Evelyn Watkins's Staging Area

This race was my 90th marathon/ultra.
The race is a double loop course with the start/finish located downtown near a farmer’s market.
Packet Pickup: I drove up the night before and stayed in an airbnb. The packet pickup ended at 5pm. I wasn’t able to get there in time. (5pm is a bit early in my opinion). PP was offered the morning of for 30 minutes ONLY, which made me a bit anxious, expecting to either wait in line or have little time to return to my car before the race. There was a medium sized parking lot 2 blocks away which was pretty convenient. Fortunately I was able to get there with plenty of time to park easily and was first in line at PP. This was probably my mistake because I was there as the volunteers were setting up and being coached on what their individual tasks were. I waited patiently a few minutes for them to get settled before they gave me my bib/shirt. What I didn’t realize until I got home (4 hours away) was that I was given a VOLUNTEER shirt. Apparently the difference between the Vol & runner shirts was the color of the ink. So I’m stuck with a shirt that says volunteer across the front. Not a big deal to me honestly – It was just a cotton shirt and because I’ve run almost 100 marathons, I have plenty of shirts. Just an honest mistake by the volunteer and by me for not checking the shirt before I left.
Race: Start was open for 10 minutes due to COVID. The field was pretty small so that wasn’t a big deal. (50ish marathoners). The half runners started later. The course was a double loop open course. Traffic wasn’t terrible and police were out at larger/busy intersections. Because the field was pretty small, I lost site of most of the other runners pretty quickly. Not a big deal, I’m good with running alone. What was a big deal was that there were very little signage along the course. Volunteers/police were stationed at all the turns along the course, which were the ONLY source of direction. I will say that the volunteers/police did a great job, but the second loop caused some anxiety…(more on that in a minute).
When I completed my first loop, there were NO signs or volunteers telling me to continue through the arch and back out again. *Someone needs to recognize marathon bibs and verbally/visually acknowledge them and ensure they know to continue through and repeat the course.* No one did this. I knew what to do but did not know where to go.
For the majority of my second loop, I was pretty anxious/nervous that I would go the wrong way. (As the race director of a double loop small town race, I anticipated these issues and cringed this whole loop!) Because there were NO directional signs, arrows or markers along the course (other than mile markers and a few “yard sale size” race signs that only said the name of the race), and because of the small field (I was completely alone on the 2nd loop, passing maybe 2-3 people the whole loop), I was worried that I would miss a turn. Fortunately, I did not, but for my final loop, there were several turns where I literally had to ask the volunteer who had lost interest in their job which way I needed to go. There were also long sections of the course where there was NO ONE else around and I almost turned around because I thought I had missed a turn. The only thing that kept me on course was my experience with double loops and knowing that I should establish landmarks on the first loop to later recognize (distinctive/unique trees/houses, business names, etc). This was a major problem for me. There was one intersection with 5-6 volunteers playing around and once I passed them, I realized that some of them should have been on block over telling runners to turn again (it was a left turn, then a quick right).
Post race – Because the race was pretty small, I finished and within 5 minutes, I had my age group award, photo op, and was on the message table. Boxed lunches were provided along with water and powerade. I was able to wander through the farmer’s market on the way to my car.

BOTTOM LINE: The course needs to be physically marked. There were no directional markings/signage at all! This was a major issue for me.

