Drew Sheppard's Staging Area

I believe that this year’s race (2023) will be unlike previous and future occurrences of this event. So please keep that in mind with my recap below. Japan in general and the race specifically had many protocols in place due to COVID.

Traveling to and within Japan: Additional pre-arrival step required to show proof of vaccination. Masking indoors and outdoors remains nearly universal throughout Tokyo.

Race COVID related protocols (this year):
-Runners had to download a health app and register daily temperature starting 10 days prior to race day
-At the expo the “goody” bag included some flyers, a mask, and 2 COVID tests. [Race shirts were optional and needed to be purchased.]
-The COVID tests needed to be taken prior to race day and recorded in the app
-On race day, runners were SUPPOSED to use hand sanitizer (provided on the course) prior to grabbing anything from the aid station. Compliance looked low to me.
-On race day, runners were SUPPOSED to go to the aid table corresponding to the final number on their bib. Again, compliance looked low to me on this. And, as the race went on, those first tables were all out of liquids so everyone was forced to later tables anyway
-On race day, masks were required in the start area through the crossing of the start line. And masks were required after crossing the finish line.

Expo:
-I traveled with a tour group (Marathon Tours – which I use for most of my international races and would recommend). I believe that international tour groups were recommended to go to the expo the first day (Thursday). I had one of the worst expo experiences of my 125+ marathons/half marathons. There were 21 stations for bib pickup. Stations 1 through 16 had volunteers but no runners waiting. Stations 17 through 21 had volunteers but a ton of runners waiting. My line took 1 hour to get through. From what I heard, over the next couple of days, runners’ expo experiences greatly varied by the time they arrived–some sailed through quickly, some encountered long lines.
-Next I waited 3 hours to get into the official store. After about 2 hours, I thought I was close when the line suddenly went outside. By then I felt I had invested so much time, I couldn’t leave! [But that was my choice.] Even though it was the first day, many of the shirts were already sold out. Oddly, there were no official jackets or race hats this year. That was disappointing. After waiting the 3 hours I did buy a shirt–even though I bought the biggest size, it is aspirational. I hope I can fit into it one day! 😂
-It was unclear to me (and others) that there was another whole level of the expo (downstairs). I didn’t spend much time going through that area as I was wiped out by then.

Race day:
-After my experience at the Expo I was scared about race morning. It wasn’t too bad. Yes, there were lines to get into the start gates and then start corrals–runners had to show their health app, get their temperature taken, and go through security–but it was (relatively) efficient.
-Port-o-potties: Be aware that at the start and throughout the race there was a mix of “western” and “Japanese” style toilets. On the course I thought that they did an excellent job to highlighting what style each stop was and how far it was to the next stop.
-I was in the last corral (L), so I was nervous about how long it was going to take to get across the start line. It took exactly 30 minutes from after the gun went off. Because the Tokyo Marathon has 8 strict cutoff points, based on gun time, I had to do what you are not supposed to do–go out too fast and pull back later. I knew this going in and I believe that the race organization is quite clear about these requirements. I know some people in our tour group got pulled, I don’t know how many overall were cutoff.
-I mentioned a bit about the aid stations above, but I will also point out that there were a lot of them, which I appreciated.
-Race course was relatively flat, city streets the whole time.
-Amazing sites to see as you run through the city.
-I had heard that there are normally big crowds–but that wasn’t my experience. I found that there weren’t a lot of spectators this year. [This might be just an off year due to the COVID protocols.]
-The volunteers were great! High spirited.
-After the finish line, runners picked up a bag with water but no food. There was some sort of squeeze thing that was supposed to be food-like, but I didn’t try it.
-International runners (or at least those of us with tour companies) had a bus back to the start, which was a great thing to have.

Other notes:
-I stayed at the Tokyo Hilton, which was great. Nice hotel, at a good location. Very close to the start area.
-The Saturday Friendship Run only had a physical finish line (no start line–because of COVID protocols). There were only a small number of bibs available and was sold out by the time I tried to sign up.
-The food in Tokyo was great!
-The people were all extremely nice.
-Everything (except the expo 😂) is extremely efficient. After those 8 cutoff times, things are broken down quickly. By the time the bus get us back to the start, you couldn’t even tell there had been a race there that morning.

