Eileen Chaisson's Staging Area

wasn’t my first choice for a NY race, but I’m glad I chose this. It’s advertised as a downhill race and the elevation map looked like it was a significant drop, but the majority of the race was on a paved trail which didn’t seem to have noticeable elevation drop. I did manage a PR, so it is a fast course if you’ve been training for that distance. no swag/expo; medal was ok. Stayed at Hyatt place in downtown Albany, which was walking distance to bus shuttle and finish line; also right next door to a decent brewery. Took a free tour of state capitol building… highly recommend. Saratoga is a short drive and worth visiting. If you’re looking for a NY race, I would definitely consider this one.

Loved everything about this race. Drove to Falmouth the day before and stayed at hotel 10-15 minute walk to race. communication leading up to race was good, swag/medal were nice (one of my favorites so far), expo decent, and the course was fantastic. one big hill around mile 9?, but otherwise fairly flat. Scenery was outstanding. I’m working on 50 states, but this is one race I would gladly repeat. Only complaint is the usual: not enough porta-potties.

Flew into salt lake city day before race; stayed at the Hyatt place, which was a five-minute walk to bus pickup (highly recommend). Bus pickup was very early and a little disorganized. Paid for the VIP bus, which I also highly recommend; although, the bathroom on the bus was out of order. If I did this race again, I would definitely upgrade to VIP for the sole reason of the bus driving you to the start line and having first dibs at the port-potties and staying on bus to stay warm because it is cold in the canyon. If you opt for regular bus, you have to walk from Solitude resort to start line. Swag was nothing spectacular. no expo. bib pickup was at a running store. The scenery was spectacular; course is completely downhill with a few flat sections. If you’re not used to running downhill, be forewarned: your quads and glutes will be screaming by the end. Running downhill is no joke. I spent a few days in Utah, did a tour of salt lake city, performance of Tabernacle choir, and drove to Olympic park in Park City. Thoroughly enjoyed my time in Utah and I would definitely do this race again. Met some people from Utah who prefer this race over Ogden.

I would highly recommend this race if looking for one in Delaware. I chose the half marathon, so my review is based on that course. Weather was overcast, little windy, but the rain held off making it comfortable for running. I enjoyed the course, which was fairly flat. The race starts and ends on Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, running through neighborhoods and around Gordon Pond nature trail for the majority of the race. I always carry my own hydration/energy gels so I can’t comment on pros/cons of aid stations , but there were a few. Swag/medal/small expo was decent. Spent the weekend at Avenue Inn and Spa, which I highly recommend if you need lodging. The hotel served breakfast at 6am for the runners: oatmeal, bagels (no PB but they had Nutella), fruit, coffee. Within walking distance to race, which came in handy for one last bathroom run before race. Rehoboth Beach is your typical beach town: plenty of places to eat ,drink and shop. Beach/boardwalk is very nice. The only negative is traveling to Rehoboth. Closest major airport for me was Philly. Rented a car and drove about 2 hours (not very scenic) to final destination. If I lived closer, I would definitely run this race again, but I’m off to the next state. If you need Delaware for 50 states challenge, you won’t be sorry in choosing this one.

Bib pickup was easy with optional merchandise to purchase. Good swag, long sleeve 1/4 zip. Medal was decent. Could have doubled the amount of porta-potties at start…very long lines, but what race doesn’t? Communication and production were fantastic. Plenty of water stations. Large portions of the race had great crowd support If you’re looking for a flat course, keep looking. There’s one big hill in the first mile and a monster between miles 10 and 11. Reading past reviews, I added a lot of hills in my training, but nothing prepared me for that, especially being near the end of the race. Despite that, the scenery around Casco Bay was spectacular. If you’re looking for a half in Maine, I would definitely recommend this one. Portland is a great destination, lots of good food, breweries, and shopping. Be aware that you have to pay for parking pretty much everywhere you go.

fantastic race that I highly recommend. Fairly big race with lots of crowd support. Flat, fast course. the only elevation is over one bridge. race production/communication is good. no expo, but the swag is great. Love the medal. Food after the race is good and plentiful. Very crowded beer garden. ended up giving ticket away and going to the Smuttynose brewery a short drive from race and having lunch/beer. I live close to this race, but I would definitely pick this as a destination race/50 staters.