MY TWO CENTS: As a small town race director (Magnolia Marathon – Meridian Mississippi – a double loop course
with a field very similar in size to this race), I strongly suggest to the RD to purchase a case of orange chalk marking paint (about $125 online or at any hardware store), and spend a couple hours a few days before the race (& after the last rain) painting arrows at every turn to ensure that runners don’t get lost!
-I’m not criticizing the volunteers at this race at all! They did a great job of keeping me on track. They are amazing and every RD is eternally grateful for their time, BUT none of the volunteers care about the race as much as the Race director does. Honestly, most volunteers are there to get credit/hours/socialize and often lose interest after a few hours of standing on the side of the road, especially in a small race like mine and this one… Here are my suggestions:
–A simple chalk arrow at every turn or a possible confusing intersection does wonders on a runner’s psyche (and overall performance). I personally do this for my race. I mark at least 2 arrows at EVERY INTERSECTION along my course. Literally every one, even the ones where runners continue straight. At larger intersections I literally paint an orange line (or 2) for runners to follow, even if I know cops will be there. It takes me about 6-8 hours to do this but it helps me sleep at night. The marks wash off after several rains, typically a few weeks (days for busier intersections). It assures me that even if a volunteer is not paying attention, the runner who happens to hit that intersection will have something telling them where to go.
–Directional signage – A few years ago, I purchased 100 three foot square corrugated plastic signs with a big white arrow on a green background (our race’s main color) along with the logo in the corners. We put 2 grommets on each side. These signs can be zip-tied to trees, poles, signs, etc or held by a volunteer. Our volunteer coordinator thought of the GENIUS idea to put a rope through the grommets on the side of the sign that needed to be up, essentially allowing the volunteer to hang the sign around their neck, ensuring they would hold it in the correct way. We hang these signs along the course so that if standing next to one sign, you can see (or almost see) the next sign down the road (mainly on a long stretch of road). They are also placed at every turn and in some areas, multiple signs in one turn.

These two small investments have significantly decreased the anxiety that I feel before/during our race (fear of course error) as well as giving runners multiple ways to see where to go next (verbal/physical cues from volunteers/police; signage at eye level; arrows on the road underfoot).

Small town races are my favorite size races. They typically allow for easier logistics, cheaper travel/lodging and a more friendly atmosphere.

I’ve run this race 9 times. All but once as a pacer.
(Read my review from the 2019 race for detailed references)

The 2020 race had its improvements from 2019 fiasco, but overall, it still needs some attention.
*In my humble opinion- I do not believe this race will EVER return to it’s former glory. Like I said in my 2019 review, If you held this race on your bucket list, you missed the bucket!
For the 2020 event:
PACKET PICKUP
-Packet pickup/expo was in a different location (basically next door) than in years past. The website was not updated reflecting this change. PEM did send out an Athlete Guide with the correct location (BUT The address # was wrong. It was 380, not 308. This was not detrimental as it was at the Museum of Art and there was nothing at 380.) The race officials said “we sent it out in an email.” That’s great but having conflicting information your official site with 2020 on every page is not something you should overlook.
-There were considerably less vendors (which doesn’t really matter to me).

SHIRT:
-The shirt was a long sleeve yellow pullover (for marathoners) with the logo on the front. It was 99% IDENTICAL to the 2019 shirt. The difference? 2019 instead of 2020 in the logo. The color (I thought it was hideous) is apparently the corporate color of Continental, the title sponsor.

RACE:
-All races started together (5k, 10k, 1/2, full) The start line was really crowded and while there were corral signs marking min/miles, they weren’t enforced. The shorter races should have started after the half/full.
-The area were the 5K was to turn off was not marked well. There was one volunteer there with a small megaphone saying turn left. It was so crowded you could not see the one small sign located on a light pole above parked cars. We didn’t notice it until our second loop. I’m sure lots of 5Kers went too far.
-The new course wasn’t terrible (I won’t mention the continuing issue with Jackson’s massive road deterioration problem – lots of potholes and uneven pavement. Not the races’ fault.) It was a double loop course. The volunteers that were out were friendly and helpful. The best Cheer group was in the Belhaven neighborhood. They had fresh tater tots and lots of fruit and candy as well as alcohol. The JSU band was out on our first loop, but not our second. There were about 5-6 other roadside musicians playing. The police covered major intersections well. However, there were 2 busy intersections near the old capital that were not covered and I literally had to stop for traffic on both loops.
-Very sporadic directional signage. During our second loop we were able to see the 1 (ONE) arrow on the ground at most intersections directing us where to go. Other than the few arrows on the ground, there were no directional signs other than the 5K turn sign and where the races split near the finish line.
-Aid stations were well stocked and spaced appropriately ( This is a dramatic improvement from last year).
-The mile markers for each loop were placed together. (Miles 1 & 14 were together, etc.) This made the mile markers for the second loop .10 off, which made pacing very difficult. I finished earlier than I typically do while pacing for fear of being late in. All full pacers had this problem. One of the pacers told our pace group that after she finished and was waiting on a friend, she spoke to the RD. She told him about the mile markers being in the wrong place. She said he didn’t care. (Not sure exactly what he said, but she said he basically dismissed her comment).
-POST RACE:
-The medal was nice (sorta shaped like a tire), but had one major thing missing. NO DATE. not even 2020. Nothing. Completely generic other than the race name. (I wonder if we’ll get the same one next year?)
-I was the 5:10 pacer. When I finished there was only water, bananas and a few granola bars left. They claimed to have had other hot food items, but there was nothing left and no evidence of anything either.