Bonus:
Due to no race in 2020 and limited runners in 2021 and 2022, this year had a lot of runners looking to get their Abbott World Major Sixth Star. According to Abbott, “The 2023 Tokyo Marathon set a new Guinness World Records title for the most people to earn a Six Star medal at a single marathon. 3,033 runners earned their Six Star Medal, smashing the previous record set in Tokyo in 2019 of 732.” It was inspiring to see and I congratulate all the Six Star finishers (I have one more star – Boston – to go!).

At the end of the day, I’m super excited that I completed this race. It was not only my 5th World Major Star, it was also my 7th continent. I’m glad I did the race…there’s just that small part of me that would have liked to experience the Tokyo Marathon that past participants experienced. Their experience seemed to have been just a little bit better.

These races (there is a half marathon, which I did, and a 5k) take place in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. This location was home to the 1939 and 1964 World Fairs.

I realize that my overall rating is higher than the individual breakdowns, which may not make sense!

Course Difficulty & Scenery: The course is 3 loops–so that can get old. But I like running this park and seeing the Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion. The course is almost entirely flat, except for one short bridge that you go over 6 times. The course surface has the occasional bumps and holes, so be on the lookout for uneven surfaces.

Race Production: NYCRuns is a much smaller organization than New York Road Runners (NYRR). It’s great that the city has both. And with putting on smaller races, NYCRuns often goes to different areas of the city (including Governors Island). That said…I felt like they needed more volunteers today. At one point on the course, there were cones and a sign with arrows (“All Race Activities” –>). I saw several runners take this turn. I don’t believe that it was an intentional decision to cut the course–we are runners, we follow cones and arrows! But if these same runners did this for all 3 loops, they likely ran almost a mile less. On one of my loops, there was a volunteer there–so maybe it was only a short period of time that it wasn’t covered. Regardless, they needed a volunteer at this point the entire race. Additionally, the finish area (where they gave out donuts) dumped runners back on the course. So all of the 5k runners and then the fast half marathoners got their donuts and strolled on the course, blocking the path. So volunteers would have been beneficial here, too. And, of course, the runners who just completed the race should also have taken more care.

Ever since NYCRuns started racing again at the end of 2020, they have been mailing bibs to people who register early. No additional cost for this benefit, which is great.

Race swag: NYCRuns has fun themes, so they give it fun medals and shirts. They shirts are long sleeve technical. I very rarely get the shirt–not this is not by my choice. They don’t order enough shirts for all the runners. They are transparent about it: “To reduce waste we try not to over-order, so sizes are not guaranteed.” But it’s frustrating.

Overall, I believe that this is a fun, flat race that is worth doing!

Lots of caveats for this review! Starting with the most important – I did not finish. I got pulled at mile 17. This was my first DNF (in 350+ races). It was a tough course.

I originally signed up for the Amazing Maasai Marathon (in Kenya) for 2020. The race was cancelled for 2020, 2021, and 2022. Marathon Tours (who I booked through) recommended switching to another race and I picked the Big Five. Marathon Tours handled the booking, but Albatros Adventure Marathons was the onsite partner.

I stayed at Legend Golf & Safari Resort. This location was off the Entabeni Reserve, so we could walk (unescorted) around the property. The resort was clearly just coming back from the challenges faced by many in the travel industry during the pandemic. What this meant for this trip (and what will hopefully be improved in the future): staff was brought on to help with this week only, so many were new and learning the ropes. We could not enter our rooms by the front door, but had to go in through the backdoor (though locks were changed for some while we were there). Heat in the rooms didn’t work well. The “system” of tracking expenses (drinks, extra excursions, etc) wasn’t great, so our bills were all messed up. All this said – they staff were REALLY nice. And our ranger for the week (Noddy) was amazing. He had such love for his job, his country, and nature. He was a joy to be around and we all learned so much.

There was a game drive and bush walk almost every day. You could (and I did) add an additional game drive most days. All meals were included. With the exception of a few juices at breakfast, only tea and coffee were free. Everything else (alcohol, soda, water) was extra. That said, it was all really cheap.

You could use cash or charge at the resort but the expo you needed to pay cash for any merchandise you wanted to buy.

The shirt was white technical and nice. The medal was really cool (Africa & a rhino on it).

