My Profile

@kmerskine

Chattanooga, TN Raving since 2021 50 States hopeful/finisher, Half Fanatics From Fourth Island Active 2 days, 2 hours ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):
  • Rave race:

    Greenville Half and the Chattanooga Half

  • Race that's calling my name:

    Polar Circle Half Marathon & Key West Half Marathon

  • I run because:

    Running races helps keep me healthy and is an excuse to take the wife away for a weekend.

My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Personal Bests (18)

Race Distance Location Date Result
Beast Chandlersville, OH May 7, 2016 4:38:20
Sprint Canandaigua, NY Sep 18, 2005 1:29:11
60 Miler Chattanooga, TN Oct 20, 2023 10:48:00
50K Bryceville, FL Feb 24, 2024 6:56:28
Marathon Franklin, TN Nov 4, 2023 3:15:30
30K Mullan, MT Jun 17, 2023 3:18:03
18 Miler Pelham, AL Jul 22, 2023 4:32:37
25K San Angelo, TX Mar 4, 2023 2:52:42
Half Marathon Greenville, SC Feb 26, 2022 1:50:57
10.2 Miler Chattanooga, TN Mar 26, 2016 2:23:06
10 Miler Trabuco Canyon, CA Mar 19, 2016 1:53:37
15K Fort Oglethorpe, GA 2015 1:22:28
8 Miler Fort Oglethorpe, GA Apr 16, 2016 1:19:37
12K Mount Berry, GA Feb 27, 2016 1:15:22
6.5 Miler McDonald, TN Feb 10, 2018 1:13:09
10K Chattanooga, TN Dec 5, 2015 55:10
8K Chattanooga, TN Nov 26, 2020 46:06
5K Chattanooga, TN Oct 30, 2016 37:20

Future Races (3)

Race Distance Location Date Paid
Half Marathon Huntsville, AL Apr 7, 2024
Half Marathon Paro, Bhutan May 26, 2024
Half Marathon Fort Payne, AL Oct 12, 2024

