Kris Erskine's Staging Area

Either I ran past the Alamo and didn’t see it, or we didn’t run by it. I think the latter. After the race I walked to the Alamo and there was construction in front of the building so I think we didn’t actually run by it. Understandable and I suppose the road works will be done by 2024.

This race is worth it for San Antonio (and the Riverwalk) and for the Alamo itself. Otherwise this would not be a race I’d have wanted to do. With that said, production was great, the post-race food was awesome, volunteers, aid stations, port-a-potty location, everything… the production was very good. Most races this size have good production but this was better than most others I’ve done.

The course itself was okay. The first several miles were through downtown areas that were really a joy to run through. There were a few middle miles that were on busier roads and the scenery was nothing special. The last few miles were nice. I’d probably do this race again if I lived within a few hours drive but I wouldn’t fly out to TX from TN to do it again, as I did this time. It was probably just below a bucket list race for me and I’m glad I did it, but in retrospect it probably didn’t deserve the “near bucket list” status.

You’ll do this race because of the finish line in a great small city and because you expect to have a good time. The scenery is nothing special, but isn’t anything to complain about either. The first four miles are rolling along a road and sidewalk and the next nine miles are along a paved greenway. This has everything you could want in a race: easy packet pickup, port-a-potties at start and aid stations, plenty of aid stations, great post-race support, and the typical medal and t-shirt at finish.

The only two things that would make this race better are both possibly beyond expectation. The first is to have the packet pickup at the high school where everyone parks. That would avoid the 4-lane hwy crossing by 2,000 runners and it would provide an indoor place to wait, particularly in case of bad weather, which we narrowly avoided this year. It would also mean a lot less walking to packet pickup. Traffic up here for an hour before the race is jammed. Plan to arrive earlier than you think you need to arrive, just to get through traffic and parked. Heaviest traffic I’ve seen for a race, even for much larger races.

The second thing is to drop the cap of runners. 1,850 for the half was a bit crowded, although I’ve certainly run races that were more crowded, so that’s a minor issue, imo.

Another reviewer mentioned bag pickup. I didn’t use this so I have no observation. I also didn’t notice the food shortage, although that could have been after I finished.

If you are a runner who clocks a sub-9 minute mile but who doesn’t typically care where you start, or who likes to start in the back of the field, this is one race where you may want to reconsider. I’ve done that in previous years at this race and it’s not easy working your way up once the trail narrows down to a greenway after mile 4. I started near the pacer whose time I expected to match and things moved pretty much my preferred speed after the first quarter mile or so. So if you start with your pacer time then you should be fine.

I drove four hours to get to this race and this is my third time. And I’ll probably be back. It’s a really nice race and a great weekend destination. This is one that the non-runner wife is happy to return to each year.

This course had the best volunteers of any race I’ve ever done, in probably 75 races. They were super helpful, asked what we needed when we got to the aid station, helped fill bottles, etc. The aid stations were stocked. Plenty of junk food, sports drink (not diluted with water), water, bacon, quesadillas, and even Coke. Hands down the best aid stations and the best volunteers. Full stop. Weirdly, this is in contrast to the race I did last week that was put on by the same company. That race had great aid stations but zero volunteers. Zero. On the entire course, and I and others got lost due to one turn that had unclear trail markings, apparently. That was Frozen Falls. But this Eagle Ridge race was great, in that regard.

The start/finish line was close to the state park lodge and it’s a great lodge with an amazing view over the lake from the top of the mountain. Indoor bathrooms, a fire in the huge fireplace, plenty of space for runners to sit and relax before walking out to the start line 50m away. Parking was aplenty and located between the lodge entrance and the start line.

