Elvin Aleman's Staging Area

I which I had a better weather condition. Although the course has many turns, it is a nice one to have a PR. By the time we started, temperature was already above 70F, and by mile 13 it was ~82F. It was raining the night before, so the morning was very humid too. Organizers should have have more aid stations for the second half of the race, considering the temperature conditions. The expo and swag items were very good.
There was a lot of support from the community during the full race (a big plus). Fargo Marathon was on my bucket list for a long time, too bad the heat took a good experience away.

This race is very well organized and the logistic (transportation, start line, finish line, food, etc.) was very good. If some organizers read these reviews, I would recommend double the porta potties to avoid the long lines before the start. There are many aid station, but the trash boxes should be located farther aways from the tables to give runners time to drink and toss the cup inside the box and avoid seeing many cups flying toward the beach.

The scenery doesn’t change much until mile ~24, when you start running on the overpass (the only significant uphill). This year the headwind speed continued increasing all the way, but it got very strong at the end.
In general, we had a great time in Biloxi and had enough time to also visit New Orleans after the race.

The race started well. Volunteers were great and there was A LOT of support by family and fans. I am just surprised how a place that is familiar with big events, couldn’t handled or provide enough transportation at the end. Everything else was great: aid stations, food, swags, number of toilettes in the morning, etc. Good job for that part, but improve your coordination with Metro.

Unfortunately, this was the last year St. George held the Ironman 70.3 race. I hope it comes back in the future (like Boise). This year in St. George it was HOT (96°F), and everything was more difficult. The swim was the easy part: a lot of volunteers, nice clear water, and calm waters. The bike was probably the toughest part. The last climb on the bike was at Snow Canyon State Park, and it was the hardest one, so be sure to leave enough energy for that part. By the time I started the run, it was already 93-94°F. The run course is fun, and the energy of the volunteers was great. In general, a very challenging race, but I am very happy I did it.

The course is great for a great PR, but the organization needs more work. The venue to pick up the bib is too small and you have to wait and make a single line outside for almost 45 minutes. Another problem was that we were told there would be a shutter every 30 minutes to take you back to the start parking lot. We waited for almost 2 hours, and the shutter was only allowing 7 passages per ride (there were more than 40 people waiting for the bus). I do recommend you plan a taxi, Uber, or any paid transportation to get back to the start point.

Perfect weather, nice people, but it need more volunteers or better way to provide information. Some volunteers couldn’t provide clear information about parking, drop-off, pick-up sites, etc. In general, a beautiful route, and a fun run. There were many unexpected hills, which made the run more difficult than planned. I will definitely recommend this race to anyone.

The wind was very strong in the morning and the swim had to be cut to 500 m only. It was a very interesting swim as my body was getting slapped by waves and other swimmers. The bike ride is very hilly and headwinds until mile 36, but the scenery was great. The run was fine, but I am not a fan of courses that have many turns (it make you feel every mile is longer). I should have been less conservative on my run and bike, and I paid the price with my finish time.

The race has a good location, but still need some work. There should be more control of the traffic. I had to slow down twice because a truck with pecans got in the middle of the road. Some cars were speeding when got closer to runners, and I think traffic should be escorted by police of race staff. At the finish line, there was no staff that was able to tell be where it was the tent to check the official results. I couldn’t find out there that I had placed in my age group. Again, it has the energy to become a great race, but it need some mentorship/advice from big races organizers to avoid some of the issues indicated above.

The swim was fast and great. You have to be aware that the first 200 m are very shallow and you should not stop and try to stand. Keep swimming toward the downriver current and let it go. The transition area was good, but I would have added more bathrooms. The bike area is flat with a few hills….I prefer the hills. I would have like to have a much better control of the traffic. There were several closed calls when cars passed too fast or near the shoulder of the rode. Now, the run is OK…but I am not fan of multiple loops courses. There are many areas of shade a that was very good. Volunteers were great and made the whole experience unforgettable.