Past Races (140)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
30K Chickamauga, GA Mar 23, 2024 4:20:09
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Mar 3, 2024 2:02:49
50K Bryceville, FL Feb 24, 2024 6:56:28
Half Marathon Townsend, TN Dec 10, 2023 2:08:27
Half Marathon Helen, GA Dec 9, 2023 2:50:52
Half Marathon Knoxville, TN Dec 3, 2023 3:04:38
Half Marathon Rising Fawn, GA Dec 2, 2023 2:50:58
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Nov 25, 2023 2:03:20
Half Marathon Atlanta, GA Nov 23, 2023 2:09:31
Half Marathon Gadsden, AL Nov 18, 2023 2:03:26
Half Marathon Fort Oglethorpe, GA Nov 11, 2023 1:58:53
Marathon Franklin, TN Nov 4, 2023 3:15:30
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Oct 28, 2023 2:18:18
60 Miler Chattanooga, TN Oct 20, 2023 10:48:00
Half Marathon Travelers Rest, SC Oct 15, 2023
Half Marathon Greenville, SC Oct 14, 2023
30K Blue Ridge, GA Oct 7, 2023 4:41:07
Half Marathon Asheville, NC Sep 30, 2023 2:04:04
Half Marathon Johnson City, TN Sep 24, 2023 2:07:48
30K Morgantown, NC Sep 23, 2023 4:43:42
Half Marathon Huntsville, AL Sep 10, 2023
Half Marathon Asheville, NC Aug 26, 2023 2:14:10
Half Marathon Spencer, TN Aug 20, 2023 2:05:01
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Aug 5, 2023 2:59:32
Half Marathon Morristown, TN Jul 29, 2023 3:26:46
18 Miler Pelham, AL Jul 22, 2023 4:32:37
30K Sturgis, SD Jun 24, 2023 4:23:37
30K St. Regis, MT Jun 17, 2023 3:18:03
Half Marathon Laketown, UT Jun 10, 2023
Half Marathon Cokeville, WY Jun 9, 2023
Half Marathon St Charles, ID Jun 8, 2023
Half Marathon Newport, OR Jun 3, 2023 2:07:56
Half Marathon Nantou, Taiwan May 28, 2023 2:21:45
Half Marathon Taoyuan City, Taiwan May 7, 2023 2:34:03
Half Marathon Chatsworth, GA Apr 23, 2023
Half Marathon Pikeville, TN Apr 22, 2023
Half Marathon Hollandale, MS Apr 19, 2023 2:27:05
Half Marathon Lake Village, AR Apr 18, 2023 2:58:57
Half Marathon Winnsboro, LA Apr 17, 2023 2:32:01
Half Marathon Madison, AL Apr 16, 2023 2:04:55
Half Marathon Atlantic City, NJ Apr 2, 2023 3:34:46
Half Marathon Rainsville, AL Mar 10, 2023 2:06:31
Half Marathon Rainsville, AL Mar 10, 2023 2:27:53
Half Marathon Rainsville, AL Mar 10, 2023 2:27:53
Half Marathon San Antonio, TX Mar 5, 2023 2:03:49
25K San Angelo, TX Mar 4, 2023 2:52:42
Half Marathon Greenville, SC Feb 25, 2023 1:55:36
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Feb 12, 2023 1:56:56
Half Marathon Guntersville, AL Feb 11, 2023 2:42:30
Half Marathon Spencer, TN Feb 4, 2023 2:43:05
Half Marathon Asheville, NC Jan 21, 2023 2:02:22
Half Marathon Daufuskie Island, SC Jan 14, 2023 2:00:02
Half Marathon Mobile, AL Jan 8, 2023 1:59:27
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Jan 1, 2023 2:04:32
Half Marathon Huntsville, AL Dec 11, 2022 1:59:09
Half Marathon Helen, GA Dec 10, 2022 2:36:57
Half Marathon Nashville, TN Dec 4, 2022 2:09:41
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Nov 26, 2022 1:57:44
Half Marathon Oak Ridge, TN Nov 19, 2022 2:09:07
Half Marathon Fort Oglethorpe, GA Nov 12, 2022 1:58:40
Half Marathon Harrison, TN Nov 6, 2022 2:43:41
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Oct 29, 2022 1:59:41
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Oct 16, 2022 1:59:43
Half Marathon Taoyuan, Taiwan Oct 2, 2022 2:17:56
Half Marathon Tainan, Taiwan Sep 25, 2022 2:40:26
Half Marathon Taipei, Taiwan Sep 24, 2022 2:14:21
Half Marathon Keelung, Taiwan Sep 17, 2022 2:27:43
Half Marathon Dundee, United Kingdom Jul 17, 2022 2:06:28
Half Marathon Newburyport, MA Jun 12, 2022 2:03:42
Half Marathon Portland, ME Jun 11, 2022 2:02:36
Half Marathon Claremont, NH Jun 10, 2022 2:13:59
Half Marathon Lincoln, RI Jun 7, 2022 2:24:33
Half Marathon Simsbury, CT Jun 6, 2022 1:56:30
Half Marathon South Pomfret, VT Jun 5, 2022 1:54:14
Half Marathon Laurel Park, NC May 14, 2022 2:00:40
Half Marathon White Sulphur Springs, WV May 7, 2022 2:05:12
Half Marathon Rehoboth Beach, DE Apr 24, 2022 1:55:50
Half Marathon Huntsville, AL Apr 10, 2022 1:57:34
Half Marathon Woodville, AL Mar 20, 2022 2:02:17
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Mar 6, 2022 2:11:00
Half Marathon Greenville, SC Feb 26, 2022 1:50:57
Half Marathon Milwaukee, WI Feb 12, 2022 1:57:38
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Jan 8, 2022 2:00:14
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Jan 1, 2022 2:06:56
Half Marathon Rogersville, AL Dec 4, 2021 2:30:58
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Nov 27, 2021 2:07:32
Half Marathon Cleveland, TN Oct 23, 2021 2:09:07
Half Marathon Chicago, IL Sep 26, 2021 1:58:34
Half Marathon Spencer, TN Aug 22, 2021 2:22:53
Half Marathon Potomac, MD Jun 6, 2021 2:28:15
Half Marathon Covington, VA Jun 5, 2021 2:16:58
Half Marathon Indianapolis, IN May 8, 2021 2:03:32
Half Marathon Gettysburg, PA Apr 25, 2021 2:15:58
Half Marathon Greenville, SC Feb 27, 2021 1:56:26
10K Dawsonville, GA Jan 23, 2021 56:23
10K Helen, GA Dec 12, 2020 1:01:44
8K East Ridge, TN Nov 26, 2020 46:06
Half Marathon Chatsworth, GA Sep 13, 2020 2:07:46
Half Marathon Mount Berry, GA Mar 7, 2020 2:17:51
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Mar 7, 2020 2:16:20
Half Marathon Helen, GA Dec 14, 2019 2:23:50
Half Marathon Huntsville, AL Apr 7, 2019 2:26:57
Half Marathon Lexington, KY Mar 30, 2019 2:24:27
Half Marathon Helen, GA Dec 15, 2018 2:32:09
Half Marathon Thompson\'s Station, TN Nov 10, 2018 2:13:28
Half Marathon Townsend, TN Sep 7, 2018 2:12:25
Half Marathon Calhoun, GA May 26, 2018 2:11:08
Half Marathon Huntsville, AL Apr 8, 2018 2:07:29
Half Marathon Pikeville, TN Mar 11, 2018 2:32:43
6.5 Miler McDonald, TN Feb 10, 2018 1:13:09
Half Marathon Helen, GA Dec 16, 2017 2:30:46
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Oct 15, 2017 2:24:23
Other triathlon distance Lewisburg, TN Oct 14, 2017
10K Black Mountain, NC Aug 29, 2017 2:34:32
Half Marathon Huntsville, AL Apr 9, 2017 2:09:17
Half Marathon Elkmont, AL Jan 21, 2017 2:20:48
5K Chattanooga, TN Oct 30, 2016 37:20
Sprint Crandall, GA Oct 2, 2016 2:03:12
Beast Chandlersville, OH May 7, 2016 4:38:20
Sprint Woodlawn, TN Apr 20, 2016 2:10:36
8 Miler Fort Oglethorpe, GA Apr 16, 2016 1:19:37
10.2 Miler Chattanooga, TN Mar 26, 2016 2:23:06
10 Miler Trabuco Canyon, CA Mar 19, 2016 1:53:37
12K Mount Berry, GA Feb 27, 2016 1:15:22
10K Chattanooga, TN Dec 19, 2015 1:09:34
10K Chattanooga, TN Dec 5, 2015 55:10
Half Marathon Chattanooga, TN Aug 1, 2015 2:32:30
Half Marathon Muskegon, MI Jul 6, 2015 2:15:00
6K Collegedale, TN Feb 22, 2015
15K Fort Oglethorpe, GA 2015 1:22:28
10K Chattanooga, TN 2014
Sprint Canandaigua, NY Sep 18, 2005 1:29:11
Sprint Trumansburg, NY Aug 7, 2005 2:00:48
Sprint Kueka Lake, NY Jun 12, 2005 1:43:00
Sprint Cazenovia, NY Aug 15, 2004 1:39:21
Sprint Trumansburg, NY Aug 1, 2004 1:38:28
Sprint Canandaigua, NY 2004 1:32:22
Sprint Geneva, NY 2004 1:30:32
Sprint Crandall, GA 1990
Sprint Crandall, GA 1989