The course scenery was ho-hum. There were a few middle miles that ran along the lake and were quite nice. There were other miles that were super technical and it was basically walking. There as maybe a half a mile somewhere in there that was through a boulder or rock field and without markers everyone would have gotten lost as the trail itself wasn’t obvious. But the trail was marked really well and you know to keep the hanging orange ribbons to your right. At the end of the few miles on the lake you take a hard left and immediately start a climb up a very steep gravel road. I mean *very* steep. It was maybe three-quarters of a mile to a mile long but no one I could see in front or behind me was running. It was all I could do to walk fast without stopping. This was maybe around mile 10 (for the half marathoners) and so you are already tired. Once you reach the top you take a left and head down a trail again, hit an aid station and then run the last mile or two to the finish line. I was so beat by that time, and tired from the climb, I ate and drank too much (M&M, quesadilla, Coke, and sports drink). I know better! But that made the last mile or two slower and less pleasant with that sloshing around in my tummy. Not a smart move, but man, I was feeling a bit hungry!

This was a hard course. Maybe the hardest I’ve done. And the payoff in scenery was not a solid ROI for the output of effort. I’m glad I did this race, but for this reason I don’t think I’d do this course again. If I did do the race again I would take the wife to the lodge for the weekend and would run the race because of the aid stations and volunteer support. I recommend this race, at least once. But it’s not an easy course. And it is short of 13 miles. My GPS said 11.54, but I typically end up with a mile short on trail runs (Garmin Fenix 5). Not sure why, but whatever. But the trail organizers did indicate that the race was somewhere in the 12+ mile range. So if you are a purist looking for a certified course this probably wouldn’t be it.

The finish line was typical. They had chili and chicken noodle soup. I am generally a plant-based eater and always a vegetarian. Plant-based options are probably a bit much to ask for but it would be nice to see more races offer vegetarian options for post race food, other than the Saltine crackers I munched on at the end of this race. No complaints though. Most races don’t have soup at all and this was a solid race in terms of food, across the board.

This was a well-organized course. My hometown is Asheville and I wanted to go back to visit family, and so I stayed outside of town. But there is at least one hotel, maybe two, within easy walking distance of the start line. The parking was about a ten minute walk from the start but it was mapped out on the website clearly and so no issues parking.

The weather was cold, which is expected in January in WNC, but the staging area pre-start is at a school and it was nice, for a change, to be able to hang out in the warmth until a moment or two before the race started.

The course was pretty once it got to the river, and along River Rd., and you go by the old Asheville Speedway, and to the end of the riverwalk, then back. I’d do this course again, but only if I were in town visiting family over that weekend. It’s a good race, certainly worth doing, but maybe not one you’ll drive very far to get to unless you just want to visit AVL or were going to be there anyway.

Plenty of toilets along the route, aid stations were great, and the hot chocolate at the end was also nice. And good. Not cheap powder. But I’m puzzled why the French Broad Chocolate Co. would sponsor this race and provide the hot chocolate but serve it to runners in white (what looked like) hospital pill/med cups. Seems like a whole lot of free advertising to serve cups that are a bit larger – maybe espresso cups? – and marked with the FBHC Co. name. Not a gripe, just an observation.

Nothing negative about this race. Absolutely do it if you are local or regional and looking for a nice urban course and don’t mind the cold. I think it was 29 degrees when we started. 34 or 35 when we finished. Then head over to The Hole Donut Company about 1.5 miles away for some fresh handmade donuts. Top five donuts I’ve ever eaten.

I don’t know why this race doesn’t have more participation. Actually, it’s probably because there isn’t a great website for this race and you can’t register until just a couple of months prior to the race. I was worried it was going to be a flop. But it wasn’t…

This was one fun race! The course is through a lot of older neighborhoods and it is completely flat. The only complaint I would have about the course is that some of the roads were in desperate need of repair and there were a few places where I felt like I was on a trail run. But that’s a minor ding to an otherwise really wonderful race.

The race venue was downtown Mobile, where there are plenty of hotels to stay within easy walking distance to the start and finish line (not the same place), and Dauphin St. has plenty of great restaurants. Roosters, Mo’ Bay Beignets, Spot of Tea, Ruby Slippers, and more. Not a lot for plant-based eaters, but we did find options that would fit our diet.

