Jamie Koonce's Staging Area

I flew into the Huntington airport – a car is a must. Packet pick-up was far away from everything and hard to find. No expo except for some clearance stuff from a running store. Swag was terrible! – a cheap t-shirt and toboggan – with the option to purchase a fleece pullover and long sleeve t-shirt the morning of the race (who has money with them then?). Start was uneventful. The course was nice and flat – but boring. There was a short run through a park by the river and another park that was full of leaves (was afraid I’d slip because they were wet) otherwise they picked the ugliest parts of town to run through. The saving grace of the race was of course the finish into the Marshall University stadium. We were given a football to run through the finish line with. Photographers were in two places but there was no info on how to get pictures. There were plenty of water stations and that was the only crowd support. Couldn’t find the food afterwards. I was thinking I could eat at the Huntington airport – but they only had vending machines. The medal was very nice. Overall, I was disappointed.

Easy travel, good airport and hotel choices adjacent to the race start and finish. No expo – just a packet pickup in a bar in the area. Swag was a shirt and water bottle. Shuttle buses were plentiful and start time was reasonable. Here’s where it was bad – the course was so boring. We ran by every single house in Green Bay – but at mile 12 you see Lambeau Field approaching! Running around the entire inside of the stadium was amazing! I was disappointed in the pictures – the photo spot did not do the stadium or the finish line justice. Plenty of water stops and volunteer support. The medal was ugly and after race food was down the street from the finish at a bar. Not sure if I would do it again but glad I did it once.

Overall – this was a great race. I stayed at the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino across the street from the packet pick-up and finish. No expo – but there were some other shirt choices and stuff to purchase. It was a point to point race – so that means an early morning, dark, and cold bus ride to the starting point but I met some nice people on the bus. The course was flat with beautiful scenery UNTIL MILE 12 – which was an uphill interstate ramp that led to the finish in the baseball stadium. I couldn’t get to the airport after the race because of that interstate closing so I had to drive 20 miles out of the way to catch my flight – so plan accordingly. Great crowd support and ample water stations. A great December and Mississippi race

Of course running through Acadia National Park was incredibly beautiful but this was one of the the most pitiful races I have ever done. First – when I went to pick up my packet – there was only one person working at the pick up table. I had a few questions that I asked him and he didn’t know the answer to any of them. He couldn’t even give me the address of where the race started – just a general location. The shirt was tacky and the medal was nothing special. Also included was a $12 park entrance pass. That was it. I wouldn’t complain but this race cost much more than other races I’ve done. I realize it was a fundraiser for the YMCA and that’s good as I love my YMCA here in Knoxville. There were a few people along the course who were encouraging and friendly. Also – it was super hilly (as advertised). If you’re already planning to visit Acadia and the date matches the race date – do it but don’t make this a destination race for Maine.

This race was a nice surprise considering all the restrictions because of Covid 19. The organizers did an amazing job making you feel like times were “normal” again. From the drive through packet pick-up to the specific time starts and smaller corrals – they did their best to accommodate runners. I stayed at the Gulf Park Hilton and would NOT recommend. It was over-priced and not accommodating to those participating in the race. The race was 80% through a swampy state park with the highlight seeing a real alligator watching us. It was sad not getting a medal when crossing the finish line (the medal was given during the packet pick-up) and I missed not having an expo. Overall it was a great race and so fun to participate with happy running people.

Loved this race – it was very well organized – course was mostly flat – scenery was just ok – sad that we didn’t run by the Alamo. The absolute best part was the 1/2 mile run through a park where about every 6 feet there was someone holding an American flag on both sides – also with pictures of veterans who had died from that area. Made me so proud to be part of such a great country – I could have run for miles through that! Best expo with lots of purchase choices. Host hotel was right at the start line. Only negative – the race finished at a park that was a little far from the start – had to walk a long way to get back to the hotel and no pre-race meal options. Overall it was a great race!