The course was brutal. The race website suggests assuming a finishing time 25% slower than your flat marathon time. What makes it tough – altitude (5,600 feet at highest), the course surface (dirt roads, sand, rocks), and the hills! Here is the description from the site:

“The first section is run on dirt road made up of red sand. Runners will pass a few hills (nothing too bad… the worst is yet to come!). And when you reach Hanglip View Point, you backtrack and run back before you reach Yellow Wood Valley. Pay attention to this section as the surface is very uneven with loose rocks, pebbles and holes.

The Yellow Wood Valley is the most dreaded part of the course. You are about to run down the steepest slope of your life! This sharp descent is on a paved surface. The next three kilometers or so will be excruciatingly hard on your quads as you negotiate the steep slope. You reach lion country after the descent. And although the next nine kilometers are flat, you’re running through deep sand. Full marathoners do a 9km loop whereas half marathon runners run a 2km loop.

This brings us back to Yellow Wood. And yes, you guessed correctly. We’re going up the dreaded hill this time. Be prepared to take things slowly as it’s virtually impossible to run up this hill.

The route carries on to Long Drive, a narrow valley, where marathon runners do a 6km loop. Half marathoners run across the valley and reach the final section of the route. This section is run on dirt trails, a welcome respite from the deep sand and loose stone terrain earlier on.”

I got pulled at mile 17 – going up the “dreaded hill.” It was disappointing, but the right call. Despite the DNF, I enjoyed the trip. I will go back to Africa (but not this race!) so that I can complete a marathon on this continent. It was an amazing experience. For the adventure traveler – this is great. I was marathon trained and ready, I just wasn’t ready for this course.

This year’s race (was 2022) was the first since pre-COVID. I originally signed up for 2020 and the race was rescheduled multiple times until April 2022. This was my first visit to Prague. It was a nice city to visit.

Expo was more of a packet pick-up. There was one vendor there with limited merchandise. The packet pick-up was at the Prague Hilton and there was a shuttle bus to the start line from this hotel. This is NOT the hotel my group stayed at, but we walked to/from the expo as well as the start/finish line.

The race course was nice, but I’ll admit that I expected a little more. Parts of the course weren’t that exciting (but I guess that is true for most races). A not insignificant amount of the course was on cobblestones. My feet definitely were sore after the race. That said – there were definitely sections that were amazing. The people were great.

It was not an expensive city – which was great. We did a food and drink walking tour the day after the race, which was a lot of fun. It is a nice vacation!

This year (2022) it was rainy and windy–and the wind was worse than the rain. A friend warned me that it was hilly, but I was still shocked about the climb. There was a bagpiper at the top of the hill–apparently, he is there every year to welcome runners to the top of the hill.

There were multiple races happening on Sunday (5k, 8k, 15k, and half marathon). The race organizers did a great job managing the different distances and start times.

There were ample aid stations and port-o-potties on the course. It was also well marked and plenty of volunteers directing runners.

The finish area was fun – food (including oatmeal), beer, and a band.

The shirt was long sleeve and nice. The medal, not surprisingly, was a shamrock and cool.

Participants (plus up to 4 people, I believe) got access to the Adidas Employee Store – where all merchandise was 50% off. It was worth a visit – save room in your suitcase!

This review is from 2021 – the race was run in November this year instead of the normal March weekend. The medals, though, still have the March dates on them.

I ran the Little Rock Full Marathon back in 2016. It remains as the LARGEST race medal that I’ve ever received. When it came time to come back to Arkansas to run a half, the choice was easy. I came for the bling!

I stayed at the host hotel (Marriott). The Convention Center (where the expo is located) is attached to the hotel. The finish line area is also in the Convention Center, so this hotel is very convenient.

I did the 5k on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday so that I could leave the weekend with 3 medals. The medals are great – even if they are smaller than the full marathon medal.

Every running of this race has a theme. This year’s theme was “Runderland”. The theme is carried through to the swag, the “decorations” (for lack of a better word) at the expo and throughout the weekend, and to the medal, of course. Additionally, many runners get into the theme and dress up.

The half course wasn’t very scenic and there were the occasional hills. Running across Broadway Bridge is a high point of the course (figuratively but not literally).