There were porta-johns, the aid stations were aplenty – including one stop with kids handing out donut holes, and the spectators were better than most races. A lot of folks came out from their houses to wave and cheer, even the course volunteers did some cheering.

The post-race gala had a jazz band, ice cream, beer, the typical post-race food, and breakfast catered by a local restaurant. The one request I’d make of this race, and all of them, is to include some sort of plant-based protein for plant-based eaters. Find a restaurant that will do that sort of thing. A lot of runners are vegetarian or plant-based. Include chocolate milk, and soy milk. But these are requests, not complaints.

I live six hours away and won’t be driving down for this race again, but if I were within an hour or two of Mobile I’d absolutely do this race again. Worth it!

I’ve never been a race or event organizer. I’m sure it’s a heck of an undertaking, especially a race like this where you have a few thousand runners across multiple races of different distances. This race was superbly organized, any comment about this race must be prefaced by giving credit where credit is due.

Parking. There is ample parking all around the VBC, although it was either a $5 or $10 to park. More on that later. You should have no issue parking in one of the multiple lots that surround the venue.

The event location. The Von Braun Center is a great location for a race. There are multiple bathrooms, there is plenty of room to host thousands of runners as they wait for the race to start, and if the December weather is cold, it’s nice being indoors. The Back Half course is a point-to-point race and you have to shuttle to the start line. Park at the VBC since you’ll finish here. I did not have to wait at all for the shuttle up to Univ of AL at Huntsville (UAH) and once at UAH there is an indoor student union building, or something like that, where the 800 runners can wait, use the bathroom, sit and relax, or hang outside and stretch. Kudos to the organizers for both the use of VBC and UAH for start locations. Over the 55+ half marathons I’ve run, I’ve never seen one that has such runner friendly or indoor start lines. Even the finish line at this race is inside the VBC. At the finish the volunteers handed out the medals and an emergency blanket. Most winters that would be useful. In 2022 the weather was probably in the mid-50s at finish, so most probably didn’t need them, but many took them anyway.

The course. The course is decent (I did the Back Half Marathon) and it was rolling but a net downhill, and it’s a fast course. You run through the Paul Marshall Space Center and it is here that you see runners, including me, stop to take a few pictures. That was the highlight of the course. It didn’t run through any attractive downtown space, nor was it particularly scenic otherwise. And although rolling, it was basically a downhill course. Very fast course, actually.

The aid stations. There were more aid stations on this course than I’ve ever seen on a course. They had Powerade and water at all stations. They had Gu gel at most stations, and one station had chips and M&Ms.

The post-race food. This was great. I’d like to see something other than pizza, or pizza that is vegan friendly, but pizza was only one of the several options. They had chocolate milk (but no soy chocolate milk), soda, water, bagels, oranges, bananas, PBJ sandwiches, pizza, and a few other things. Top 5 for post race food in the races I’ve done. I’m sure offering a beer ticket would please many, although I’d like to see Athletic Brewing Company set up a non-alcoholic beer table. Overall, the food was great.

The bad? Not much, to be honest. The volunteers were super. The race organizer answered my facebook message about shuttle service (they sent an email, but apparently some runners never received it) within a few hours, and there was just so much to like. The one complaint I have is cost. I get that races are expensive. I know it takes a lot to put on a good race, but the race registration was $95, which is on the high end for races in this region. Then runners had to pay an additional $20 to do race-day packet pickup. Then it was $10 to park. I can deal with the parking and the race fee, but same-day packet pickup is a money grab, imo. For that reason it’s unlikely that I’ll do this race again. But if you don’t mind the extra $20 then you should absolutely do this race. It’s not a bucket list race, but if you live in within a couple of hours drive, it’s worth the drive.

So I registered for this course because of the Christmas-y website and description. I’d have Christmas cookies at the aid stations and everyone would be dressed like Santa, or so I thought. The course was decent and was along a greenway the entire time, which was nice. I think this course would be nice for a spring or fall race since it is tree-lined much of the time. It was a bit more out-and-back, and then out-and-back again than I’d have preferred. Sort of like a Y-shaped course, where you start at the bottom of the Y, then run the left side of the Y, then back to the down, and then up the right side of the Y, then down again, and then back up the left side of the Y again, then finally back to the the bottom of the Y. A minor complaint, tbh. It seems the course is this way because they simply ran out of greenway at the top end of the Y segments.

