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@grimeslaw

Lees Summit, MO Raving since 2019 Active 3 weeks, 1 day ago

About Me

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My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Personal Bests (5)

Race Distance Location Date Result
Marathon Philadelphia, PA Nov 23, 2014 4:34:15
Half Marathon Pittsburgh, PA May 4, 2014 2:05:00
15K Tampa, FL Feb 26, 2022 1:39:51
8K Tampa, FL Feb 26, 2022 1:02:02
5K Tampa, FL Feb 27, 2022 35:32

Future Races (10)

Race Distance Location Date Paid
Marathon Tokyo, Japan Mar 2, 2025
Marathon Cleveland, OH 2025
Marathon Springfield, MO TBD
Marathon Gulf Shores, AL TBD
Marathon Two Harbors, MN TBD
Marathon Nashville, TN TBD
Marathon Oklahoma City, OK TBD
Marathon Pittsburgh, PA TBD
Half Marathon Lee's Summit, MO TBD
Marathon Apache Junction, AZ TBD

Past Races (33)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
Marathon Las Vegas, NV Nov 3, 2024 5:07:00
Half Marathon Fargo, ND Jun 1, 2024 2:18:00
5K Fargo, ND Jun 1, 2024
Half Marathon Bucyrus, KS May 11, 2024 2:22:48
Half Marathon Kansas City, MO Apr 6, 2024 2:23:23
Half Marathon Liberty, MO Mar 23, 2024 2:29:41
Half Marathon Overland Park, KS Nov 19, 2023
Marathon Inverness, United Kingdom Oct 1, 2023 5:23:38
Half Marathon Tampa, FL Feb 27, 2022 2:29:08
5K Tampa, FL Feb 27, 2022 35:32
15K Tampa, FL Feb 26, 2022 1:39:51
8K Tampa, FL Feb 26, 2022 1:02:02
Marathon Tulsa, OK Nov 21, 2021 5:18:00
Half Marathon Kansas City, MO Jun 5, 2021 2:28:00
Half Marathon Kansas City, MO Jun 5, 2021
Half Marathon Bucyrus, KS May 8, 2021
Marathon Cotter, AR Nov 21, 2020 4:53:57
Marathon Fort Worth, TX Mar 1, 2020 5:13:16
Half Marathon Independence, MO May 5, 2019 2:18:42
Marathon Olathe, KS Apr 13, 2019 4:43:27
Marathon Little Rock, AR Dec 15, 2018 4:37:52
Marathon Arlington, VA Oct 30, 2016 5:04:40
Marathon Northfield, MN Jan 10, 2016 4:55:23
Marathon Olathe, KS Apr 18, 2015
Marathon New Orleans, LA Jan 25, 2015 4:49:02
Marathon Philadelphia, PA Nov 23, 2014 4:34:15
Half Marathon Pittsburgh, PA May 4, 2014 2:05:00
Marathon Kansas City, MO 2013 4:42:04
Marathon Columbus, GA 2013 4:46:24
Half Marathon Bucyrus, KS 2012
Half Marathon Kansas City, MO 2012
Marathon Willard, MO 2012
Marathon Springfield, MO 2011

My Raves

This was the inaugural Las Vegas Marathon, but hopefully will just be the 1st of many more to come. Despite just a minor glitch here or there, this was a … MORE