Bottom Line: Better than last year, but like I said before, this race will never regain it’s former reputation. And this makes me sad. It had major potential.

This is my 2nd time to complete the Charleston Marathon. I’ve paced 5:00 each time. Charleston is beautiful, historic town. The race is well organized and the course is for the most part, very nice.
COURSE: The beginning and end are beautiful. The race starts at Buke HS and circles the Citadel, through downtown and the battery. There was some road closures this year so several sections of the course were modified from the 2019 course. There’s about 6-10 miles in the middle that go through North Charleston and the neck of the peninsula that is largely industrial and blah. But beyond that, the course winds through newly established neighborhoods and newly revitalized areas of the Park Circle area. I’m really glad they took out the section run on the marina pier. (Not sure if that is a temporary or permanent change) The race finishes at Riverfront park in the old Navy base footprint. The large houses around the finish are former officers, generals homes and Administrative offices.
POST-RACE: Each runner gets a plate of Shrimp& Grits. This year there were several food trucks lined up as well (I found Vegan options!) There’s also a beer garden on one of the lawns with band playing.

Overall, I enjoy this event, but I believe I enjoy visiting Charleston just a bit more. The race is worth it, but make the trip a vacation and explore the area as well. You’re missing out if you just come for the race.

This race is held each year on the Longleaf Trace (a 41 mile rails to trails path). A simple out and back course with 100% shade makes it nice and chilly.
The race is pretty small. Local running club members bring cornbread, peas and greens to supplement the post race bananas and drinks. No chip timing and the results tend to be confusing. It’s not far away and a nice excuse to run on the trace (running on the trace alone is rather boring. it’s more suited for cycling). Overall a decent small town race and enjoyable to start off the new year with.

This was my first time at Route 66, despite being a Maniac/Fanatic/50 stater. It was my 74th Marathon. The Expo was a good size. Not to huge, no pushy salesman. Finally got to meet Mike the RaceRaves Guru!!

The course was relatively hilly and well supported. Typical medium/large city scenery. Lots of aid stations, music, and neighborhood stops with alcohol, snacks and candy! All roads were closed and all turns/major intersections were controlled by police. (I believe there were 9K running). When the half runners turned off to finish, It got a bit lonely, but that’s always expected. Some of the roads were a bit rough with lots of concrete, which always make for sore hips/legs afterward (for me anyway).
I like the coin received when you do the center of the universe detour. Worth the extra .3 and a cool way to make the race an ‘ultra.’
Lots of food and drinks and entertainment at the finish party. They had Vegan pizza!! 🙂 First time I’ve seen that at the finish. I usually have to settle for a banana. A pleasant surprise!!

Overall It’s a long drive for me, but I would likely agree to another road trip with friends to run it again.

This was my 73rd Marathon and 2nd in California.
My friend and I paid the extra fee for day of packet pickup since we flew in that afternoon. The expo/PP closed at 4pm which is a bit ridiculous for such a large race. They should either extend PP or offer free PP on race day, but forcing you to pay isn’t cool. The medal and shirt were nice.
COURSE: The course includes the boardwalk along Long Beach which was the highlight of the race. You run passed the Queen Mary, marinas and a cool lighthouse. The rest was city streets. It was also mostly concrete which kinda sucks if you typically run on asphalt or trails. There were a lot of out and backs as well.
Overall, I enjoyed the race. I have no negatives (other than those mentioned above).