The volunteers and race organizers were also friendly and helpful, which has always been my experience at the races I’ve done. When it’s 30 degrees outside and you stand there behind a table for two or three hours to hand out water or gel, you deserve a “thanks” from the runners.

The Santa hat and tech sweatshirt were also fun. Loved seeing everyone wearing the red shirt and Santa hat.

But… I would not run this race again. This is a Christmas race and is advertised as having Christmas cookies. But there were not actually any Christmas cookies. There were multiple aid stations, but only the first two had anything sweet to eat. The first station had packaged cookies. Oreos, Famous Amos, that sort of thing. The second station had M&Ms, Snickers, and other similar candy. Maybe bring in Little Debbie holiday cakes? They are more moist and I won’t choke on the crumbs. All other aid stations had only water, or water and sports drink, and I think a few had gel. My beef is, if you advertise Christmas cookies, then perhaps put actual Christmas cookies at the aid stations. The finish line food was water and more of the packaged cookies. There were bananas and trail mix as well, but no hot chocolate, or candy canes? Hey, it might be a minor thing, but these days with so many half marathons if you want to stand out as a race better than the rest, then do what it takes to stand out. And also, advertise the race accurately. I think this race has a lot of potential, and it already has a good course and great volunteers, but it does need to up its game a bit so that the actual race matches the advertising. Or keep the same race and change the way it’s advertised.

Parking was ample, and easy, and very close to the start line. There were port-a-poddies at the start line, and packet pickup was easy. This was a small race… maybe only 300 people running all distances? Anyway, there is lots to like here, but in future years please bring out the cookies and hot chocolate, or cider, or coffee, or candy canes! 🙂

I’ve run more than 50 half marathons and I don’t often give a negative review. But this is perhaps the worst race I have run, and it is solely because of a) the course, and b) how the race is marketed on their website. From the website:

“The half marathon route starts at the scenic Melton Lake Park peninsula. Considered a great PR course! Course runs along the beautiful Melton Lake then down by an operational quarry for a change of scenery. Continue along a serene tree-lined private road then wind through Oak Ridge. Finish your race along the water’s edge right back to the peninsula.”

I registered for this race after reading this description. I knew I wouldn’t PR because I’m not in PR running condition at the moment, but was looking forward to at least an easy and scenic course, and it was only 90 minutes drive from where I live, so not a terrible drive.

It wasn’t fast. It’s a slow course. The only people who will PR on this course are those whose first race is this race. There is no way people are getting a PR here. Here is some context: Of my 30 half marathons this year, 10 of them have been sub-two hour times. My best time this year was 1:50. My worst time this year was on a trail and I finished at 2:40. Across 30 races I have averaged 2:08, and that includes a handful of slow trail races. My time for the Secret City race was 2:09. Not a PR course. Nineteen minutes slower than my PR from earlier this year. It’s got a couple of lengthy hills, one of which is about three-quarters of a mile.

It’s not scenic. Like… except for the first two miles and the last half mile. The course itself was promising for the first couple of miles, but then turned onto a separated four lane highway, and it continued on busy roads until maybe the last half mile to mile. While the police presence was pretty good in most places, the orange cones keeping the speeding cars from hitting the runners were spaced at probably a quarter mile apart in some places. At one point on the four lane highway I crossed an exit ramp and there was no cone and no police to slow or stop traffic. The runners just had to turn around and make sure no speeding cars were going to run us down while taking the exit ramp.

I would absolutely not recommend running this race. If the entire course could be like the first few miles and the last half mile it would be great. But as is it is both unsafe and not a fast course. It is not an enjoyable course. Unless you are local and just absolutely must get a race out of the way, then look elsewhere.

