Keith Roberts's Staging Area

Overall Rating: Really good marathon

Course Difficulty: This is a pretty easy course, not pancake flat, but all runnable. The first half flies by, as it is run along Main Street, the second half is a little less interesting, but still not bad.

Course scenery: Good for an in town road race. Main Street for about 12 miles and paved bike path for the rest.

Race Production: Great.
An army of volunteers make this an extremely well supported race. A participant will never feel lost, confused, or in danger as the entire road portion is coned and manned. Outstanding.

Race Swag: Nice medal, custom tee, and a special “streaker hat”, all good.

My Performance: Having just completed a 100 miler the week before, I wasn’t sure I would be able to finish. I underestimated the effects of running at altitude for the past 2 weeks, as the first 16 miles went by way to easy. After mile 16 the aches and pains from the 100 caught up with me and I walked a bunch, but all good, was happy with a sub 5 hour finish.

Final notes: This is the closest marathon to home, and I will continue to support it. Even if it weren’t, it is an excellent marathon and a great way to get a run in southern Illinois.

Overall Rating: Really good.

Course Difficulty: This course is all about gravel and hills…constant big hills. While the course itself is fairly challenging, the heat and humidity are what really make this one a beast. I was able to run for about the first four hours and walked the rest; it was just too hot to run. The B-level roads could also be crazy hard if it was a rainy day, they were fairly dry for us and my shoes still weighed three pounds at times.

Course scenery: Really nice. The 100k runs through three of the bridges of Madison County and along multiple gravel back roads. I’m not sure the scenery gets much better in Iowa.

Race Production: Great.
This was an unmarked course. While I did see several people using GPX on watches, I also saw several people with dead watches from using GPX. Huge caution on this…have the cue cards with you, as there are many turns. The race started on time, and the RD was there at packet pickup and the finish. The aid stations were all very good, although they were far between, they had everything that a runner could need and energetic/helpful volunteers. The RD did allow on course crew support, so Debbie met me about every 5 miles to ensure things were ok; this was a huge help.

Race Swag: There was no medal or buckle for the 100k, which I didn’t love, but everything else was good. Custom hat, coaster, socks, race shirt (extra fee).

My Performance: It was pretty tough for me, but I still made decent time. After overheating at a previous race, I have really struggled to run in the heat and humidity. When it started to get hot (about 9:30am) I walked. It didn’t cool off much until the evening, and by that time I didn’t feel like running so I just walked it in. Even with all the walking, I nearly PR’d (Rocky Raccoon-15:31:27), so this could be a fast course for the right person or the right day.

Final notes: This is a good road 100k with really good production. It adds some additional challenge due to being unmarked, but all instruction is clear and given well in advance.

If you are looking for a good challenge, plan on spending all day, and go get this one done!

Overall Rating: One of the top 3 races I have participated in.

Course Difficulty: This course was hard for me, but I was there for the hills, and was not disappointed. As a true flat-lander I needed to see where I was on hill climbing for an upcoming 100 miler and with about 4200 feet of ascent and descent over 50k this was a good place. The trail was a double 15.5-mile loop composed of some very runnable portions and some moderately technical portions. No water crossings this year, but certainly could be if it rained. In over 30 ultras, I have not been on a course with this much constant elevation change…it was a really good challenge. There were 300ish runners that started in the 50k, and it never felt crowded.

Course scenery: Old growth prairie, forest, and plenty of time along the River.

Race Production: Outstanding!
Pre-race communication was thorough and given with plenty of time to make any necessary adjustments. The only thing that didn’t seem to go perfect was packet pick up on race morning which started about 5 minutes late due to having to set up (this is a non-issue, the team that was working on it – roughly 20 people – acknowledged us and let us know what was happening) actual pick up took about 2 min after that. There were plenty of port-a-jon’s at the start finish, so even with a lot of people, there was no waiting. The race started on time with some words from RD John Storkamp; there was a one hour staggered start between the 50k and the 25k, and I only saw about 10 of the 25k folks (who were super-fast) while I was on the first loop. The trail was marked as well as any race I have done, with officials at the major interchanges to give direction – I never felt like I was lost or confused. The aid stations and volunteers were awesome! Times were posted immediately.

Race Swag: Good. Custom running hat and finishers woodallion.