This event was put on by al local training center. Every 2.5 hours, a new 5K began. No timing, just a marker board that you were responsible for checking off after completion of each race. Started at 8am on Saturday, and the last 5K began at 6:30am Sunday. We camped in the parking lot of the center and enjoyed several meals, laughs and lots of aches and pains!
This event is limited to around 50 people due to space and the small number of organizers. I will definitely be doing this one again!

I can’t consider this race a “race” because there’s just no way someone can effectively “race” and enjoy the views and scenery. My friends and I came for the views and the wine! I set a new “Personal Worst” and it was totally worth it too!

The Course is crazy hilly, but unbelievably beautiful! You run through the vineyards (that is, in between the rows of vines as well as along farm roads), including several vineyards and wineries. The views at the tops of hills are amazing! You’re totally missing out if you try to race this event.

The post race swag & party includes a wine glass and an abundance of wine tasting tables. We hung out the whole afternoon, drank wine and had a blast! This is a definite return race. Makes for a great weekend trip with friends!

I ran the 10NM as a pacer. It’s always been a bucket list race mainly for the odd distance and because I come from a navy family.

Course: the course is a little boring and flat, which is expected. The base no longer has an airfield so there aren’t many things to look at besides buildings and a few airplanes that were pulled out of storage. The organizers do a great job of adding as much military stuff as they are allowed to.

I would definitely recommend it for those looking for something new. Also for those interested in military history/honor. The medal is very cool (typically a gold anchor). Great food options and opportunities to purchase other merchandise.
Millington is close to Memphis so there’s some things to see & do there.

I ran this race 10 years ago for my first half marathon. (back then it was called the Hyundai Half and it was in October). This year was branded as their 10th anniversary. ((I’ve been trying to locate results from the first year, but no one seems to know either who was in charge then or who would have the results.))

This year, I ran as a pacer for Beast pacing.
I drove over the morning of and parked in the stadium garage. For a race this size, there should be race day packet pickup. Luckily, some of the other pacers were able to pick up bibs for those who drove in the morning of.
The course was well marked and members of the Air Force were spread along the course directing traffic and marshalling. Aid stations were well stocked and spread out evenly.
The race finished inside the baseball park on the outfield. There was plenty of food, drinks and aid in the park.
BOTTOM LINE: Well organized event. Not to big. I would definitely do it again.

I ran the Ultra Challenge (All 4 races). This was Race #3 of the 4, held on Sunday morning. I’m not a fan of HUGE races. This certainly falls in that category. But the whole weekend was organized and managed very well. Aside from $20/day for parking (which is ridiculous!), I enjoyed this race series.
EXPO: I went on Friday. Really big and crowded. I got in, made one pass through the booths, and got out.
COURSE: The courses are all the same (except for an extra loop in a different neighborhood for the Half), an out and back on Bayshore Blvd. Very pretty area with big houses. BUT, by the 4th race, I had memorized the order of houses and all the cracks in the pavement. :/ All four races had the same finish line, but the starting lines were all different (within 5-6 blocks or so.) Navigation was easy as there were lots of volunteers to point you in the right direction. Each race had corral areas well marked and manned with volunteers. I finished each day’s 1st race with enough time to walk to the car, refresh my bottle, grab some more GU and sit for a minute. Out on the course, there were a healthy amount of spectators and aid stations. They also had sprinklers which were most welcomed on Sunday (the hottest of the 2 days!) Plenty of toilets and volunteers.
POST-RACE: The post race food at the finish line was water, Gatorade, bananas, fruit, fruit snacks, coke products. The post race party had more food options, but I didn’t go (it was in an adjacent park). After running 2 races each day in the HEAT!, I was done and just wanted a shower and rest. If it was closer, I would’ve probably walked through.
MEDALS: Medals for each race were nice and colorful, as was the challenge medals (walked away with 5 medals for the weekend). The race had a table set up near the finish for challenge runners to “check in” their medals and retrieve them after the 2nd race. This was a nice touch, especially for those who were finishing race 1 and then quickly lining up for race 2.