The race organization itself, at the start/finish, was fine. Easy packet pickup, port-a-potties, water and snacks at the finish line, pint glasses with the swag (if you pay extra), and all the standard things. It was the course that was the problem, the rest of the race production was up to snuff.

I love the races this race company puts on. They are local, or at least have a lot of local races. But the races are also low production and very small. This was a race weekend and all meals from Friday evening through Sunday morning were included in the race fee.

The course was pretty but the leaves on the ground made it hard to see the roots and rocks and I tripped and fell hard three times. Not the fault of the race organizers, just be aware of the hazards of this fall trail race.

I’m local to Chattanooga so it’s only a 20 minute drive for me to the race. If I lived more than an hour away I probably wouldn’t drive to this race. But it’s def a great race for locals who want a relaxed race. Oh, and the single aid station – which you pass with each loop – is probably the best aid station you’ve ever seen at a race.

This is a good race. Well organized, lots of fans, great course, and plenty of aid stations. The one thing that could be better, but which is outside the control of the race directors, is parking.

I live in Chattanooga, but even if I didn’t live here this race would be one of my favorite half marathons. It’s just such a pretty place to run. Bridges, rivers, through downtown, and a start and finish in Coolidge Park. Nothing about this race to no like, and lots to like.

And what a view! The picture I uploaded is the view from the start line.

This course was quite pretty, and you go through rural fields with farmers out working, through parks with monuments along the way, past lakes, along rural roads, and it while not completely flat it is not a hard course.

I ran this race six hours after running another race in Taipei and I was really just beat and didn’t want to run. Despite my slower time, I soon forgot my tired legs because the scenery was so nice. The weather was decent as well, although by the end of the race I think it was approaching 90 degrees.

I’ve run maybe 50 half marathons and a few dozen other races. This is maybe the most beautiful courses I’ve ever run. To be fair, I’ve only run a few other races outside of the US and so it is possible that the change of scenery influenced my feelings about this course. Pretty, yes, but it wasn’t easy. The first two miles were up hill. Then there were hills throughout, and it is an out and back course.

There are aid stations all along the way and this was a fun race because it is small and outside of the big city. I would absolutely recommend this race.

If I were local, I’d run this race again. It’s a great race. Not outstanding, largely because the course itself doesn’t have the kind of scenery that a 5-star race would require, but it’s still a pretty course in places, and the start/finish line is a great staging area. There was food and beer at the end with plenty of other snacks.

The town of Newburyport is cute and it would have been great if the course had run through a few more of the streets here, although I realize making a course come out to 13.1 means you have some limits on where you can run. Not a bucket list race, but if you are in the region, it’s worth driving an hour or two to run this one.

The great thing about the Mainly Marathon series is not the courses, but the people. I met one guy who was doing 150 ultras or marathon races in 2022. He’s done nearly 700 in total. Met another guy who had run 2,000 marathons. These people are nuts and super fun to chat with each day, even if briefly. And even those you don’t really chat with, you see them and they are inspirational to watch. It’s not the young elite runners, it’s the 60yo+ runners who aren’t fast but just plod along, or the mom’s pushing their kids along in the stroller day after day, or the random person whose pace just about matches yours and you keep an eye on them as they fall behind or pull ahead of you each day. These are fun races because of the people.

And of course the aid station. Singular. You hit it with each lap and it is full of more food and drink than you could possibly want.

These are usually at state parks and have pretty courses. I’m not a huge fan of the lap course half marathon, but I’ll certainly be doing more of the MM races… because of the people you meet, and the great aid station, and the race organizers are super friendly and always smile. Highly recommend, but only if you want to have fun. If you are looking for prizes or are highly competitive, this ain’t your race.

The best thing about this race and the race series are the people. You see the same people on multiple days, the race organizers are super friendly, and the courses are not hard. And, of course, it’s great for people who want to run multiple states in consecutive days. There is nothing negative about these races at all. It’s all good. The aid station is well-stocked, the port-a-potties are there for you on every loop, and you get a state medal for each race in the series you complete. The ONLY thing I can think of that would improve this race is to offer some plant-based food options. I am plant-based and so that rules out the tater tots with eggs in a cup, and the pork BBQ sliders on the aid station table. But that’s a small complaint.