My Raves

This was the first year of this race and it was relatively small. I think about 50 did the 30k and maybe not quite that many did the 50k. It … MORE

This was the first year of this race and it was relatively small. I think about 50 did the 30k and maybe not quite that many did the 50k. It is in a beautiful setting! Parking is easy (on an old paved airstrip), check-in was fast, and everything about the start of the race was great. The little old country store where you check in was about as charming as they come.

The aid stations were placed perfectly, there were enough of them, the volunteers were super helpful, and the menu of food was great. I don’t know if there were toilets on the course; I didn’t look for them and didn’t notice them. I might have seen one, but there could have been more.

The course itself was harder than it appeared. The first mile was flat and along an old dirt road through a field. After that you had like 2 miles of steep uphill. Then down, and some up and down, and then maybe three or so miles along an old dirt road that was mostly up. But there were flat’ish sections that I ended up walking. Not sure why? Maybe because the hills I’d already run had beat me down. I was walking some of these and felt like I really should be running. The 30k is really a runnable race, with a few exceptions. But the fastest time was just over half of my time, so that gives you an idea how quickly the elite runners will tackle this.

The post-race food was good, and they had veggie burgers. Yay! They didn’t have any buns or tomato or lettuce, onions, or the things that make a burger, so I just squirted a bunch of mustard on my plate and dipped the burger in mustard. Not great, but at least it was some protein. They had a huge apple pie, chips, beer, soda, water, and Powerade, all for the post-race meal.

Nicely done! I’d recommend this one. I drove an hour to get there. It might be worth a two hour drive, but not much more than that. Great regional race, but not a bucket list race. Yet. But this was it’s first year, it will grow and get better, I think. Clearly the RD for this race has run these races and knows what it takes to run a good race.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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This is my town, so this is an easy race for me to get to. I know the route, and it's a beautiful course. I wish they would run us … MORE

This is my town, so this is an easy race for me to get to. I know the route, and it’s a beautiful course. I wish they would run us through the UTC campus, instead of along the backside of it. It would be a minor rerouting and wouldn’t change the distance considerably. And it would add to the charm of the course.