This was the inaugural Las Vegas Marathon, but hopefully will just be the 1st of many more to come. Despite just a minor glitch here or there, this was a well run race with beautiful scenery to start up in Red Rocks. To start with the minor issues: I personally felt there could have more social media, more discussion, more responsiveness in the months leading up to the race. With it being the 1st, you really want to get the word out, and I thought that was lacking. The other thing took place at the expo. They needed more people to help give out the bobs. I had one woman who was trying to handle 4 or 5 lines all by herself. This understandably slowed things down. But, as mentioned, those were minor compared to the positives. The Expo was held at the World Market Center. Plenty big with a number of vendors. The Marathon-specific merchandise was great. They had 3 races: marathon, half marathon and 7.02 race (for the area code). Bussing was required at least for the marathon and Half (don’t recall about the 7.02). This was a massive production, and I thought it went pretty smoothly. We had to get to Red Rocks early—think 4-4:30am for a 6:00am start—but they had numerous busses ready to go. If you plan on running this race, please understand that it is noticeably colder up at Red Rock than down in the city. Also, it is always very windy in Vegas in November—and even more so at Red Rock. The wind was gusting and it was freezing. There were numerous people just wearing shorts and tank tops. Bring plenty of disposable winter clothes. You’ll need it while you wait. The race started at 6:0am and the sun was just rising then. Absolutely stunning scenery. You work you way down from there, and then cover a fair amount of the city. The aid stations start at 3 miles, and then are placed approximately every 2 miles. There was plenty of water (they had Gatorade, but I didn’t have that, so can’t comment). The people at the stations were great. At times they even offered to fill my water bottle for me. Gu was given out at 3 stations, and fruit at a couple more (at one, the guy was even cutting up the oranges into bite-sized pieces!) There weren’t a lot of people, but that never bothers me. They had a gold medal for the marathon; silver for the half; and bronze for the 7.02. The gold medal is gorgeous. Instantly one of my favorite medals. I’m not a fast runner, and there was plenty of food at the end. Your basics: banana, chocolate milk, other drinks, chips, protein bars. There was a free beer for those who wanted it. Bottom line is I really enjoyed this race, and I thought it was run very well-especially considering this was the 1st time.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

4 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

First time for me at this race weekend. Did the 5k and 1/2 marathon. I was able to get to the packet pickup early on Friday. That was smooth, and … MORE

First time for me at this race weekend. Did the 5k and 1/2 marathon. I was able to get to the packet pickup early on Friday. That was smooth, and they had everything I needed. When I showed up for the 5k Friday night, I couldn’t believe how long the line was for people trying to get into the packet pickup then. So, if you’re going to run here, definitely get to the pickup earlier. The 1/2 marathon had some issues. The water stations early on didn’t have water available. The people were slow to fill up the cups, and I ended up passing a couple because they were a mess. Later in the race, the water stations had plenty, but as someone said it was unclear at times what was Powerade and what was the water. Mile markers were missing, and I think the mile 10 marker was placed at mile 11 (very shortly after the mile 10 marker was the mile 11 marker-clearly not 1 mile away). The medals were great. It was easy to walk through the post-race chute and collect food and water. Parking at the Fargodome was easy, but getting out of there was a very slow process. Lots of friendly neighbors throughout the race with orange slices, bananas, ice cubes, music and cheering.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5

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This is a well-run race. It's a small race as far as numbers go, but they do a good job with it. Plenty of porta potties at the beginning. plenty … MORE

This is a well-run race. It’s a small race as far as numbers go, but they do a good job with it. Plenty of porta potties at the beginning. plenty of water stations on the course. There weren’t a lot of spectators, but i’m never bothered by that. Much of the course is run on asphalt paths through the business park section. If you’re looking for a nice race right before Thanksgiving, this is a good one

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

Loch Ness Marathon was on my bucket list, and I finally ran it this year. Throughout the months leading up to the race, you get emails with pertinent and helpful … MORE

