Eric Sorenson's Staging Area

Here is a look at last weeks Inaugural Mount Rushmore Half Marathon.

It all got started at 5:45 am as Team HTR made the 10 minute walk from our hotel to the starting line where we met up with others for the the team photo. With 70 teammates on hand it made for a great photo so I thank you all who showed up to be a part of it.

As the start of the race approached, the team began to line up in their corrals for what was going to be an EPIC day. As the gun went off we traveled through Keystone then uphill for a tough 5 1/2 miles through pigtail turns, wooden bridges, tunnels, and some steep incline. The views kept my mind off the incline and I knew that I was in for a special day especially when you get your first look of Mount Rushmore from the course…..how cool is that?

As we reached the 5.5 mile mark we were rewarded with 5.5 miles of down hill which for this runner was a welcome sight. The weather was perfect and the tree lined course for the first 10 miles kept any wind from really kicking up.The last three miles were on a hard packed dirt road with great country farm views and a few rolling hills which finished up at the Ghost Canyon Dude Ranch. As I came down the shoot I am always greeted by my dear friend Colleen with a smile and a hug. There were still many of our fellow team members celebrating and got the news that one of our teams finished 1st Place overall out of 17 which made me smile even bigger. Congrats to our Age Group Finishers as well as all of our teammates that crossed that finish line.

I want to thank our AWESOME group of runners that came out and shared this Twisted Adventure with me. I also want to thank our newest members from the Black Hills Running Club that joined us and help make our team as big as it was. Finally, these destination experiences would not be possible if it wasnt for Vacation Races. Thank You Salem and Megan Stanley, Cherie Santiago, Lyle Anderson, Dehn Craig, Kaelee Clifford and the rest of the staff along with the great volunteers for making this yet another EPIC race.

This was my 40th half marathon, my 9th different Vacation Race event (15 in total), 6th Inaugural race and they never stop surprising me. This course is not only challenging but extremely scenic and a must do. The Black Hills of South Dakota are absolutely beautiful and with may National and State Parks there are plenty of things to do. I look forward returning.

This race is was my 100th running event and I couldn’t have picked a better one. I have learned to expect a high quality event from Vacation Races and WOW they delivered in a BIG way. This by far is the most scenic race I have ever run.

The first 5 miles was all up hill with about 1000 ft of gain but with views like this I hardly noticed. Once you reached the top you were rewarded with one awesome view after another. The next 5.5 miles were downhill with equally stunning views, another small uphill push and then 2 miles of rolling hills that ended on the front lawn of the 104 year old Glacier Hotel.

Although the Going To The Sun Road was not completely open (One of the best dives that you could ever do) we found plenty with a Zipline Tour, Whitewater Rafting, Lake Boat Cruise and well as some great hikes inside the park. I highly recommend this race to anyone who not only appreciates a challenging course with views to die for but a National Park that stands alone here in the US.

Plan ahead and make this one of your Bucket List races like I did and you too will be blown away…..I promise!

This was my second time running this event and was just as good as the first time. Awesome trails with scenic views, great race swag and plenty of post race food. We had a large group come out and looking forward to 2017 where we will enjoy another end of year holiday event.

This was a very scenic and challenging 10K course. Very well organized with awesome volunteers and plenty of aid stations. This was the second part of a two day challenge with the first day being a half marathon. I definitely recommend this race to the beginner to advanced trail runner.

This was my 6th Vacation Races event and once again they did not disappoint. This years event was a bit different from last years starting with a course change. With last years all road and severely down hill, this years course started off with 5 miles of trail which had some downhill and uphill which seemed to be less wear on the runners legs. I also thought the new course was more scenic than the Inaugural event.

There was a small problem with the morning shuttles but everyone did make it to the start line on time. The race expo has grown and new vendors are joining in with this awesome organization. The finish line also change and ended at the footsteps of Bass Lake which was a improvement from last year. The Finisher Medals are the best and our team picked up some extra hardware with a 3rd Place Finish out of 65 teams.

I highly recommend Vacation Races and look forward to doing all 11 of their National Park Half Marathon Races………Nobody gives you the experience than Vacation Races!!!!

This was my first experience with Epic Tahoe Adventures and they did not disappoint. Although the expo was smaller than some, the check in process was one of the easiest I have gone through. The vendors that were there were generous with giveaways and discounts.

Now as far as the race goes, it was UNBELIEVABLE. Great running weather and spectacular views at every turn and even a rainbow on Lake Tahoe at the beginning. The first few miles were downhill with a few uphill just to mix it up. There were plenty of aid station starting at Mile 3 and the volunteers were the best that I have come across….very enthusiastic and fun to visit with. At Mile 10 we were diverted off the road and onto a nice paved tree lined trail and meadows that were a nice change of scenery. I made my way to the finish line and received a Kick Ass medal for my 13.1 mile journey and at that point I realized that I didn’t want it to end.

The After Party on the beaches of Lake Tahoe was the best experience I have ever been a part of following half marathon. BBQ, Tiki Hut Bar, Live Music and Dancing, Meeting fellow AWESOME runners, sharing stories and basicly kicking back and enjoying the great view of Lake Tahoe that never seems to get old. I know this was a last minute change to have it on the beach but that’s were I would have it every year……but that’s just me.

Race Directors Jason and Jess along with their staff should be very proud of this event and what they have set out to do which in my opinion is to deliver a quality event for ALL levels of runners and a KICK ASS experience that will last a lifetime…….Mission accomplished and cant wait to bring the Half Twisted Runners back in 2017. The Rock Tahoe Half Marathon definitely ROCKED my weekend……Thanks guys!!!!!!

This was my third time running this event and I have to say probably my last for a while. It is well organized with awesome on course support but just too crowd for me. The ocean view made up for a weak swag bag and shirt but the 20th anniversary finishers medal was outstanding. The course is mostly flat with a few small uphill climbs but other than that a great opportunity to PR which I did not and a nice way to kick off Super Bowl morning. Weather was nice at the start but quite warm at the finish…..the entertainment and beer garden helped out with what ended up being a tough day for this guy!!!

This was a very unique experience and looking forward to doing it again. This 5.3 mile race starts in Ports Of Call and heads out to the run across The Vincent Thomas Bridge! This 1500 feet long beauty (the 4th longest suspension bridge in California!) creates one challenging race course! It was a hot day and the combination of that and the steel bridge made this a tough run. There was however plenty of aide and support out on the course. I am looking forward to returning to this event next Labor Day!!!!

The most amazing views that I have experienced during a race. This was my third Vacation Races event and again they did not disappoint. Once the Grand Tetons come into view it takes your breath away and leads you all the way to a finish line you will never forget. It was awesome to be a part of this Inaugural event and cant wait to go back and do it again…….Vacation Races ROCKS!!!!!!

This was my second time running this event and it was just as good as the first. The race start off on Hollywood Blvd and makes its way through many iconic landmarks. Its mostly a flat course with some minor hills but does offer runners a challenge. There is plenty of on course support and the finishers medal is very nice and unique. A very well organized event and definitely one you should experience.

WOW….what a great day for a race and a BIG Thank You goes out to Race Grader for my free entry….you ROCK!!!. I also want to thank the Inaugural U-T California 10/20 who put on one great event. From the volunteers to the 20 bands to the staff this was a very well organized event.; OH yah…..Don Felder (Former lead guitarist for the Eagles) and his band opened up the beer garden post race festivities with “Hotel California” among other great Eagles hits. With all of the fun and ocean distractions I managed a PR of 1:58:57 for the 10 miles. I will definitely return to this one next year….A+++