Kay M's Staging Area

I have to admit, I did not have expectations one way or another when I registered for this race, but WOW. I had an absolute blast running this marathon!
Packet Pickup/Swag: Packet pickup was held in the convention center in downtown Hartford. The only negative thing is that it looked like you had to pay for parking. I was with family, so they drove around the block while I hopped in and out. Therefore, I didn’t spend a lot of time at the expo. It was small but well organized. Participants received their bib, race shirt and a drop bag. The race medal was neat, and finishers also received a sports water bottle that was filled with cold water at the end of the race.
Start Area/Organization: We stayed in a hotel across the street from the start/finish for an easy morning walk to the start corrals, but I believe the city offered free parking, and there were plenty of lots. The marathon and half marathon started together, and the pace signs were clearly marked. The entire experience ran smoothly.
Course: The marathoners and half marathoners only shared the course for about the first mile. The marathon course stayed in/around/through downtown for approximately 3-ish miles before heading into a beautiful local park. There were some gentle rolling hills. Nothing crazy. Around mile 9 or 10, the course became more residential. There was a long, flat out and back section of the course before runners headed back into downtown to the finish. There was one hill at mile 25, then it was smooth sailing to the end. Now that the technical description is out of the way, let me tell you about the city of Hartford and its residents: these people CAME TO PARTY! Although there were not as many spectators as there would be in some larger city races this time of year (think Twin Cities or Chicago) they more than made up for it with enthusiasm and contagious joy. There was entertainment throughout the course every 1.5-2 miles: everything and anything you can think of, bands, DJ’s, bagpipers, Irish dancers, acoustic solo artists, and on and on. I was a little worried about the out and back section getting boring (as they tend to do in the middle miles of a marathon) but holy cow! I don’t know if I looked at my watch at all, LOL.
Finish Experience: Runners ran under the arch and were greeted by lines and rows of cheering spectators. We were given our medal, mylar sheet and water. Then we had easy access to meet our friends and family. The finish food tent had a variety of options (they provided a bag): various snack foods, fruit, a cider doughnut, bread and soup. There was a beer garden with a band. They had vendor tents and entertainment set up as well. My mom and sister even rode a carousel while I ran!
Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed my entire experience at the Hartford Marathon. It was a small enough race so that you never had to wait in a long line or stress about getting somewhere on time, and you were never crowded on the course. But it was also large enough to provide constant companionship throughout the course, and I cannot say enough about the city, its residents, spectators and race organizers. I would strongly recommend a trip to Connecticut for anyone looking for a fantastic marathon experience. Thank you, Hartford!

This event was the epitome of a small town race. Although the weather did not want to cooperate this year (rain, high wind gusts), you can’t judge an event by the one thing that is out of everyone’s control. That being said, it was a charming small race.
Packet Pick Up/Swag: Packet pick up was available the day before at the town Chamber of Commerce. It was easy to find, and I was in and out. They also had pick up available the morning of the race at the start/finish, and that would have been just as easy. Along with your race bib, participants received a reusable bag (the good kind that you can use for groceries and such), some local coupons/goodies and a high quality sweatshirt. The race shirt was a lot nicer that some of the race shirts offered by other, higher-priced events. I will definitely be adding this to my wardrobe rotation! All marathon finishers received a medal, and they had thoughtful and charming age group awards as well.
Start area/organization: the marathon was an out and back that started in the city park. Parking was absolutely not a problem. There were plenty of spaces available in/around the park, all within easy access to the start/finish line.
Course: This was a simple out and back course (the half marathoners were bused from the start to the marathon turn around point). The course started in the city park, so the first .3 or so miles was on asphalt until the runners hit the trail. Then it was a straight shoot on the trail the entire way: 13 miles up and 13 miles back. The trail surface was crushed granite and easy to run on. No trail shoes required. This course was about as flat as a course can be. Whether or not you like that kind of course is personal preference, but there are definitely no surprises along the way in this race.
Race Experience/Finish: Although the weather tried to be the star of the show (and not in a good way), I cannot say enough about the race volunteers/staff. Even in the middle of the pouring rain, these folks greeted us runners at each aid station with smiles and even some jokes! There were aid stations approximately every 2ish miles, and they were well stocked with water, gatorade, fruit, fig bars and I think some other snacks as well. Talk about friendly service!!
Finish: The finish area was next to an indoor park pavilion where runners could go inside to dry off/hang out. Again, for being such a small event, I was pleasantly surprised at what they had to offer. There were more post race snacks than I think the runners could eat (from memory: cheese sticks, kringle, granola bars, variety of fruit, fruit snacks and several other choices), coffee, water, beer for sale, and pizza. They had heaters going and were also offering stretching/massage tables. The race organizers really went all out to make sure participants were greeted warmly at the finish.
Overall: This is not your big city road race by any stretch of the imagination, but if you like a flat out and back course and/or if you are looking for a super-friendly, small town race, then I would check this race out. The cost of registration is nothing compared what is offered in this event. Thank you to all of the Medford volunteers who braved the weather to help us out!

I’ll review this race with the caveat that they had covid restrictions in place, so having never run this event before I don’t know what it is normally like. That being said, it was so wonderful to have an actual in-person event!
Packet Pick Up/Swag: Pick up was a breeze. Held in the start/finish area the day before. Plenty of parking, easy in/out (with temperature checks for participants). Each participant received a reusable bag that contained a mask and your finisher’s shirt. The finisher’s shirt was higher quality than a lot of others I’ve received the past.
Start area/Organization: There was plenty of parking near the park, access to indoor bathrooms as well as porto-potties. This was a very small race and they capped their numbers, so there was absolutely no line or crowds. Runners were asked to self-select a start wave in order to limit crowds in the start corrals.
Course: The course was well marked. Really flat with some minor exceptions (a bit of a longer-ish incline in campus and a short but relatively-steep(ish) hill in a park around mile 9). We went through the small downtown area, university campus and wove around plenty of residential neighborhoods and several beautiful local parks/nature areas. Because of the small number of runners combined with staggered start waves, there was very little in the way of companionship along the course. Where the 1/2 marathon splits off (around mile 10.5-11) there is virtually nothing but for the strategically placed volunteers/aid stations for several miles. As an example, I ran approx. miles 11-14.5 practically alone. This is not a complaint, under the circumstances I was grateful to be running an actual live race, but something to keep in mind if you are someone who requires large crowds to stay motivated. That said, the course had plenty of aid stations and each and every volunteer was super energetic and motivating. I got the sense we were all collectively grateful to be participating in a shared event.
Finish: The finish area was at the same location as the start. They did have a mini finisher tent where you received your medal and choice of snacks: banana, individually wrapped cookies (there is a set of volunteers somewhere who deserve a huge high-five for that!), chocolate milk, Gatorade, water, I think some fruit snacks or other small treat. Because it started/ended in a local park, there was plenty of space to meet your loved ones and relax after the race. We were treated to gorgeous weather as well, and the finish area was really laid back and enjoyable. Runners were invited to a local downtown restaurant to receive a free hamburger (I think?). I did not participate in that but instead found a local brewery for some delicious beer and a pizza.
Overall: this is a small town race for sure, but the race organizers clearly know what they are doing. Everything was well organized and easy to navigate as a participant. They were thoughtful with the covid precautions and still managed to put on a great event. Thank you Brookings for hosting and for welcoming the runners!