Packet pickup is easy, there are toilets on site and plenty of them, and parking is plentiful and easy, and very close to the start / finish line.

Great race. I’ll be back again next year. This is one that is worth a weekend in Chattanooga. Stay at a nice hotel downtown, eat out, walk across the Walnut St. Bridge, see the Medal of Honor Museum and maybe the aquarium.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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So I hand-picked this race specifically because it was flat, not paved, and not technical. I am not sure if you could pick a better race for your first 50k … MORE

So I hand-picked this race specifically because it was flat, not paved, and not technical. I am not sure if you could pick a better race for your first 50k race. There is a lot to like about this race and not much to dislike. I would absolutely recommend this for first-timers or veterans.

There was free camping. I drove from Chattanooga and I got up at 2am to drive down there so I could secure a parking spot. Well, I needn’t have bothered. It rained much of that day, I think, and much of the evening. The camp ground was a big puddle, but there were enough spots to pull in and camp. I have converted a Honda Element into a camper so I was able to stay dry, but the poor bloke next to me must have gotten soaked, and, he forgot his tent poles, to boot. He strung something up though, in the dark, and was gone when I got back to my Element after the race. He and I were the only people in the entire group camping area (where racers were camping).

The camp area was only about a two minute walk from the start/finish line, and from the bathrooms / showers. There were probably… 50 or 60 runners? Maybe half of them doing the 25k and the rest doing the 50k.

I fell in with a few veterans in the first 10 miles or so and those miles flew by pretty quickly. By the time I got to mile 15 my time was still great but my legs were getting tight. I’d stop at the aid station, stretch a bit, refuel, and be on my way. There were two aid stations. One was at the start / finish line, and then another at the intersection of the Y shaped course. The tops of each side of the Y were lollipop shaped, and it was really quite a pretty course. Flat as you’d expect in FL. I think there was a single hill, actually, and that was where an 18-inch drainage pipe had been laid under the road, so the hill was about 26 or 30 inches. In 32 miles I had only about 374 ft of elevation change.

The first half of the race I completed in about 2:30. 15.5 miles. The second half took me almost 4:30. MUCH slower. Guess I’ve got some training to do!

The aid station in the Y intersection, you passed it six times. They had a lot of yummy snacks, plus bacon and maybe a bacon burrito? I am vegetarian… please, for goodness sakes, this is 2023, there are enough vegetarians around that you’d think RDs would at least have something on hand. I’m not that bothered by not having fake bacon, it is more irritating though that RDs don’t care to provide a yummy, hot, alternative. Otherwise, the aid station was really well stocked and the volunteers were awesome, as they usually are. I’m always so grateful for these folks, and the vols at this race were so helpful.

At the finish they had pulled pork sandwiches. Although if you are a veg like me, you can eat potato salad. And if you are totally plant-based, you can eat a granola bar. 🙂

I loved this race. If I didn’t live nearly 7 hours away I’d do it again. Highly recommend! I also highly recommend the RD to offer some vegetarian alternative for the post-race meal. 🙂

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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First, I won entry to this race in a contest here on Race Raves, so thanks to the entire RR team for that! I've been underwhelmed by the Santa Hustle … MORE

First, I won entry to this race in a contest here on Race Raves, so thanks to the entire RR team for that!

I’ve been underwhelmed by the Santa Hustle races I’ve done. I’ve done two, both in TN, and both have had a lot of hype, and a lot less of a great course. This race was almost completely along a divided four-lane highway. I think it was divided anyway… maybe it wasn’t. In any case, the course took runners a few miles down one side of the highway, you turn around, and then cross under the highway to the other side, and then run back up the other side of the highway, turn around and come back. It is as if someone there wanted to have a race, course quality be damned. If I was local I *may* do this one again if I wanted to run that weekend and couldn’t find another run, but it wouldn’t be my first choice, and I’ll not drive two hours to that race again.

The organization was good, the volunteers were great, as is usual with volunteers, and the Christmas spirit was also nice. Parking was easy’ish, and there are hotels within about a 5 or 10 minute walk if you don’t want to park or drive.

Without a doubt, the best thing about doing this race is arriving the day before and driving out to Cades Cove, and having a drive through the park.