Loch Ness Marathon was on my bucket list, and I finally ran it this year. Throughout the months leading up to the race, you get emails with pertinent and helpful information. As you get close, you even get links to a review of the course-breaking it down into sections. Everything was very helpful and very clear. The expo is an outdoor festival. They have a 5K, 10K, and marathon. They had helpers working to keep the lines moving for the packet pickup, and I made it through with only a minimal wait. It wasn’t the biggest expo as far as products available for purchase; but there were plenty with relevant things to pick up at the last minute. The race is a point-to-point race, and you have to take a bus out early in the morning to the starting point. They must have commandeered every bus in Scotland to take the 5000 participants to the starting line. It was handled as smoothly as you could want. Probably could have used more porta potties; but everyone was using the woods around us as an alternative. The race started with bagpipes and beautiful scenery. The weather is always changing and we had sun, rain, wind and then 60 degrees. Others in the past have raved about the course, and they were right. It is the most beautiful course I have run. You get gorgeous views of Loch Ness and the Highlands. But the course is a killer. There are some brutal hills. When people here and elsewhere emphasize practice running hills, believe them. The downhills can be steep, and my quads are still killing me. You finish the race at the Festival. There’s a banana and water and a goody bag-nothing exciting. The medal is a classic one, and you get a finisher shirt. I would absolutely recommend doing this race. Also, everyone we met in Scotland was friendly and helpful.

DIFFICULTY
5
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5
My Media

2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

I ran all 4 races-the Ultra-which consisted of a 15K and 5K on Saturday, and a 1/2 marathon and 8K on Sunday. The course is essentially the same for all … MORE

I ran all 4 races-the Ultra-which consisted of a 15K and 5K on Saturday, and a 1/2 marathon and 8K on Sunday. The course is essentially the same for all 4 races. To start: communication was good leading up to the weekend. Plenty of emails and a live talk online. The expo was very smooth. Since I was running all 4 races, I got 4 shirts and a jacket. Those were all given out at the expo. The weekend was very hot and humid (maybe more so to me because I had come from an area that had been experiencing snow and negative windchills right before this weekend). All of the races were crowded at the start, but things spread out fairly quickly. I didn’t feel like there was a lot of crowd support throughout the race; but I’m happy running by myself so it didn’t bother me. There was no shade, but there were plenty of aid stations. And while there wasn’t a ton of crowd support, the volunteers at all of the aid stations were probably the most supportive and helpful I’ve ever come across. The 1/2 marathon started at 6am, and this was great because that gave us about 1 hour before sunrise.got to high-5 Meb both days on course, so that was kind of cool. After each race, you get your medal, but then you get a race specific towel that has been dunked in a garbage can of ice water! Very welcome—especially when you were turning around and running a 2nd race within a few minutes. For those running the Ultra, they had a medal “holding station” where you could drop off the medal you earned from the first race and pick it up after you finished the second race. That was a nice touch. I thought it was a very well run weekend of races. The 1/2 marathon medal and the additional medal you got for running all 4 races were nice. There were plenty of hotels within walking distance of the start and finishes. I definitely would consider doing this again.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
5

1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

All the reviews from prior years talked about how hilly the course is--and they weren't exaggerating. If there's a 1/2 mile of flat road in Tulsa, I don't think the … MORE

All the reviews from prior years talked about how hilly the course is–and they weren’t exaggerating. If there’s a 1/2 mile of flat road in Tulsa, I don’t think the marathon covered it. That being said, the people were fantastic. Leading up to the race, the expo was a disaster. It was moved from indoors to outside which apparently caused practically all of the vendors to disappear. In addition, trying to obtain my bibs and packet was a joke. I paid extra for the VIP package–which was supposed to result in a quick in-and-out trip to get the packet. After standing in line for 25 minutes while someone tried to find my packet, I was then told it was still back at an office and there was no clue as to when it would arrive. So, I would not recommend wasting your money on a VIP package. The marathon itself was well organized. The wind was tough at times and at times made it feel chillier than the reported temp. I liked running through all the neighborhoods with so many folks hanging out, partying, offering beer, donuts, Firebird, jello shots, and the more mundane water, oranges and bananas. I’ve run races where local folks complain about the music and the closed streets and it was great having a choir and bands and radios going throughout the course. I’m a slow runner and the fans were still there after 4+ hours. As people have mentioned, all the medals (including the Center of the Universe coin) are apparently still stuck on a ship somewhere, but they let us know as soon as it appeared they wouldn’t make it on time. Even though the course kicked my butt, it was a good race and I’d recommend it.

