn’t elbow to elbow after a few miles, but it was more full for 100% of the course than I’ve experienced before.

Drove from Houston to JAX to participate in the Gate River Run 15k. Arrived 8 days prior to vacation. Had a great time exploring NE FL and SE GA and spent NO time just sitting on the beaches. So surprised how much fun we had in this area. Always thought sitting on the beach was all this area had to offer. GREAT destination/vacation race area!

Expo was HUGE for a 15k. We’ve been to marathon expos smaller than this.

Expo assigns you a time for packet pick up and you are required to pick up during that 2 hr window. You do get to specify your preferred pick up time when you registered. My husband and I registered at the same time and both selected the same packet pick up times. Our assigned times ended up being different than each other. ??? They allowed me to pick up his packet during my time, but all their mass emails appeared as if they were very strict about only being able to pick up during your assigned time.

Expo hours only ran Th/Fr until 6 pm. If you work that was going to be tough! They did offer an option to pay extra to pick up race day, but that’s unfair to locals. Should have 1 expo day that runs until at least 7 or 8 p.m.

At the Expo they couldn’t find the XS shirts??? Said I could exchange on race day if they found them. ?? 2 hrs later I returned and they had found the XS.

Wish they had sold prior years merchandise at the Expo for a discounted price.

Course was GREAT!!! 13 unofficial booze stops in 9.3 miles! That’s the highest average of booze stops per mile of any race I’ve ever run and I’ve probably run 200+ races! That’s a booze stop every 3/4 mile! 🙂 While I don’t stop for these anymore, it still adds a lot of fun to the course and clearly indicates there’s great community support for this event! Also LOTS of families passing out donuts, popsicles, and other goodies. Good community support so thank you JAX!

Scenic course all the way through. Of course running the 2 bridges was awesome! A short stretch along the coast line and the water, several neighborhoods with beautiful homes, a gorgeous street with the moss draped trees, etc…. Lots and lots of turns in this course which I much prefer. No long straight aways which I detest. You were constantly turning a corner and wondering what lies ahead instead of looking miles ahead wondering when will this ever end?!

Typical race medal and finisher shirt. They also give a glass mug. We’ve got plenty of these. Wish races would not give these little items and instead give a nicer finisher shirt, sweatshirt or jacket. Put all the swag #$ in to 1 great item please!

FREE parking at the Jaguars stadium for the race. That was a nice surprise.

Stay in the historic Springfield district and you will be approx 1.5 miles from the race start and within walking district to Main Street for some off the beaten path breweries, restaurants etc in this up and coming district.

Corrals ran smoothly.

HUGE crowd support at the finish line. Even had bleachers for the crowds. Never seen this kind of crowd support for such a short distance. Again, thank you JAX for supporting this event!

Thanks to JAX for hosting these 2 Houstonians for your event and our vacation!

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!