The finish area had plenty of food and drink options–pasta, bananas, cookies plus chocolate milk, soda, and beer. Food outside of the finish area was a little harder to get. I’m not sure if it is always like this or if it is do to staffing shortages, but lots of restaurants were closed or open limited hours. So there were waits wherever you wanted to go.

It’s a fun a weekend with great race swag. I highly recommend considering this race for those runners looking to knock Arkansas off their full or half marathon state list.

After I ran the NYC Marathon for a second time in 2009 I swore I would never run it again. I’m a 50-stater and I have been focused on conquering new states. This year, however, I really wanted the medal with a “50” on it (being this is my 50th birthday year). So I signed up. I forgot how special it is to run in your hometown. You get to see friends, co-workers, teammates, and runners you see all the time when training. And the crowds! They seemed extra pumped this year. Perhaps it was to make up for the cancellation of last year’s race (due to COVID), the enthusiasm from the crowd was contagious.

Due to COVID protocols, there were less runners (it ended up being less than 25k finishers). They did 5 waves instead of 4 waves. The final wave (mine) starting at noon. That was the only downside to the day for me, as it meant finishing in the dark. But with less runners, there were no lines at the port-o-potties! Something I never experienced at any race, let alone a NYC race!

Unique to this year: you had a select an expo / bib pick-up time. Not a lot of vendors, but there were some. I imagine (or hope!) that the expo will return to normal size and protocols next year.

Getting to the start: Ferry to Staten Island and then a bus to the start village. I’ve heard this has been mildly stressful other years, but it was super smooth this year.

Swag: Long sleeve technical shirt and the “50” medal.

Course: Not easy! Bridges and climbs. But the crowds! Can’t beat the experience.

**Please note: This review is from 2021. I originally signed up for the May 2020, which was postponed due to COVID. In 2021 this race was run in September, not May.**

The Fargo Marathon is now easily one of my top 10 favorite US marathons. It is advertised as flat – and it definitely is! Weather was perfect–cool, not too windy. Course was well marked and there was an adequate number of aid stations.

Due to shipping issues, the swag did not arrive in time for the expo. That will be sent to runners post race (so TBD on when I will receive). Thankfully, they did have the medals to give out at the finish line.

It was SO NICE to be able to wait inside at the Fargodome before the race. No waiting outside in the dark and in the elements/cold. Plenty of seats, so no sitting on the ground. Actual bathrooms! And lots of them.

The race starts and ends in the Fargodome, which was fun. Course was flat and there were more spectators than I thought there would be. Volunteers were great. There were shuttle buses for Saturday’s races that picked up runners at multiple Fargo hotels and brought them to the Fargodome. Getting to the expo and/or the Friday night 5k required walking (several miles), renting a car, or using a ride share app. Keep that in mind when booking your hotel.

I did the Friday night 5k. I’m sure that I’ve done other night before short races, but I don’t recall those races starting at 6:30 PM. I’ll admit that I was briefly thrown by that and trying to figure out when to have my pre-marathon race pasta dinner! After the 5k seemed too late. Too close to the start seemed bad, too. So I went with 4 PM and that worked fine.

I highly recommend this race.

I was happy to have a new (to me) hometown half marathon to run. And I’m a sucker for running along the water–especially when the path is flat.

The course goes along the southern edge of Brooklyn and runs under the Verrazano Bridge. There is a nice view of the Manhattan skyline. It’s an out and back course that is nice and flat.

NYCRuns is still mailing out bibs and shirts this year (2021) which is great. No doubt that will change back soon. The medal was nice. NYCRuns favors race shirts in loud colors that IMHO don’t look great on anyone, but they do standout!

This was my 4th time running this particular race. No changes to past years. It was warmer than normal this year (2020), but it was the same course. Swag was a long sleeve tech t-shirt. Decent medal at the end. Race starts later than most half marathons (9am). The biggest change this year was moving bib pick up (there is no expo) to Brooklyn. NYCRuns allows for same day pick up, which I (along with a lot of other people) did.

I’ve run this race at least 4 times now. It’s not the most exciting race–you do almost 3 laps of the upper portion of Central Park. But it is convenient, well run, and a good way to get a training run in that ends with getting a medal!

