Drew Sheppard's Staging Area

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.

This is a mostly flat course. Right before mile 12 is the only significant hill. Other than that, it was pretty much flat. A decent amount of the course is shaded, which helps on a sunny day.

Part of the race goes through Churchill Downs, which is really cool. I wish we had more of an unobstructed view of the track, but it was still pretty amazing.

Plenty of water and aid stops. Lots of nice volunteers and spectators. Several of the mile markers seemed off (I would swear there were two signs for mile 9 and miles 11 was definitely off).

Small-ish expo. Okay shirt. Great medal.

There was a shuttle that ran to/from the expo, which was great. Lots of hotels to choose from. Limited options (in my opinion) for pasta the night before–so the one place (Old Spaghetti House) was quite crowded! Lots of pubs to enjoy a post race beer (or bourbon).

For 50 staters, I would highly recommend this race for Kentucky.

I was signed up to run the 2017 race, which was cancelled due to the weather. It was a good (though I’m sure tough) decision made by the Race Director–the roads were incredibly icy and unsafe to run. The team did a good job of providing options to those of us signed up for 2017.

A new sponsor–Continental–took over this year. I’m glad that the organizers were able to carry on the race. Even though I didn’t get to run last year, I was able to see the finisher jacket and HUGE medal, so I was disappointed this year with the basic white race shirt (long sleeve, though) and a tiny medal.

EXPO: Located in the host hotel, which is convenient if you are staying there. They had live music, which was a bit much for such a small space (hard to hear anyone!).

RACES: There are multiple races that all start at the same time: Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, Quarter Note, and 5k. The course starts to thin out as each of the shorter distance groups peeled off [some of the distances seemed off–especially the 5k which was definitely closer to 3.5 or more]. The course was narrow at many points, made even more narrow by the rain which caused large puddles everywhere. The Jackson, MS roads have lots of potholes, which filled up with the rain water. The course wasn’t closed to traffic. At parts, there really wasn’t an obvious path for the runners, we just had to hope that the cars would slow and go around us.

I didn’t have a car, but it would have helped to have one. There aren’t a lot of restaurant options for pre-race pasta near the hotels.

I realize the review above slants negative, which is not the intention! Anyone looking to run the 50 states, I would still recommend this race for Mississippi.

My birthday fell on the MLK 3 day weekend this year, and I wanted to go somewhere to run a race. I ran the Rock N Roll Marathon back in 2011 and I liked leaving the NY winter to enjoy the Arizona weather, so I went back for the half marathon. I actually did 3 races this weekend–the 1-miler on Friday night, the 5k on Saturday, and the half on Sunday. It was a great weekend. The courses are almost entirely flat. The weather was perfect.

The expo was smaller than I remembered. I feel like RnR have gone astray with the shirt designs (I think they used to be MUCH better). The medals were fine–not the best RnR, but fine.

I stayed in Tempe which worked out really well–I could walk to the start/finish lines for all 3 races.

This is a flat course. Even though the race starts in the afternoon, it is pretty much dark within the first couple of miles. It is cool to run the Strip–and you get a chance to see a brief glimpse of the old Vegas–but there are parts that are boring. Not a lot of music on the course (considering it is Rock N Roll).

It was a bit of a mess getting to the start. I’m willing to give it a bit of a pass as they had to change things (including the course) because of the horrible shooting a few weeks ago. It was moving to see all of the “Vegas Strong” signs during my weekend in Vegas.

There is a 5k the night before, which I would recommend (even though it wasn’t scenic at all).

The medals were fun and Las Vegas themed. The shirts weren’t great (though I’ve felt that about most of the Rock N Roll shirts this year).

This was my 10th Rock N Roll event of 2017, so I received the big Gold Record medal at the end, which was cool.