My Performance: Ok. As a flatlander I expect to struggle on hills. During my normal long runs, it is common to get less than 500′ of elevation change in 25 miles. I got the first loop done in a little over three hours, but my heart(rate) was acting up and my stomach felt really sick, and then the leg cramps…for miles. I decided to walk, and my heart got lined out, but the gut never really felt better and for the first time in a while, after the race I was actually on the ground with full on calf and foot cramps while trying to take off my shoes. I ended up walking most of the second loop but met some wonderful people who were good company. I ended up further down in the field than usual but got what I came for…challenging hills.

Final notes: This course is unique, and the army of volunteers is really impressive. I had heard rumors that once you ran a “John Storkamp” race, it would spoil you forever, and this is true. He is an outstanding RD! Coming from a culture and part of the country where running is still an outlier sport, I am always surprised at the depth and longevity of the Minnesota running community; there are just so many really good, very experienced, super nice runners.
I cannot recommend this race enough. If you are looking for a challenging but very enjoyable run, go and do this race! You will find your quads burning and then crying, and your calves cramping, but you will smile the whole time.

Overall Rating: Not my jam, but ok!

Course Difficulty: Easy squeezy. This course is run on a 1/2 mile horse racing track. Crushed limestone fines that were pretty soft after a massive run.

Course scenery: Basically none. It was in a fairgrounds with typical fencing and grass infield.

Race Production: Very good. Everything was where it was supposed to be and when it was supposed to be there. Pre-race communication email had all necessary information. One aid station with most things you could want.

Race Swag: Ok. T-shirt, finisher medal was not great, hat, draw string bag.

My Performance: Ok. Had a race that cancelled and opted for this one as a replacement. Was tired and achy from the 50 miler last week, and decided to call it at 40 miles and live to fight another day. Walked the last 5 miles.

Final notes: I needed to get some night miles in during a low key event and this fit the bill. A person would really have to love this format to do these races on a continual basis, I don’t like this format that much. As far as a venue to get some chip timed miles in, it gets the job done; as far a being highly enjoyable – not my thing.

Overall Rating: Excellent!

Course Difficulty: This course is a 5ish mile loop, run 6 times for the 50k. While runnable and technical generally don’t belong together, this is not a rock picking high stepping kind of technical, it’s more of “you are going to go fast, and you are going to trip and fall kind of technical! I tripped and fell more on this course than all of my other races combined. 100’s of trips!!! While I guess that’s par for the course on something called Knocking on Woodstock, it’s a different kind of tripping than they were doing back then. Here’s a nursery rhyme I wrote on the third loop:

I fell while running
I fell while walking
I fell while quiet
I fell while talking

Sometimes I fell up
Sometimes I fell down
But no matter the fall
I ended up on the ground

The roots were like fingers
Grabbing my toes
The rocks like a fighter
Delivering blows

I laid on the ground
looking up through the trees
Assessing the fresh scrapes on my knees

I mumbled to myself
I’m too old for this
But I was halfway done
So I got up and finished

lol…anyway.

Course scenery: All shade and beautiful SC scenery. Couple of stream crossings (on bridges) that were really pretty.

Race Production: Outstanding. Everything was where it was supposed to be and when it was supposed to be there. Pre-race communication was sparse, but there were no surprises. The RD was on site the whole time, even the day/night before, which gave the three of us camping at the start line a good chance to sit and talk with him. Chip timed with one self serve aid station at the start/finish line. Tailwind and standard AS fare.

Race Swag: Good. No t-shirt, but a custom finish woodallion and race company socks, stickers, etc.

My Performance: Ok. This could be a very fast course, as long as you don’t get discouraged by trips and falls or your gps being off (it will be short). Finish time was right where it should have been on this course.

Final notes: This is an excellent race, with excellent production. There was a nice depth of field with lots of experienced ultra runners and fewer first timers than several of my previous races; it was a very friendly running community. Something else I found interesting, is that in all the trips and falls with all the runners, I didn’t hear one foul word all day. I know that doesn’t mean anything to most people, but it is the culture I was raised in, where you just don’t use profanity; it was honestly quite refreshing. This is a good SC race, with an RD and volunteers that care about the runners and the integrity of the event. Go give it a shot.

Overall Rating: Great!