This specific course is flat. There may be a noticeable three to five foot elevation drop / rise on the out / back course around the half way point. Those looking for beautiful courses with lakes and covered bridges or Kentucky blue grass, or the Rehobeth ocean front won’t be satisfied here. You have to come into this series knowing you’ll be doing loops. And I’m not an enthusiastic loop runner, but I loved this course.

If you are an aspiring 50 races in 50 states person, then this is a great series. And they have 5k, 10k, half, full, and ultra. They’ve got it all.

First of all, the course: This race bills itself as a good PR race as “one of the fastest half marathon races in the south” and runs “downhill to downtown.” It says it is “sure to bring PRs.” It even provides a course elevation profile. Don’t be fooled. I went into this race expecting to run six miles “gently downhill,” as described on the website, followed by seven miles of perfectly flat course. What I actually ran was six or seven early miles that were a mix of steep but short uphills, mixed with steep downhills. This is NOT a fast race. Nor is it a slow race. You’ll likely finish in the top half of your race times, or maybe top third, but you will not PR unless it’s your only race or if all of your other courses were uphill. This was my 39h half marathon and all of my flat courses in the last 12 months have been faster than this one. And I’ve done a true gently downhill course that was much faster. My race time at a pancake-flat beach course in Delaware two weeks ago was five minutes faster than this downhill course at Jump Off rock. So if you are looking for a PR, this ain’t your race. My splits for my first two miles in the beach race in Delaware were 8:06 and 8:10. For Jump Off Rock they were 9:51 and 9:26. And those were supposedly downhill miles at Jump Off Rock. That’s a huge difference. I’m sure the elevation profile provided online is correct, but you just can’t see all the hills in a 13 mile course on a 13 inch screen. I’d give them a D+ for race course description.

With that said, I’d do this race again. It was a pretty course. I stopped to take a few pictures of the views and I rarely do that. It winds down the mountain with a lot of sharp hairpin turns, and there are places where the downhill is steep enough you are spending more energy to keep from falling down the mountain than on going fast. The second half of the course is a mix of up and down and around a lake. The second half was actually easier than the first half.

Other than Greenville, SC’s half marathon finishing in downtown Falls Park, this is maybe the best course finish that I’ve seen. This was great, and it finishes right in downtown Hendersonville, with lots of little shops around, and lots of seating for family to wait, or runners to sit and enjoy the town. They get an A- for the finish, overall. Why? The post-race food was minimal. Cereal bars and apples was all that I saw. There was a beer ticket on the bib but I didn’t see the beer tent anywhere. I’m guessing you had to actually drive over to the brewery and claim your pint at the tap room? But still, basically no complaints on this, just change how you communicate this a bit.

Parking and shuttle were simple, and I LOVED the rolling start. More races should do this and I’m not sure why more aren’t already doing it. It makes so much sense. No more fighting through the crowd at the start line to work through slow runners or get passed by faster runners. Kudos to the organizers for this. A+ on this, for sure.

The one thing that this race needs to improve on is communication and packet logistics. More and more races are moving to a no-race-day-packet-pickup, and I’m now at the point where I will not do a race that adopts this. I’m not going to stay in a hotel the night before and take extra time off of work to pick up a packet, and I don’t want to pay $10 or $30 more to have it mailed. Set up a table and let people pick up their packets on race morning. It’s not hard, just do it. Races are already expensive enough. So I got to the start line without a bib and was assigned one at the start line. I was actually prepare to just run the race without an official time since I drove 4.5 hours to come to the race.

The thing is that I didn’t even remember that the bib was not available for pickup on race day. I registered a couple of months ago and must have missed this in the registration. I think I got a total of two emails from the race organizers, one confirming registration and one in race week with some race info. I’ve run enough of these to know what to look for, but also enough to probably be more careless in taking time to look through the packet thoroughly. So I did miss this, but race communication could have been more frequent, so I’d give the organizers a C- or D+ on communication. And an F on having no race day packet pickup.