This was a benchmark race for me though. It was my 52nd half marathon in 52 weeks, in my 52nd year. So I was happy to have completed it.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
2
SWAG
3

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I've done this race maybe six times. It's a great race, a beautiful course, and in a nice park. Parking is easy, and this running community is pretty friendly. It's … MORE

I’ve done this race maybe six times. It’s a great race, a beautiful course, and in a nice park. Parking is easy, and this running community is pretty friendly. It’s always short of an actual 13.1 miles so if you are a purist, this ain’t your race. If you are looking to come out, run some hills, see a pretty place, and enjoy yourself, this is a good race to do that.

Helen, GA can be a little obnoxious this time of year. If you don’t like lots of tourists then stay at the lodge. If you like tourists and Christmas lights, then stay in downtown Helen. It’s about a 10’ish minute drive to the start/finish.

Worth a few hours drive for this race, and stay for the weekend.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
5
SWAG
4

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The start/finish area is nice here. Indoor bathrooms, although not enough of them, and the trail was promising at the start. This wasn't a particularly easy course though. If I … MORE

The start/finish area is nice here. Indoor bathrooms, although not enough of them, and the trail was promising at the start. This wasn’t a particularly easy course though. If I was local, I would do this one again, but I drove 90 and probably won’t go back to repeat this one.

The post-race snacks were nice, parking was easy, and it was well-organized. But the directions to the race were not good. I ended up at a nature center. The nature center people gave me directions back to where the race was and it was clear that I wasn’t the first person they’d had to re-direct.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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The scenery was nice in the few moments the clouds cleared. But it mostly rained during this run. I'd do it again, I think, but I'd probably want to do … MORE

The scenery was nice in the few moments the clouds cleared. But it mostly rained during this run. I’d do it again, I think, but I’d probably want to do some stair climbing. I think I counted the stairs and there were over 500 actual stair steps, in one go. And that’s not counting other small stairs or hills. Not an easy course. But it is a pretty course and I did enjoy this run.

I drove in for this race so I don’t know how accommodations were locally. I think they had bunks for runners for the weekend, but no idea how that went. They did have bathrooms near the start line, and the post-race food was great. Lots to drink, lots to eat.

I would do this race again. It’s worth a few hours drive to get to it, but maybe not more than that unless you must have a race that weekend.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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This race is in my town. If it wasn't, I'd probably drive an hour or so to get to it, but not further. But it is indeed a great local … MORE

This race is in my town. If it wasn’t, I’d probably drive an hour or so to get to it, but not further. But it is indeed a great local race. Several hundred runners, a pretty course, through a pretty town. Some of it is downtown, some is along the river. And at the end you get donuts, all you can eat.

Hotels near the start/finish line are not within a five minute walking distance, and most are across a bridge, so you’d need to get an Uber, or drive. But the organization of this race is always great, and it’s a fun local run.

Absolutely recommend if you are local’ish.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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I think maybe 12,000 to 15,000 people ran this race. Heck, maybe more. It was hard to tell, there were just so many. By far the biggest race I've run. … MORE

I think maybe 12,000 to 15,000 people ran this race. Heck, maybe more. It was hard to tell, there were just so many. By far the biggest race I’ve run. I arrived pretty early so I didn’t have to fight for a parking spot and ended up getting a spot in a huge nearby lot, and walked only about 2 minutes to the start line. But packet pickup was about a ten minute walk. No complaints though, it was a lively morning, which was nice.

Plenty of bathrooms, plenty of aid stations, and everything was really well organized. I may not run this one again, but only because I don’t like Atlanta traffic and it was about a 90 minute drive from home for me. But I’m glad I ran it once. It was a fun experience.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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I didn't know what to expect with this race but Gadsden is a cute little town and the race is small enough that you don't need to worry about parking, … MORE

I didn’t know what to expect with this race but Gadsden is a cute little town and the race is small enough that you don’t need to worry about parking, which is plentiful anyway, just across the street from the brewery, where you start, and the brewery is two blocks from the downtown center. The course is nice, featuring some of Gadsden’s highlights. I enjoyed this course and will probably do it again next year.

There are port-a-johns at the start and at most aid stations, and there were probably five (?) aid stations. These stations had sports drink and water. The course is described as “moderately challenging” on the website but I would probably describe it as pleasant and rolling. This race has the potential to get significantly larger if word spreads regionally how nice this race is. But I think there were maybe only 150’ish runners for the 10k and HM, which started together.

There was a nice lunch at the end but as is typical, nothing substantial for vegetarians. I made do with the protein bars and potato chips.