DIFFICULTY
5
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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This was the 1st live race in KC since Covid and the organizers did a nice job running the race. Packet pickup was outside and was as fast and as … MORE

This was the 1st live race in KC since Covid and the organizers did a nice job running the race. Packet pickup was outside and was as fast and as easy as any I have done anywhere else. I wish the race started earlier in the morning because June in KC is typically hot and humid-and this was no exception. The water/Gatorade stations were handled well. I thought they had 1 Gu station in past years; but there was nothing this year. They changed to course to eliminate the last nasty hill right before the finish, and I’m not sure if that improved the race. There was a very long uphill run for about 1 1/2 miles right near the end that was less than pleasant. Overall, they did a nice job and it’s a good half marathon if you’re looking for hills and heat.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
4

1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

I applaud all that the race director did to adjust in the face of Covid and still keep these races live. There’s a 5K, 1/2 and full marathon. Total number … MORE

I applaud all that the race director did to adjust in the face of Covid and still keep these races live. There’s a 5K, 1/2 and full marathon. Total number of racers is capped at 750-with only about 271 in the marathon. The adjustments included temps being taken before the race; masks required at all times except while running; there was a switch to multiple corrals to spread people out; no post-race showers and changes with how the post-race food was handled. All of those changes were very smooth and handled very well. The course is along the White River and it’s and out-and-back race (once for the 1/2; twice for the full marathon). There aren’t many spectators, but that never bothers me. The volunteers at the aid stations and turn-around spots were great. They were very enthusiastic and supportive of everyone. The medal was great, and if you registered before September there was a hoodie for you. This was a small-town race where everyone was friendly. Also, there was plenty of food—even if you were not one of the earlier finishers. I also have to give a shout out to the Cotter Trout Lodge as a place to stay. It’s only about 1 mile from the start, and the folks in charge were extremely nice in allowing a late check-out. The room was everything I needed, and you weren’t far from a number of restaurants. I’d definitely return to do this race again.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5

1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

1st time to run The Cowtown, and I can’t say enough about how well it was handled and the dedicated fans. I did the Cowtown Challenge, which is a race … MORE

1st time to run The Cowtown, and I can’t say enough about how well it was handled and the dedicated fans. I did the Cowtown Challenge, which is a race on Saturday and another race on Sunday (I did 5K and Marathon). This gets you a shirt and medal for the 5K, a shirt and great medal (a metal cowboy hat this year) for the marathon, and another shirt and medal for completing the challenge. Great swag. You get plenty of info leading up to the race either through emails or on their Facebook page. The expo was well run and you could get your bibs and shirts very quickly. As other have said in the past, the corrals are very big and you have room to stretch. This year, the temps for the marathon were over 70 degrees (and my results weren’t pretty-but that doesn’t take anything away from the great people involved in putting on this race ). They even had water bottles in the corrals. They had a lot of porta potties as well as you could still access the expo center to hang out/do what you needed to do inside before the race. The course has some hills (everyone talks about mile 9!), but it’s a reasonable course. There are definitely more fans for the 1st 10 miles while you’re running with the half marathoners; but I applaud the fans who were out there from mile 10 to the end. You could get (if you wanted) fireballs, tequila, beer, oh and water and Gatorade. There were kids offering orange slices; a woman willing to spray you with her hose; very enthusiastic people cheering on complete strangers like me. The food was nothing spectacular at the end; but it was run incredibly well. All the volunteers were incredibly nice, friendly and supportive. I would highly recommend this race to anyone.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5

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First time running this half marathon. Not a lot of social media/other info ahead of the race. Only 5 porta potties at the start of the race. If you didn’t … MORE

First time running this half marathon. Not a lot of social media/other info ahead of the race. Only 5 porta potties at the start of the race. If you didn’t get there early, you had a very long wait. It was an out and back course with a very nasty hill at mile 12. It seemed to me and the pacer I was running with that the mile markers were off during the last 6 miles. The pacer was great. Really helped me. The aid stations were run by families for the most part, and I’ve never seen so many helpful kids. They were great. Huge medal.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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