Kelly Hurley's Staging Area

This is a 3.4 mile gently rolling loop with a nice mix of cross country and trails in the woods. There was one fully stocked aid station with a variety of snacks at the start of each loop, with 3 additional aid stations out on the loop that provided water, Sword, and ice.
It was quite a hot day, but the race directors and volunteers made sure aid stations were stocked all day, helping runners deal with the heat. The volunteers went above and beyond, and the atmosphere had a pretty laid back and friendly feel to it.
Honestly, my only complaint was a timing error – they have some kinks to work out with the transition from the big loops to hot laps.

The Iron Horse is a really well-run race through horse country in the small town of Midway, KY. The course begins near downtown, and runs out-and- back on a country road, coming back through town and running out-and-back in the other direction. The great thing about this is that you get to see all of the other runners twice. The course is pretty hilly, but the run to the finish line is downhill.
There were plenty of aid stations out there with water and some had Sword. And plenty of Port o potties along the course.
Medals are always great. Nice Brooks long sleeved tech shirts. Opportunity to purchase other race swag.
In some previous years, they have had burgers/barbecue at the finish area. I don’t know if this didn’t happen because it was cold and rainy and no one wanted to stick around. In any case, there was a good variety of post-race snacks.

The course is very flat, but the weather conditions made it tough. It was hot and humid, but obviously no one can control that.

The course was not marked well at all, and I talked to more than one runner who had gone off course. No signs or arrows or anything at turns. In addition to this, the course was not lit as well as we were led to believe it would be prior to registering. There was one section down by the water on the bike path in particular that was quite dark.

There were a good number of aid stations on course, especially given the heat. The volunteers did not know what they were serving though, and I was offered Gatorade at an aid station, and it was actually Sword. This sounds minor, but not everyone can handle different kinds of sports drinks on the run, and it is important to know what you are getting.

I had asked when I picked up my packed about port o potties out on the course, and I was assured they were out there, but no one was able to tell me where they would be. There were a couple in only one location near the 4 mile mark on the loop. There were also indoor bathrooms at the start/finish area, but you’d have to jump off the course a bit to get in there.

The post-race food/drink recovery area was average. The guy announcing at the finish line was excellent, interacting with and congratulating the runners as they came through. The burgers or chicken option post-race was a nice touch, but when I asked for mine without the bun, they told me there were no forks or anything. This is a very easy fix for the next time.

There was music at one location along the course, which was nice. It was extremely quiet on the rest of the course with only a handful of spectators outside of the aid stations and the larger groups around the start/finish area.

I thought that for the expense of the race, I feel like it needed to be a bit better organized, though it has potential.

Very well organized race, no detail is overlooked. Quiet, hilly course through horse country. The best swag with options to upgrade. Awesome medals. Plenty of aid stations on course.

Very hilly 50K on the trails at Mount Airy Park in Cincinnati. Single aid station is extremely well stocked at the pavilion in the park, which you hit after each loop. Course is alternating loops 5+ miles / 3+ miles. Trails were well maintained.

The race and the course were incredible. The barbecue afterwards was really nice too. Medals for all finishers. Cool prizes for the top 3 male/female finishers, and little certificates to age group winners.
The port o potty situation where the buses shuttled runners to the start was one of the most horrific ones I’ve ever seen. I know there were some logistical problems due to the rest area being closed, but port o potties are pretty essential!
This race runs in waves, and I think a lot of people estimate a faster finishing time, just because they don’t know how much these trails will slow them down. This makes for runner traffic backing up on the trails, and it is difficult to pass.
Overall a good race, and will give it another go.

Fairly hilly marathon with great crowd support in Cincinnati. There was one miserable stretch along the side of a highway, but it was a short stretch.