Overall, nicely done, Gadsden! Great event.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This isn't a bucket list race to travel across the country for, but it's easily a tier 2 bucket list race to travel across the region for. It's a great … MORE

This isn’t a bucket list race to travel across the country for, but it’s easily a tier 2 bucket list race to travel across the region for. It’s a great course, it’s gentle rolling hills and quiet national park roads are a nice change from the higher traffic roads of most road race. This is not the Grand Canyon or Zion, but it’s a super pleasant run through the battlefield of the second largest battle in the Civil War.

The aid stations are about every 2 to 3 miles. They have snacks, water, Powerade, and Port-a-Johns. The food after is good. Parking is easy and close to the start line. This is a super nice race and I’ll be doing it again next year.

And while you are in the area you should visit Chattanooga, only about 30 minutes away. And, the race is on Veterans Day weekend, and what better way to spend a few hours thinking about American veterans than to run through this sacred ground?

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This race should have been faster for me. It is very technical in places though and I tend to run a lot slower than the average person on more technical … MORE

This race should have been faster for me. It is very technical in places though and I tend to run a lot slower than the average person on more technical stuff. I’m not turtle slow, but I’m more turtle than hare. This is a small race in a really pretty area along the Trace, with small towns nearby. There are none of the really tourist-worthy tunnel-like parts of the Old Trace along the course. I was disappointed to not have seen that.

I believe there were indoor toilets at the start line. Parking was easy. Packet pick up was easy.

The one thing they do need to improve on is the website instructions. It was hard to figure out if they had a half marathon or just a 13.1 ruck. So I thought I had registered for the HM but as the race neared and I started to work out the race day details, it seemed that there was no HM, that the only 13.1 distance required a 20lb pack, or something like that. So I took that to ruck in and only discovered on the shuttle up to the start that I didn’t need to take it, that I could run the HM. There were 15 or 20 other HM runners and they didn’t appear confused, so maybe I just missed the clear instructions somewhere.

I’m glad I ran this race but wouldn’t run it again. It was just more technical than I like for a trail run, in places, and not as enjoyable of a run as I like to have on a trail run. But I’m glad I spent a few hours on the Trace. Lots of history on that old road.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This race is not for people who are uber competitive. It's just a fun race for local / regional people who want to get out and run along the river. … MORE

This race is not for people who are uber competitive. It’s just a fun race for local / regional people who want to get out and run along the river. It is well organized although the directions on the website are not super clear. I seem to always go to the wrong location but always eventually find the race. I usually leave a few minutes earlier than I think I need for this reason.

The aid station is epic. If you’ve run a 50k before then this is the kind of aid station you may have seen on those longer races. If you’ve run with Mainly Marathons, this is the same kind of aid station as they have, and the course idea is the same. It’s a figure 8 loop and so you pass the aid station twice in your loop… or once about every 3’ish miles.

People dress up, parents push strollers, there are slow runners and fast runners. Enjoy the cool air and the view of the river. As long as Awesome Sauce keeps producing races I’ll keep running them. They are, after all, local. I probably would not drive more than an hour or two to run these races because there are other local races in most parts of the country with similarly produced races.

The race is small. Maybe 100 people between all race distances (5k, 10k, half, full, and 50k). I was running the half and don’t think there were more than just a few people left running the longer distances when I finished.

There are heated restrooms in multiple locations along the course. No portable toilets, which is nice.

The race is not chip-timed and I am not even sure if they recorded my time. If they did it wasn’t super accurate because I stood in line behind someone to let them know that I’d actually finished. The woman recording finishes was seated at a table under a pavilion near the finish line. So if you are looking for something more official, this ain’t it. But if you are looking to go out and maybe just have a good run with other runners, this might be your kind of race.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This was my first stage race but not my first set of multi-day long runs. Before this race the longest it has taken me to run 20 miles was 4:43. … MORE

This was my first stage race but not my first set of multi-day long runs. Before this race the longest it has taken me to run 20 miles was 4:43. Days 1 and 2 of this stage race were only about 17 and 18 miles, respectively. Day 1 took me 5:18 and day 2 took me 5:30. On day 2 I was 30 minutes past the cutoff time.

Here are some “never before”s for me. Never before have I finished last. Never before have a finished past the cutoff. Never before have I taken 5+ hours to run 17+ miles. Never before have I gotten lost on a course. Never before have a gotten stung by a bee while running. On Day 2 I was stung by yellow jackets multiple times on three different places on the course. Never before have I DNF’d a race. I went out to run on Day 3 but turned around inside the first half mile because I was still sick from the bee stings of the day before. The toxins really kicked in hard in the afternoon of Day 2, and I was sick all evening, slept 0 minutes that night, and tried to run in the morning. It wasn’t going to happen so I turned around and headed back to the car. Too bad though because Day 3 promised to be the easiest and most runnable of the three courses. The time I have listed of 10:48, is because there is no DNF option for a race on Race Raves. I have just put my total time for the first two days.