It’s been awhile since I’ve run a fall marathon with fall foliage–I’d forgotten how much I enjoy seeing it.

This year (2019) was quite chilly, but that only added to the “fall-ness” of the race. I found the course to be hilly–and somehow, it always seemed to be uphill, never downhill. You pass by the finish line multiple times, which is especially cruel when it happens around mile 25.

This is a small race (less than 400 full marathoners), but they really take care of their runners. Special callout to race director John Mortimer. He personally made me feel welcomed and supported during the race. As a back of the pack-er, this is huge! This race also redefines “sweeper” in a way that I just love! Here, the sweeper is someone to avoid or stay in front of. Here, the sweeper stays with whomever is in the last position on the course (so this can change over 26.2 miles). The sweeper doesn’t threaten (“you’ll be taken off the course”), doesn’t say unhelpful things (“run faster”), but instead is there to encourage and to say “you will be allowed to finish no matter how much time it takes. I’m here to make sure you don’t get lost and that you have everything you need.” For several miles I was the last person and I am truly grateful for Esther who kept it real and kept me entertained.

Swag includes a long sleeve technical shirt (okay) and a big medal (nice). The hotel was mere steps from the start and finish line.

For 50-staters or anyone looking for a nice, small, fall New England race, I would definitely recommend this marathon.

Didn’t realize until now that this was my 50th half marathon. This was my 2nd time running this race (see my recap from 2018). I put off for many years running this race assuming it would be a hassle. Instead, I found that I enjoy the total experience–getting the start via the ferry, running in a borough I don’t spend a lot of time in, and the course itself.

[Full disclosure: my trip to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was planned by Marathon Tours.]

You’ve probably seen the pictures of the “statues” (Moai). You might have a vague idea of where the island is. You know it will take some work to get there–and it does! But that is what really makes this small marathon special. Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is incredibly unique and it will definitely be a memorable race.

As part of the Marathon Tours trip, we began the trip in Santiago, Chile for a couple of days. We then flew to Rapa Nui. [Prior to the trip I was warned that air travel is often unreliable–over the course of the trip it was about 50/50 in terms of on-time and delays. So, don’t plan tight connections. ] We had a snafu with our hotel [still unclear why]. There appeared to be limited hotel options and I would personally rate most of them 2 to 3 stars, so be prepared for that. Definitely plan for a couple of days of exploring the island. It is beautiful and the people are nice. There are lots of wild dogs–though they are mostly friendly. There are wild horses and I had a moment mid-marathon that I had to wait for a group of cows to get out of my way!

In theory there is an opening ceremony to the race weekend, though what we attended in 2019 wasn’t as elaborate as it had been in year’s past, so things might have changed. There is a pasta dinner, but our group did not attend that. You can find pasta in most of the restaurants on the island [The food overall was quite good. Spectators in your group should go to Oheho for the best empanadas and a great view of the race finish line.] Swag includes a race shirt, a race jacket, and a great medal. There was a mass race morning that many runners attended. It was in Spanish and Rapa Nui and it was a nice start to the day. This did mean, however, that the race start was 10:15am–which in my opinion is quite late for a marathon. There are multiple races over several days (in order): triathlon, mountain bike, 5k (for kids only), 10k, half marathon, and marathon.

The marathon course is basically 13.1 miles out and then 13.1 miles back. There is a killer hill. Part of the course (not all of it, though) has beautiful scenery. There is very little shade. The aids stops are every 5k, so I carried a water bottle with me (something I don’t normally do). There are very few spectators (beyond the wild dogs and horses and the roving cows). All the running races start the same time/location and with the out and back route, you do see other participants, which is nice. The roads are still open for traffic.

Post race there is an awards ceremony. With less than 100 runners and 3 award winners per gender per age group many people left with a 2nd medal. If it has always been your dream to stand on a winner’s podium, this might be your chance!

As a group of about 50 in a race weekend with around 250 participants, I was shocked by the lack of attention from the race organizers. Something was definitely off this particular year and will hopefully be corrected in future years.

Despite some snafus and the killer hill, I had a blast on Rapa Nui due to the uniqueness of the island and the wonderful people I was with. I would recommend. And, if you go through Marathon Tours, I highly recommend doing the Machu Picchu extension.

