Eric T's Staging Area

Visiting Baltimore and Annapolis, I got to see a lot of Maryland’s bustling dynamic industry. But the NCR Marathon, in more ways than one, struck a nice balance, showcasing the state’s quiet, constant naturalness and highlighting the harmony of Maryland’s composite.

Organization
Arrival/Finish Line. Parking is a bit of a chore. A quarter mile walk to the start line in the cold wasn’t especially fun, but the 8:30 start time gave us time to figure things out. Post-race, a bus circuit was available to shuttle people from the finish line to the start line/staging area to the parking lots, which felt a little frustrating after the race, but they came super frequently. I finished after the peak of finishers, so I’m not sure if it was any more difficult at that point.

Swag
Medal. It doesn’t seem like they change much from year to year and they are same medals for the full marathon and the half marathon. It doesn’t seem like their much rerun value year-to-year if you’re there to collect medals, but as an addition to my collection I like the incorporation of the bright yellow trail marker that will always call to mind this race. Worth mentioning: this race does give you a sweatshirt (instead of a tech shirt), and a finisher’s blanket, which are super unique as a one-off, but not necessarily in repeat years.

Expo. In the basement of a running store, bib pick up was fast and easy. And with plenty of bargain bins at the store, we were able to stock up on last minute necessities for the race.

Post-Race Food. Life-saving lentil soup and a few other snacks in a warm gym brought me back to my senses post-race.

Course
Aid Stations/Support. Just enough. I brought my own snacks, but with an aid station just about every 3.5 miles offering Gu, water, and electrolytes, I felt confident I could have made it with what was offered. Trail runs are difficult to gauge because too many aid stations/cheering sections and you don’t get to truly enjoy nature, but too few can kill your motivation. NCR struck a nice balance. Pockets of cheerers popped up every now and then on a relatively quiet trail.

Scenery. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The NCR Trail marathon is jus that, a run on a trail and while the path weaves and curves, the view doesn’t much. In this case, that’s not a bad things. Beautiful, autumn forest with towering trees. It’s out and back so if you want to take some pictures on the first half, you can lock in and zone out on the second half.

Difficulty. Easy peasy, but very breezy. The trail is almost completely flat. Coupled with the packed earth of a converted railtrail, you have one of the most forgiving running surfaces you could ask for for 26 miles. The path gets narrow at times, crosses bridges, and has a few hazards, but otherwise, it’s smooth sailing. It is out and back, so the monotony might get to you by the end, but it’s straight and unobstructed, making it an easy route for zoning out and locking in. Temp never got over 40. It’s cold.

Uniqueness. The NCR trail is gorgeous and as the running pack thins out, you’ll get to enjoy a lot of sections in near-solitude. The sweatshirt-material blanket and soft af sweatshirt you get are a nice change from the usual tech shirt.

Tip: Do NOT miss the Troll House, just past the half-marathon turn around. Snap some pictures to return to later, the jokes and puns on top of hundreds of troll tchotchkies is worth your time.

Medal. Like everyone says: It’s huge. And has a really fun, well-crafted design. It’s exactly what you want and the last thing you want hanging around your neck after running 26.2 miles. This year’s dinosaur theme saw a massive T-rex, with a smoking volcano and background dinos in a bedrock font.

Aid Stations/Support. As with all races that start the marathon and half at the same time, there’s that distinct drop off at 13 miles where you realize how spread out everyone has gotten. It’s also in the second half that you experience more of the woodsy side of town (and more of the downhills) with a lot less cheering sections. It’s a nice changeup in the environment for me, but might not be for others. Aid stations were maybe 2ish miles apart and had water, powerade, Gu. One at mile 20 had PB&J that gave me life. Great support and a fun Jurassic Park Photo Op near the Governor’s Mansion.

Difficulty. Rolling Hills. The website is pretty facetious about them, and from all vantage points, they don’t look like much, but they add up. You’re never climbing any real hills, but my mile 20, they were really breaking the momentum of me and everyone around me. Come mentally prepared. Otherwise, it’s a pretty smooth ride on paved streets the whole way.

Uniqueness. The medal obvi. But as someone from out of town, the LR Marathon runs past a lot of the sights that are distinctly Little Rock. There’s the Governor’s Mansion, the Capitol Building, and Little Rock Central High School (whose history, if you don’t know, you should learn and stop by the LRCHS Visitor’s Center). You’ll also pass a variety of landscapes that showcase the terrains of Little Rock from downtown, to suburban, to the waterfront, to more woodsy areas. And the bridges! You really get to see the entire city.

Tip: If you’re from out of town and you can, staying at the host hotel made this hands down the most convenient marathon I’ve ever run. The convention center (where the expo is held) is connected to the hotel, and the start line is right out the backdoor. And if you have a riverside room, you can even watch the events from your window. Don’t get me wrong, I love a trail run in the middle of nowhere as much as the next guy, but sometimes it’s nice to have the hardest part of the race be the race.