Yellow jacket stings aside, I would not do this race again. Why? The description of this race undersells, imo, the difficulty of the course. It is basically unrunnable for the average runner like me. I’m nearly always a middle of the pack finisher but on Day 2 I was on a first name basis with the course sweeper (who got lost with me at one point). I very much appreciate what this race company is doing by developing new trails for recreational use, and I have run other of their races, but this course seemed to be chosen for no other reason than that is was insanely difficult and technical and steep.

The people who ran this race were young’ish and older. But they were super fit and smokin’ fast. I was not last on Day 1 but the guy behind me, who finished last, had hurt his leg and I only passed him on the last mile. I was last on Day 2 by about 20 minutes so I took comfort in knowing at least one other person didn’t make the cutoff. I wasn’t the only one, lol.

There were no port-a-potties at the start or aid stations of Day 2. Day 1 there was a bathroom. Day 3 had plenty of port-a-potties at the start. There were maybe two aid stations on Day 1, three on Day 2, and I’m not sure about Day 3… maybe three? But they were not well-stocked.

If I were going to suggest improvements to the RD of this race they would be these below. And for those running this race take note.

First, describe the course more accurately on the race webpage. Use adjectives that most races don’t use. Repeat them multiple times. Words like, “brutal,” “not runnable for most people,” “savage,” “primarily for elite runners,” etc. Imo, if you don’t regularly finish in the top 25% to 35% of races you enter then be prepared for this to be a long race and one you may not particularly enjoy. I generally finish in the 40% to 60% percentile range. I have finished way lower and way higher, but the norm for me is in the middle. I did not enjoy the two days that I ran. The scenery can be pretty at times but it just seemed designed to be a ridiculously hard race for the average runner. Like maybe the really just want elite runners but didn’t get their race description quite in line with the actual course. It’s not so much the net elevation gain, it’s just that it’s so steep in places, and so often just very technical whether up, down, or flat.

Second, mark the course better. I got lost once and was briefly off course one or two other times. And multiple other times I had to stop and look around to find course markers. And that’s even with the extra flags marking the course for the runners. I would have had an even harder time if I was just following the white blazes as a backpacker after the flags for runners had been removed after the race was over.

Third, have more food at the aid stations. Races like this are usually very good about loading up those aid stations. These have a few basics but were not the kind that most 30k to 50k races provide. They weren’t bad aid stations, they just weren’t the typical smorgasbord of food options I typically see on 30k runs. Lol, but maybe those smokin’ fast elite runners ahead of me don’t stop long enough to stock the aid stations?

Barring these things, at least extend the cutoff time and warn the runners on the race page that the aid stations are not the typical 30k buffet of junk foods and fuels.

As is, this race would be a truly great experience for the runner who wants this kind of spartan experience. Or a competitive runner. And I’m glad I did it and would have finished had it not been for the yellow jackets on Day 2. My legs were fine, body was fine, other than the stings. It’s just that it’s so difficult to cover a course that technical in the amount of time allowed before the cutoff. And at the end of the day I really did want to run (not walk), but so much of this course cannot be run that it was less enjoyable than I expected it to be.

With that said, I will certainly run other Wild Trails races and I absolutely support their mission.

DIFFICULTY
5
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3
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5
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3
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My Garmin is often short by a mile or two on 30k runs, but it measured this one as 16.93 miles. I'm guessing it is probably closer to 19+ but … MORE

My Garmin is often short by a mile or two on 30k runs, but it measured this one as 16.93 miles. I’m guessing it is probably closer to 19+ but maybe not 20? Not sure and I don’t mind some distance variation in the races I run because I’m not a competitive runner and am just fine going a bit shorter or longer than the advertised distance, but for purists you may want to confirm before registering for this one.

The start line is promising. It’s a super pretty area. There isn’t much parking and it seems like basically everyone just parks in the grass along the side of the road. There is a cool country store across from the iron bridge where you start and finish. And that’s also where you get your post race meal. I didn’t stay for the post-race meal because you order from a menu and the line was crazy long with other runners ordering and waiting. It was just a small country store the looks like the restaurant was an afterthought. So it’s not like they have a lot of help back there. I’m sure the food was good but maybe they need to get rid of the menu and just make a standard array of foods and put them on tables for the runners after the race. It’s a small store with not a lot of room for a line. That’s really not a negative at all; just a suggestion. The store was super cute and I’d like to go back and drive through there, and eat at the store, during the week when it’s not so crowded.