BOTTOM LINE: I enjoyed the races, but didn’t enjoy the crowds! (The 5K was the largest race) I hate feeling like I’m in a cattle herd waiting in the corrals.
The event is a bit expensive ($200 for all 4 races), but I feel like I got my money’s worth. You get a shirt & medal for each race and a cold sweat towel at the finish line as well. With the Ultra Challenge, you also get a Challenge Jacket and medal.
Would I do it again? Maybe.

I ran the Ultra Challenge (All 4 races). This was Race #1 of the 4. This event was on my bucket list for a while. After finishing 50 states, I’ve begun to knock off these races. I’m not a fan of HUGE races. This certainly falls in that category. But the whole weekend was organized and managed very well. Aside from $20/day for parking (which is ridiculous!), I enjoyed this race series.
EXPO: Really big and crowded. I got in, made one pass through the booths, and got out.
COURSE: The courses are all the same (except for an extra loop for the Half), an out and back on Bayshore Blvd. Very pretty area with big houses. BUT, by the 4th race, I had memorized the order of houses and all the cracks in the pavement. :/ All four races had the same finish line, but the starting lines were all different (within 5-6 blocks or so.) Navigation was easy as there were lots of volunteers to point you in the right direction. Each race had corral areas well marked and manned with volunteers. I finished each day’s 1st race with enough time to walk to the car, refresh my bottle, grab some more GU and sit for a minute. Out on the course, there were a healthy amount of spectators and aid stations. They also had sprinklers which were most welcomed on Sunday (the hottest of the 2 days!) Plenty of toilets and volunteers.
POST-RACE: The post race food at the finish line was water, Gatorade, bananas, fruit, fruit snacks, coke products. The post race party had more food options, but I didn’t go (it was in an adjacent park). After running 2 races each day in the HEAT!, I was done and just wanted a shower and rest. If it was closer, I would’ve probably walked through.
MEDALS: Medals for each race were nice and colorful, as was the challenge medals (walked away with 5 medals for the weekend). The race had a table set up near the finish for challenge runners to “check in” their medals and retrieve them after the 2nd race. This was a nice touch, especially for those who were finishing race 1 and then quickly lining up for race 2.

BOTTOM LINE: I enjoyed the races, but didn’t enjoy the crowds! (The 5K was the largest race) I hate feeling like I’m in a cattle herd waiting in the corrals.
The event is a bit expensive ($200 for all 4 races), but I feel like I got my money’s worth. You get a shirt & medal for each race and a cold sweat towel at the finish line as well. With the Ultra Challenge, you also get a Challenge Jacket.
Would I do it again? Maybe.

For the record, I’m not a beach person. (I’d rather be on a Cliffside beach or in the mountains.) I ran as the 2:15 pacer. Of the beach races I’ve done (which is maybe a 1/2 dozen), this one is IMO very well managed and a repeater for me.
COURSE: starts/finishes behind the hangout (a local music venue/beach front restaurant/bar). Parking is about a block away (if you get there in time). You can wait inside the Hangout for the race to start (it was pretty chilly this year). The course follows BUSY beach Blvd for a while and then enters Gulf state park and follows paved bike trails and boardwalks. This was my favorite area, although it was a bit crowded (the path is one lane). A staggered start may be beneficial to avoid this. Aid stations were spread out but adequate (had it been any warmer and if I were running the full, I would say they needed more).
FINISH: The finish area is a nice sized party. Not to big and overwhelming. The beach is right there so you can frolic to your heart’s content. They provided several food choices, beer, drinks, or you could order from the Hangout. The medal was very colorful and nicely sized.
BOTTOM LINE: Very well done. I would definitely run this race again, even if I wasn’t pacing.