Course Difficulty: This course is super easy;100% paved rail trail. The only real obstacles are sticks and pine cones on the paving, a few areas of buckled asphalt, and road crossings.

Course scenery: There is enough scenery to keep it interesting, not so much that you are overwhelmed with the WOW factor. Good views of Georgia/Alabama mountains and pine forests.

Race Production: Really good. Everything was where it was supposed to be and when it was supposed to be there. Pre-race communication was excellent and the RD was present throughout. The only issue I did have was I had to wait on Tailwind to be mixed at one aid station, and ran out of fluids between the last two aid stations; this probably cost me a PR but not complaining, this is just a part of distance running and I appreciate the energetic volunteers. As a heads up: this is not a chip timed race, if you are looking for that type of accuracy in timing, you may want to speak with the RD before signing up for this one.

Race Swag: Really good. Pint glass with race logo, lots of stickers, running company branded socks, excellent t-shirt and custom finish medal. There was some other gear to buy, and honestly, I probably will online, I was just too tired afterward.

My Performance: Pretty good. This course makes you want to run early, but it can come back to bite in the heat at the end. It’s one of my faster 50k’s, so you know its a fast course.

Final notes: Parts of this course smell absolutely amazing. If a person could eat the wonderful scent of pine trees, I would order up a big helping of the Chief Ladiga Trail! Seriously though, I had a terrible chest cold for the 4 days before this race, only slept about 2.5 hours the night before (37 degrees in a tent), and still managed to pull out a fast-ish race. I’m a little shocked at the finish times, they are good, but I would expect them to be a lot faster; maybe the pain of the constant asphalt on the knees is a contributor to that.

All said, this is a well directed race on a good course. If you are looking to get into ultra running, or are looking for a PR, this is a great course.

Overall Rating: It was ok.

Course Difficulty: Challenging. It was two 12.5 mile loops and one 7-ish mile loop. The course on a dry day would have been fast with many runnable portions, but with all the rain it was a slick muddy mess. Many water crossings, some waist deep, with the first one being at mile 1. Your feet will be wet all day.

Course Scenery: Good scenery in tall pine forests. Nice trail.

Race Production: Ok, not great. First of all, if you plan to run this race, have a 4×4 or high clearance AWD; if it doesn’t rain, you can make it in a 2WD, if it does, you’ll have a hard time. Next, while everything was technically in place, at times I just felt lost, like no one knew exactly where to send me, or at the least weren’t forward about it. I still ended up in the right place, but for whatever reason, it just felt there was not clear leadership…
The trail was marked really well and the aid stations were excellent.

Race Swag: Custom medal, t-shirt, and finisher hoodie..

My Performance: Better than expected. I was using this as a long slow training run for an upcoming 100 miler and wanted to average 13 min/mile. I was actually quite surprised at my finish time based on the number of creek crossings and the challenge of the mud.

Final notes: If you need to cross MS off of your list, this one will get it done, just be prepared that all of the challenges you will face may not be on the course.

Overall Rating: Average.

Course Difficulty: Easy. Most of the race was run on airport and surrounding roads, so pancake flat. There were a few rollers on the other portion, but nothing crazy long or hard.

Course Scenery: Majority of course was on airport, so not great. The portion that was not on the airport was just ok.

Race Production: Very good!! Communication and logistics were spot on. Everything was where it should be and at the time it should have been there. Post race was still around when the slow folks arrived, so that another plus. The chili was literally the best I have ever had.

Race Swag: Custom medal and nice hoodie.

My Performance: It was ok. Walked the last couple of miles with Debbie, which was wonderful.

Final notes: I don’t love half marathons, but I needed some mid winter motivation. This will probably be the last half I ever do. For people who like this distance, I think it is a very good race.

Overall Rating: Excellent!

Course Difficulty: This race is crazy hard and lands in the hottest most humid time of year. Primarily technical single track with plenty of rocks, creek crossings, and seldom a flat spot.

Course Scenery: It is the best of Southern Illinois. You won’t find better scenery in this part of the world.

Race Production: Perfect!!! Communication and logistics were spot on. Everything was where it should be and at the time it should have been there. Post race was still around when the slow folks arrived, so that another plus. RD was at the finish congratulating finishers. Top notch production from Stephanie Page!

Race Swag: High quality custom medal, a couple of stickers, and nice tech shirt.

