Jeffrey Dalecke's Staging Area

Don’t plan on making a PR on this race.
Having said that I highly, highly recommend this race! Everything was amazing. The expo starts in at the local school where you pick up your packet. A few cool vendors and lots of info on the race, there was a place to make up signs if your crew wants, there was a cork board with a world map so everyone could put a pin from where they were from. The shirts are an athletic material long sleeve with very nice design, front and back. The race starts at a light house in Maine and the turn around is at a light house in Canada. Both light houses were on the shirt with. You also have to show you passport where they scan in. Then you have to go across the bridge to Canada where they scan you passport on the Canadian side this is also where you pick up you bib.
Race morning you park at the same school where a bus takes you 6 miles out of town to the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse to start the race. They did both the Canadian and American nation anthem and a cannon to start the race. You run back through town and run across the international bridge to Canada at about mile 6 or 7. The first 13 miles are hilly. Then the big ones are from about 13 to 18, with the turn around a mile 16. Big long hill around mile 25 tough one. Finish line was a huge party, great announcer, cool medals. The food WOW, a delicious minestrone soup, Greek yogurt and you can add granola, local honey and local Maine blueberries. Ice cream, you can add Maine blueberries or strawberries, bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese, apples, oranges, bananas, watermelon, granola bars, gummies, pretzels, Gatorade, water, chocolate milk, there were a few other items i was just too stuffed to try them. This was both my hardest and most enjoyable race. Highly recommended running it. The production and support were great.

The bib pick up was basic. Get you bib shirt, parking pass, & 1 other item (either a running belt or socks). The shirt was a nice soft material, short sleeve with a pretty nice basic design. Race morning all went smoothly, lots of port-a-poties, still long lines. The race left the startling and went for about 2 miles on road. Then turned on to a nice wide trail that was lined with trees the whole course. Probably 50% hard packed dirt, 25% pavement, 15% concrete & 10% wooden bridges. The course was even slightly lower than the trees along the sides of the trail which was nice that it kept the sun out till at least 10am, maybe 10:30 and made it nice and cool the majority of the run. Good cheering at crossroads. There was water and Gatorade about every 2 miles and energy gels at most of the tables from about mile 14 and on. Finish area had a bell to ring if you PR. The metals were really cool. It looked like a ticket to ride the train, was very large and heavy one of the best metals i have received. Post race event had beer, pizza, bananas, water, oranges, chocolate milk. Not many places to sit down. Overall very well put together I would recommend this race to anyone looking to get their North Carolina marathon.

Bib had out was the day before in the El Paso Convention Center. You had to go completely through to get your T-shirt and parking pass (highly recommend getting the parking pass, parking downtown El Paso is very difficult. If you pay ahead for the pass it is $5, if you pay the day of it is $13, so get it ahead of time) Swag was basic, nice cloth bag, a thin white running cap, some discount coupons for local places, & cloth wrist band.
Race morning was smooth and started on time, lots of port a potties. They had water and electrolytes drinks every 2 miles and every mile after mile 20along the course. All the water stations had bathrooms and talk about entertainment/ cheering, very motivational. The race was through the town, so not a ton of natur scenery. But the community involvement was great, lots of people out front of their homes cheering and some had oranges and water they haned out.
The after race festivities were good, water bananas, apples, burritos, beer, a DJ was playing music and everyone was having a good time. The medal was big, heavy and a nice design. If I had anything to complain about it would be the medal. El Paso is in the middle of a running series, that started 2 years ago and is 6 years long. So my medal is a “P”, if you ran it 2 years ago you would have gotten an “E” and if you were to run all 6 marathons you would be able to spell EL PASO.
I know Texas has many races, but don’t overlook El Paso it was a good race very well put together. I saw some people had issues with traffic. Every crossroad was manned by police and were stopping cars so we could run. I saw no vehicles racing in front of runners. I finished the full marathon in 4 hours, 5 minutes and there was plenty of food, water, fruit, beer when I finished. Half marathon runners were at 3 hours 45 minutes when I finished and like I said there was plenty of food.

Race starts at the Lake Mead Special Events picnic area. Bib pick up is morning of the race, there is no pre-race expo. Race started out a few minutes late, but ran really smooth. I like they separated out the different distance runners by 30 minutes, 1/2 marathon started 30 min after marathon runners, 10K started 30 min after 1/2 and so on. The run is out and back twice, it is up hill for the first 3 or 4 miles not a steep up enough you notice it on your 2nd lap. Then levels out and goes through the 5 tunnels and gives way to some beautiful scenery of Lake Mead and rocky mountains. At the turnaround you have some switch back ramp down to a parking garage that over looks the Hoover Dam where I got some nice pictures. Then the trail returns back along the same path. The volunteers were very nice and aid stations were plentiful. There were not many spectators, but the scenery made for a peaceful run. My biggest complaint was the after race offerings. There wast soda, water, chips, rice crispy treats and cold tough pizza, NO fruit. I finished in 4 1/2 hours, middle of the pack. I’m sure the pizza was warm for the 5K people, but maybe they should have gotten a second wave of pizza so it would have been at the very least warm. The metal and t-shirts were nice. I would highly recommend this race, but bring your own after race snacks.

Beautiful scenery, the race starts high at the Ford center with a cool cannon blast to start the race. The views are of never ending rolling hills to start. Then go down along paved trails that weave along and over the Platte river. The first 7-8 miles was through gradual ups and downs. About mile 9 or 10 there is a large down hill slope. Then the rest of the race was virtually flat. The finish line party was great, tons of food, drinks (including beer), music, and a free quick message. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Aid stations, port-o-pottys and encouragement was everywhere. The aid stations had anything you wanted, water, gatorade, gels, oranges, one of them even had ice. The only issue I had with the race was the weather, very hot it was in the mid to high 80’s when I finished. I highly recommend this race.