I ran this race as the 5:00 pacer for my 68th marathon. I also lived in Charleston 2007-2008, so I am very familiar with the area.

I stayed in a great little hostel (called Notso Hostel) near the start, a short 5 minute walk.
The expo: the expo was at the Gailluard Center, a big convention hall. You have to pay to park, so I ran there instead. (I hate paying for parking anywhere.) The expo was large enough to get what you needed, but not too large to where you get lost and overwhelmed. Easy in and out. There was no race day pickup and I know a few people where upset by that. They could’ve easily held Packet pickup at the start (the high school was open for runners to use bathrooms and gather It would’ve been easy to set up a table inside).

The marathon started (at 7:15) next to Burke High School and immediately ran through the Citadel, which was cool. You could see the Cadets in their uniforms in formation getting ready for breakfast and colors.
The half marathon started at 7:30, which I immediately realized was a mistake on the race’s part. The fast half marathoners had to weave through all the marathoners. I could tell a few of them were upset by this (they ran passed us yelling “get out of the way!” and “ON YOUR LEFT!” and other things I’d rather not type.) The race was small enough that both distances could’ve began together with a simple corral system.
-If I were a fast half marathoner at this race trying for a win or PR or something, this review would be rather negative.
COURSE: the first 7-8 miles of the course was great! You run through the Citadel, Lockwood street to the battery, then up King street. From Miles 7 to about 20, it was through the not so great sections of North Charleston (which you can’t avoid unless you get on I-26), and the industrial area. There was also a lot of construction overhead (new overpasses being built at Cosgrove and Spruill road areas) Around mile 14, we ran passed the federal complex then out to Cooper River Marina. We literally ran onto the marina pier, out to the end and back. That was weird, but kinda cool I guess. Anyways, the last 6 miles were through Park Circle and the nicer areas of North Charleston, then into the old Navy Base. The finish was right near the old Generals houses (if you watched Army Wives back in the day, this is where the show was filmed and based.) A nice shady finish in the big oak trees with moss at Riverfront park. Food (Shrimp & Grits), beer, music and a nice view at the end.

CONS:
-Runners had to pay for the shuttle back to the start area parking. For a point-point race, this should be included in the price. Not cool.
-The half really needs to start with the full. Starting after was a bad idea for those Half runners trying to race it.

BOTTOM LINE: I would definitely run this one again, mainly because I love Charleston. The race is worth it, but can improve over time. Choose it for the trip and make a vacation out of it. Charleston in January is still just as pretty as Charleston in the Spring.

Super flat on the Trace. No frills New Year’s day race. I ran it mainly for a change of scenery since I was off work. The Longleaf Trace is a great place to bike. It’s 40+ miles of a Rail-to-Trail pathway. Running on it is pretty boring. But in a race setting, it’s not so bad.

This is a very small, well established race put on by the Gulf Coast Running Club. The race is entirely on the Stennis Space Center, home to a NASA Space center and a few other government contractors and buildings. It’s a HUGE base. Lots of empty space.

The course is boring. There no other way to put it. It’s super flat (if you like that, then you’ll like this one.) You run past the NASA building, a few Navy buildings and a NOAA research building. The rest is warehouses and well, nothing. There are no spectators. The aid stations are stocked with water & Gatorade and manned most of the time. The last few we hit were unmanned.
The medal was cool. It had a space shuttle on it. (You don’t see any space shuttles FYI.)
BOTTOM LINE: There’s no real issues or complaints with this race. It’s well organized. I would highly discourage anyone from choosing this as their Mississippi race when pursuing 50 states or for anyones’ 1st marathon/half. There are much better choices, larger and smaller! But for locals just looking to add another race into their calendar, sure. Just don’t expect a big to-do. This is very low key, no frills.