My Performance: Recently starting a new career and having a toddler in the house, my training stunk and for the the month before the race was non existent. I set out knowing that anything less than 8 hours would be great, anything less than 9 hours would also be great, and anything less than ten hours would also be great…basically, I was hoping to finish. I walked most of 16 miles, so 8.5 hours wasn’t too bad.

Final notes: This is a hard race. I signed up to support a friend who was doing her first ultra, and we both made it; in ultraworld, that’s a win. I think I said this on the last review of this race as well, but this race is not for the faint of heart, it will make you cry and question why you ever decided to start running. At some point, you will probably sit down and think I just can’t go anymore, but then you’ll find a way, because there is no one coming to get you. If you decide to go for it…just…don’t…quit!

Overall Rating: Excellent! Fantastic all paved course down the main beach frontage roads in PCB.

Course Difficulty: A few tiny ups and downs and a couple speed bumps and potholes, otherwise, cake. The course is open, which is why I gave it a 4 (I had to yell to get some kids eyes off their phone and back on the road), but overall, about as good as it gets.

Course Scenery: Running along the beach is always good, and here on the gulf coast winter doesn’t hurt you too much.

Race Production: Really good. Packet pickup had no hiccups, pre-race communication was timely and accurate, and race production was really good. The one thing that seemed like it could have been better was the on course fuel. There were peppermints at each aid station, so my fuel for the race was 4 peppermints and a bottle of Gatorade. After all of the races I’ve run, this seems to be a point that is not well addressed. It would be wise to bring fuel with you if you do this race.

Race Swag: High quality custom medal, pretty sweet sticker, and nice long sleeve tech shirt.

My Performance: LOL, this should be entertaining. Tuesday night I was taken to the ER with a passing kidney stone, Wednesday I was at home trying to not die and pass a kidney stone, Thursday I flew to Florida (time bomb still ticking), Friday I tan a few test miles, could only do 4 and averaged 13 min/mi (not good enough for the 6 hour cutoff).
I was shocked that I could even finish this race, and thought really seriously about a DNS (more on that in the blog later), and when I pulled off a sub 5 I was ecstatic!!!

Final notes: This was a pretty big race for me and my Raceraves profile, because I finally turned that last dark blue state to purple-that’s right Karen, I have now “officially” run an “actual” marathon in all fifty states-lol. I still have to deal with the kidney stone and get that thing passed, but this a pretty nice way to seal up 2021!

Overall Rating: Tough race with rainy conditions then heat.

Course Difficulty: Lots of big hills at the beginning and flattening out after halfway. A couple of unsupported major highway crossings. Nice course.

Course Scenery: About as good as it gets for southern Illinois. Start at Garden of the Gods SP and ends downtown Harrisburg.

Race Production: Not great this year. I give a lot of grace to RD’s, especially during COVID season. The aid stations/volunteers were lacking, as was course support. At the end of the race, runners had to snake their way through the stage area of a local festival to get to finish line. I think there could have been a little better option logistically, but I was happy to see this race happen.

Race Swag: Had a repeat medal and shirts from a previous year. Not casting any stones, as each participant received two long sleeve tech shirts and it is a nice medal…just expected it to be different as a repeat runner.

My Performance: Not awesome. Started off on a PR pace running in a nice warm rain, then the rain stopped and the leg cramps started (only my second race with leg cramps), which I credit partly to the lack of salty foods, drinks, or GU at aid stations. All in all not a terrible day.

Final notes: I make an intentional effort not to blame others for my outcomes. At the end of the day, I am thrilled that this race happened and love the work that the RD is doing! If anything, I should have shown up with more than a water bottle…so all good!

The Nebraska State Fair marathon was wonderfully organized with outstanding volunteers. We had no issues with packet pick up, race start, or direction on the course.

The volunteers were very friendly, and always eager to help. I am sincerely thankful for the neighbors who faced their lawn sprinklers toward the road, those little burst of cold were a lifesaver.

This race was as advertised – flat and fast. I was expecting to be about 5:15 – 5:30 with my injured leg, so imagine my surprise when it was a 4:37…what???

The day was hot, and I expect it will probably always be that way in Nebraska in August, but there was plenty of Gatorade and water, along with GU’s, fruit snacks and cuties. The aid stations were every 2 miles on the mark, we’ll done!