Last time I ran the NYC Half, it was all in Manhattan (started in Central Park, ran through Times Square over to the West Side Highway and finished at the tip of the island). New course starts in Brooklyn and ends in Central Park. I mostly liked the new route. No matter how many races I’ve done in Prospect Park, I just don’t find my way to the start there very easily!

I am so grateful for all that NYRR does week in and week out. They put on great local (short) races. This race was a bit rocky from my perspective. The expo is a very small space for the number of runners, so bib pick up was a bit chaotic.

As I stated above, getting the start was a bit challenging for me, and I somewhat know Prospect Park. I can imagine it would be even more confusing for travelers who come to NYC just for the race.

There are some hills, but it’s NYC! There aren’t many races here that don’t involve some hills. There are good sights and lots of energy, so that can distract you from the hills.

Biggest bummer for me was that I didn’t receive a medal at the finish line! When I crossed they were out of medals and Myler blankets. Apparently they (the medals) were just missing. I was able to pick it up later. That was annoying for me, a local. It would be very disappointing for travelers, though NYRR promised to mail them to everyone who didn’t get one, including international runners.

I love my city and I love racing here, so despite the hiccups I experienced this year (and a slower time due to several months of injuries), I would still recommend this race.

If you enjoy visiting new places for marathon, this race absolutely should be on your bucket list. Queenstown is absolutely beautiful and a fun place to visit.

Traveling to New Zealand isn’t easy (or rather, it takes a long time to get there). Don’t let that scare you off. It isn’t that bad. Most likely, you will need to fly into Auckland first. Not a bad idea to spend a day or two there before coming to Queenstown.

Queenstown is an absolutely place with lots of options for active travelers. You can bungee jump off the bridge where bungee jumping was born. There is zip lining, rafting, luge, and gondolas plus wine tours and visits to beautiful locations used in Lord of the Rings, Mission Impossible, and other movies. You should visit Fergburger–well known for their burgers–it is worth the wait.

The expo is small (and a bit disorganized). The medal was better than I expected. Race morning there is a shuttle to the start. The start area (for bag drop, port-o-potties, etc) was surprisingly a bit away from the start line. I wish the race would have started earlier (the marathon goes off at 8:30am, after the 10k and half marathon start). The course is beautiful, but hilly. Don’t let the “flat out beautiful” slogan of the race deceive you! Decent finish area, though they were out of some things (including the beer I wanted!) but the time I finished.

It really was a spectacular running vacation. I enjoyed myself immensely and I would highly recommend this adventure for any runners who love traveling to new places.

It’s hard to write just about the race. This is a week long cruise with multiple events on four different Hawaiian islands. There were two 5ks, an Amazing Race style event that was a little over a 5k, plus a beautiful hike. On this particular race day, there were three race options–5k, 10k, and half marathon.

It was a hot day, with very little shade along the course. This covered part of the Iron Man course and it was beautiful. It was hilly at parts.

It was a blast running with a group of people that you had spent the week getting to know. The group was on hand for the final finishers and created a human archway for them to run through, cheering them along as if they were the runners to come across first. It was truly a special day.

First, I should note that this was a tough race for me–but that was because of an injury I was dealing with. So, my finish time doesn’t reflect my opinion of the race.

This was a three race weekend–a 3 mile (untimed) beer run on Friday night, a 5k race on Saturday, and then the main event (marathon and half marathon) on Sunday. This schedule provided an opportunity for fans of various distances and for families to participate in the events of the weekend. (Baby joggers/strollers were allowed on Friday night and Saturday’s 5k.)

The Missoula area is breathtaking and the area was more “hip” than I had anticipated (big farmer’s market, lots of craft beers, etc). Not easy (or cheap) to get there–took me 2 flights to get there. I’d recommend staying in the downtown area, which is near where the events of the weekend take place.

The expo is outdoors. Race shirts were nice as were the medals. For Sunday’s races, they provided free photos (you could get your picture taken and then they would provide you a printed copy then and there).

It was warm (especially Friday night). I believe they are moving the date up to June next year as they are concerned about forest fires they sometimes have to deal with (luckily none this weekend).

For those runners looking to cross Montana off your list–or those looking for a fun/scenic summer race–I would highly recommend the Missoula Marathon.