They had port-a-potties on the course, and at the shuttle. They had water and gatorade at all aid stations.

Overall, having run this race once, I’d run it again as long as they had race day packet pickup. If not, I won’t run it again. I am not coming in a day early and don’t want to pay the extra $10 to have it mailed. It’s not the money for me, but for some it is about the money. It’s a position of principal to support those who want to run organized races but cannot afford the ever increasing cost that these things cost. And I’m going to continue to complain about it. But if you don’t mind that, then this is a pretty course, has a good finish, is well-supported, and you’ll enjoy it.

Final thought. If you are a purist, looking for a course that is exactly 13.1 miles, then do some research before registering for this. I’m not a purist and I don’t care if it’s a bit short or long, so I don’t know if it’s a certified course, but my Garmin Fenix registered 12.75 miles.

I’ve raced in maybe 40+ half marathons and this is by far the best race I’ve done. I did this because it fit my calendar and I needed to knock Delaware out on my state list.

Parking is easy and there is plenty of it. Port-a-potties are plentiful both at the start line and on the course. I didn’t stay locally but it looked like there were hotels within easy walking distance of the start line.
The swag is sweet. The standard metal and shirt, of course, but also a pint glass and a cool hat. Great stuff, all around.

The course itself was great. There are a few minor hills, if they can be called that. After all, you are on the beach. You start and finish on the boardwalk right next to the sand / beach. It’s a beautiful course, with marsh or beach views for most of it. You do run through a few neighborhoods in the early miles, but these are nicer old homes and it’s quite a nice run.

The post-race party was far better than I’ve seen anywhere except for a race in Huntsville, AL (Bridge Street Town Center Half). You have four (four!) tickets for beer after the race. Lol, I suppose they could put ten tickets on there and be safe because most runners are not too interested in drinking like a fish after a race. But there is also a pizza / salad / pasta buffet after the race. Right next to the finish line. The race start/finish is right in the middle of Rehobeth Beach shopping and food / touristy area, so you can walk around and shop or eat ice cream, or whatever, all right where you started and finished, and where you parked. I cannot imagine a better race, honestly. This is the race I never knew I needed to do.

If you like destination races, this is one to travel to. I flew in from Tennessee and I’m glad I did. It’s a race that should be appearing on online bucket lists, but which I’d not heard of until I just randomly found that it fit my free weekend schedule.

I have only two things about this race that I’d change. Shoes and price. Maybe half of the race is on packed gravel. And the paved part was on a road that could have used re-paving. This is not a complaint, but I would have worn different shoes. The website accurately describes the surface, but perhaps it could emphasize that runners should consider wearing trail shoes. I would have, and I will next time.

The second thing I’d change would be the price. It’s the most expensive race I’ve ever done. And an extra $30 for race day pickup? That may be common north of the South, but here in the South I’ve never had to pay for for same day pickup. And $30?! I understand that to run an event like this one it needs to be an expensive race, but it did seem to be a bit too much. And maybe mail the packets for a bit cheaper than $30? I drove in from north of DC, 2.5 hours away, on race morning so I couldn’t have picked up the packet any other day than race day.

Would I do this race again? Yes, but I would arrive the night before and stay at a hotel. I would wear different shoes, and I’d not forget my sunglasses and handheld collapsible water bottle. 🙂

This is a great course with a 1.2 mile cave finish. It probably won’t be a PR due to a few hills in the second half of the course, one of which is short but steep. This short, steep hill is at about mile 11.5, just before you head into the cavern. But boy, after running in the bright sunshine for 12 miles going into that cave is dark. And it is wet. And it’s hilly. And curvy. And there is two-way runner traffic, and it’s not super wide. But it’s all good, although the cavern part of the run is likely to be your slowest mile by a couple of minutes. Or it was for me anyway.