The swag was pretty decent; a nice custom medal and a long sleeve tech shirt.

The one thing I didn’t love, is that there were no really salty electrolytes on course. I usually bring my own, but forgot them at the hotel…the day was hot enough that the Gatorade wasn’t doing the trick and many people were cramping up on course. I don’t blame the race for this, just caution future runners not to forget yours.

All in all, a wonderful race to cross Nebraska off of your state list or to simply cross a marathon off of your bucket list.

Happy running!!!

Overall Rating: Good. No issues, started on time. Course was crazy windy.

Course Difficulty: This course was really flat and fast. A few rollers here and there, but overall easy. The downside is probably that you are completely exposed to the elements, so anything other than perfect conditions would affect you.

Course Scenery: The first 2 miles are pretty cool as you are going over old bridges on Rt 66, the next 8ish mile are on a levee (pretty boring), back over the bridges, 10 more pretty boring miles, and then it gets interesting running in front of the arch and some historic riverfront and old town.

Race Production: Really good. The only issue I had was coming into town as on Sat, and no available packet pickup that afternoon/evening. I was planning to be dropped off at the start, but the race was 100% in on packet pickup at the finish and take the shuttle bus. Ended up having my son pick up the packet earlier in the week (which he had no issues with). Not a big deal, but definitely needs to be planned for.

Race Swag: Good medal, nice long sleeve shirt, and commemorative mug.

My Performance: Good, probably would have gotten a PR, just ran out of steam after fighting the wind.

This was a good race that was pretty close to home. I generally don’t do city races, and didn’t love fighting the post race (Cardinal’s game) traffic when it was over, but I was super thrilled to get back into an actual in person race.

If you’re looking for a race that is fast and well run in the StL area, this will do.

This race was a crazy challenge for me. I wanted to do a 100 this year, and most were cancelled, but in the true spirit of the Honey Badger Race…this one went on.

I am going to make this a short review and say the race production, and course were excellent, my performance stunk.

All was going according to plan (13 min/mi pace) until I blistered the bottom of both feet and rubbed the skin off of the inside of my legs at about mile 55. That’s right, you can chafe that bad. At mile 67 I threw in the towel, but my crew wouldn’t accept that. They coned me out, tossed me in the shower (ouch!!!), stuck me on a cot with a fan blowing on my unmentionables for about 5 hours, then took my whiny butt back to the course. That next part was a brutal 50k, but it’s what hundred mile races are…raw – gritty – determination.

I will be forever grateful for my crew for pushing me through that, no way I would have made it without them.

At the end of the day (and a half), if you want to try a hundred miler, this is a great one. It’s hard, not in mountain or trail sense, but in a cooking eggs on the pavement sense. BTW, there were only 13 finishers, so that will tell a little about how hard it was.

Overall Rating: Really good cold weather run.

Course Difficulty: A few rolling hills to keep the legs and mind challenged, but wide and flat asphalt or cinder the entire time.

Course Scenery: Nice northern landscape. The four loops get a little old, but the scenery around the lake and river is enough to keep it interesting.

Race Production: Good. There were some aid stations called out on the race documentation that weren’t there, and some of the AS food and drink was different, but all in all, no major hiccups or blunders…definitely a solid organization.

Race Swag: The real reason I was here. I needed that 12th buckle for the year and this is a nice one! Other features were a well designed long sleeve tee, a race sticker, and an aluminum water bottle – all high quality stuff.

My Performance: Better than expected. I picked up some new friends on the way, stopped to help a couple of people in need (which ate up about 10 minutes), and still managed a PR; needless to say, I’m good with that.

Final notes: I don’t love cold, so this will never be my favorite race, however, it is a fantastic race and a really good organization; I can certainly put my stamp of approval on it.

In speaking with the RD, due to complications with local municipalities, this is likely the last year for this race in its current form.

The Shawnee Marathon has been a true representation of Southern Illinois scenery, and has provided local runners with an outstanding opportunity to gain access to a quality marathon without breaking the bank. This years medal is one of the best I have received at any race to date, and the volunteers willingness to stand in the wind and rain, shows some serious dedication to the runners.

I’m a little sad to see this one go, as it was my hometown marathon and the first race that I ran with any of my kids; but looking forward to the next iteration and the continued chance to give runners access to some of southern Illinois’ hidden scenery.