Ran this race for fun with a friend. I didn’t hate it, but not sure if I would go back again. The course was nice. Through a nice (cookie-cutter) neighborhood and along the Katy trail (It would have been nicer to stay on the trail for the whole race honestly!)
1 MAJOR Negative and a few smaller negatives:
– Packet pickup ended at 2pm! And there was NO RACE DAY PICKUP! If you have to end PP early, that’s one thing, but you MUST offer it on race morning to compensate! This was completely inconvenient and definitely something they need to address! We emailed the RD begging to pick up later or on race day. We were able to make arrangements and I know we weren’t the only ones. As a Race Director myself, This is definitely something that needs to change to allow people flying in or driving to the race. 2pm and no race day pickup = bad first impression = bad review.

-Plastic cups. (enough said). They had plastic cups for water (paper cups for Gatorade). At every water stop, we were kicking and tripping over plastic cups. Never a good idea.

-When the half & full start together in a race with several thousand, having a more staggered start is wise. There were self-corral signs up which helped some, but the first 3 miles of the race were really crowded.

Overall – this race is just a race. The PLACE is what makes this race spectacular! If you treat this race as an in and out weekend and don’t spend time here, you are severely missing out!

The TRIP: I flew into Portland on Thursday and drove down (4.5 hours). I stayed at the Union Creek Resort, a quaint little campground/cabin area near one of the park entrances. I was traveling alone, so I stayed in the lodge in one of the cheaper small rooms. (Shared Bathroom) Luckily I had the room at the end with a window overlooking the creek. I slept with the window open and could hear the creek down below. Very relaxing. Although this place was about 40 minutes from the park, it was well worth it. (Other places in the park are too expensive or booked up). When I checked out on race day and they allowed me to shower there before heading home. Very nice folks!

On Friday, I spent about 10 hours in the park. Be prepared! There’s a lot to see! Before the trip, I took a map and marked all the hikes/sights/and areas I wanted to see. I worked my way around the lake, stopping at each spot and even a few extras. They were all wonderful, but my top picks are Garfield Peak and Plaikni Falls!
This year there were a few wildfires nearby that caused a smoky haze to cover the area. In the morning I could barely see the other side of the crater. But by mid afternoon, the smoke cleared up enough to pair perfectly with the timing of my hike up to Garfield Peak! The water was amazingly blue and the colors of the trees with the blue sky made the perfect ending to a perfect day!

The RACE: The race started at Watchman Point and ended at a campground near the Pinnacles. The park closed one lane of Rim Drive and made the road one way only during the race. They encouraged runners to use the shuttle buses. I parked at Rim Village and took the bus to the start. There was some confusion about where to go beforehand. (FYI- the race has no Packet Pickup. They mail bibs and an information sheet to you). The info sheet said “board your assigned bus” but there were no indications of bus assignments. Basically you park in one of two areas and catch the bus there. There’s one start line for all races. If you get on the first busses you can watch the sunrise at watchman’s point! The race itself was hilly and beautiful. You run about halfway around Rim Drive with an out and back at Cloudcap and then a 2 mile out and back near the finish. The race is almost always at 8000 feet elevation. Luckily that morning the smoke layer was below us. We had some nice views all around the lake that morning! The course is 100% road except for maybe 100 feet into the campground to the finish line. Aid stations are plentiful, however porta-potties were only located at the 10K, half finish and full finish lines. Nature stops might be necessary.

The FINISH: The finish is very rudimentary. A clock, a finish banner and a few tents. But VERY friendly and happy volunteers! Results are done by hand and your bib tab is posted on a board. The medal is plain and age group awards are blue/red/yellow ribbons.

BOTTOM LINE: You don’t come to this race for the bling. You come for the views and to visit the park. And it’s totally worth it!
RaceRaves included this race on their ”Toughest Road Marathons in North America” last year: https://raceraves.com/toughest-road-marathons-us-canada/
After 63 marathons, I can testify that making this list was well deserved. This is the only race I’ve run that’s listed on this countdown. However, I honestly think that the Mad Marathon in Vermont would be a VERY close 2nd to Crater Lake on my list of Toughest Road Marathons.