So there is a lot to like about this race. The aid stations are well-stocked and spaced. The course is rural, pretty, and not too hilly. The one thing they could have more of is port-a-potties at the registration area. There was a long line waiting for the six or seven jons at about five minutes before the start time. That’s really about the only thing I can suggest to make this better.

The post-race was good, maybe the coolest post-race location I’ve seen for a race – right outside the entrance to the cavern. It would have been nice to have a vegetarian option for the health-aware runner, instead of the pulled pork sandwich. And a few more food trucks offering food for sale would have been welcome. I would have bought a veggie meal if one had been on offer.

Lastly, there wasn’t much in the way of post-race gatorade or other snacks or beverages. Chocolate milk would have been great, or some orange slices or granola bars, bananas, etc.

I’d give this race four shoes out of five. I’ll be back next year, with or without chocolate milk and veggie food options.

This course is great. The first four miles are rolling. The next six are on a slight decline. And the remaining three are a mix of down and flat. If you don’t get a PR here then your PR is already on some other downhill race. This isn’t the sort of downhill that leaves you with sore quads for a week or two after either. It’s a very gentle, almost imperceptible, downhill. Quite a nice run, actually.

My only complaint is that this year the packet pick up and port-a-potties were about a quarter mile from the start line and there were no clear markings or signs. I understand that there would be complications with moving the packet pick up to the start line, but why not move the start line to the packet pickup, and then just have runners cross the road (after the race begins) a quarter mile sooner?

But this is a great race and that’s my only gripe. And even then, if they had sent a few emails out about this, or had signs posting where things were, it would have been okay. It probably did not help that I arrived to the start line, sans packet, only about 15 minutes before the race started. Traffic was clogged with all the runners and there were a lot of us who arrived in the nick of time because of the bad traffic. And there was even a shuttle bus that arrived at the same time as we did; presumably some of them needed packet pick up as well? Bottom line, that bit needs work. But the rest is great. I’d absolutely recommend a weekend in Greenville if you come out for this race. You’ll love it and you’ll be back.

Where is the beef… er, where is the chili? I’m not a huge fan of loop races but this group of organizers, Awesome Sauce, does them right. Lots of food, a real friendly group of runners, and they are small runs, so you don’t have to fight crowds. No need to bring your own water bottle or gel if you don’t like to carry that stuff. I brought mine anyway and ended up not using most of what I brought. They do give a medal at the end but the other swag was a choice between a pint glass, an awesome coffee mug, a knit beanie hat, and a couple of other things. I wanted them all! This is a great change from the 40 or 50 t-shirts I have in my drawer that mostly don’t get worn.

The downside is that this race series description seems to have a lot of the same cookie cutter stuff… but the race I didn’t have what the website described. From their website: “…and at the finish line you’ll find an all-you-can-eat buffet, with chili and soup and coffee and hot chocolate with unlimited marshmallows! Lucky for you, your medal is a giant coffee mug that can hold all of these things! Vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free runners, no worries, we’ll have options for you!” So you can understand that when I went to bed the night before, knowing that it was going to be 22 degrees at race time I was seriously – no joking around – comforted by the thought of a bowl of vegetarian chili at the end of the race, and a cup of hot chocolate somewhere in the middle of the race. But none of that was anywhere to be seen. It was a good race even without that stuff, so I’d suggest the race directors either pony up and offer the hot foods and drinks or change the website. It’s not a dealbreaker, it’s still a fun race without all that hot food (and there is plenty of snacky stuff), but I was disappointed. I look for races with decent post-race food or meals. Aside from running for the views and to stay healthy, food is what moves me!

This is my second Awesome Sauce race and the first was like the second. And I’d do another of their races. I like the race production and although I don’t like loops the big aid station wouldn’t have been possible without the loop. But this loop was nice and it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. You get a river view for the entire run, it’s on the Chattanooga Riverwalk. If you are local and looking for a January race, this is worth it. Parking was easy, swag was nice, course was pretty, and flat, race production and food was solid. No real downsides (other than the loop) and a lot of upsides.