Would I recommend this race? Maybe. It was hard, steep and more technical than I like, but I’m an average runner who finishes in the middle of the pack. Out of 102 people who started the race I finished 59th. So if you are in that range of finishers in the races you run you may also think this is a steep and technical race. And there was no great payoff during the race. No incredible views, nothing to redeem itself from the technical work. It’s a pretty course at times, just not spectacular.

I’m glad I ran this one but probably wouldn’t run it again. But I can see the attraction of driving to such a pretty place, camping for the weekend, eating at the Iron Bridge store and cafe, and doing the run.

DIFFICULTY
4
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3
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3
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3
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Asheville is my hometown so any time I get a chance to go back to my hometown, visit with family there, and run a race, I will do it. Lots … MORE

Asheville is my hometown so any time I get a chance to go back to my hometown, visit with family there, and run a race, I will do it. Lots of things to like about this race, not least of which is the location – Asheville. The course is nice but not awesome. That’s not a complaint, it just tempers expectations for those who might be looking for a course with spectacular views. This ain’t it, but you will get some river views and run through some nice old neighborhoods. Not “nice old” as in super ritzy places, but nice and historic, but smaller homes. It’s a very pleasant course.

There are heated bathrooms in the park along the run. One, or two, I think.

Parking requires a shuttle. I used the shuttle and it wasn’t a hard thing, and it’s not far from the start line, but the start line is at a brewery with a gravel parking lot that probably holds only 30 cars. Packet pickup the day before was a real hassle for those who cannot get into the brewery to park. In fact, although getting into the gravel lot to park makes pick up easy, it also makes getting out back to the road difficult because the spaces in and out of the parking lot is tight and it was jammed. My advice would be to park on the road and walk the .1 or .2 miles into the brewery from the road.

The finish festival is great. There was pizza, beer, seating, and it was just a nice area to finish. I will do this race again. It’s a great time of year for a race in Asheville and the weather was great.

Insider tip: The Hole Donut is just a mile or two from the start / finish line. These are THE best donuts you will ever put into your mouth. There are other good donut shops in AVL but this one is, hands down, the best donut in AVL, and in my SO VERY extensive donut research experience, the best anywhere. 🙂 It’s a nice post-race treat.

DIFFICULTY
3
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4
SCENERY
3
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3

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This race was surprisingly nice! Although I've lived in WNC and Eastern TN for most of my life I don't recall spending any time in Johnson City, TN. It's a … MORE

This race was surprisingly nice! Although I’ve lived in WNC and Eastern TN for most of my life I don’t recall spending any time in Johnson City, TN. It’s a cute town and worth finding a place to eat at after the race. The race was organized well, parking was plentiful and close to the start line, and the course was very nice. The only part of the course I didn’t care for was maybe a mile or two along a divided four-lane, but the rest of the course was through nice old neighborhoods with folks sitting out on their porches cheering runners on, through the ETSU campus, and through the downtown area. A charming course in a charming town. It was a three hour drive for me but I’d definitely do this one again.

The post-race food came from Publix. It wasn’t fancy… basically your typical post-race snacks, and the aid stations had water and Powerade. Certainly adequate, with plenty of volunteers.

We drove in from Chattanooga so I’m not sure what the hotel situation is like near the start line but the course starts right downtown and so I’m certain there would be a few options within easy walking distance.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
4
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3
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3

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I ran the 33k, not the 50k. The course is advertised as being very difficult and the pictures on the website suggest a course with spectacular views. This is part … MORE

I ran the 33k, not the 50k. The course is advertised as being very difficult and the pictures on the website suggest a course with spectacular views. This is part of the reason I registered for this race (the views, not the difficulty). But the course was not nearly as difficult as I anticipated. It was plenty hard, but it was also manageable. But there were no views. None. It was either on a gravel or overgrown back road, or in the green tunnel. With that said, the course was still pretty. There were a LOT of water crossings, and none of them were the type you can cross by hopping rocks to keep your feet dry. After mile 3 or 4 you’ll have wet feet for the entire run. This didn’t bother me though and I think if you just wear the right socks and lace your shoes up tightly you’ll be fine.

The race organizers were great, parking was easy, aid stations were well appointed and the volunteers at these stations were super friendly and helpful. There could be a few more porta-johns… well, there could be a few. The only toilets I saw were the campground bathrooms, which had only two stalls in the mens restroom. So plan to arrive early if visiting the john is part of your pre-race ritual.

The post-race food was great, and they had homemade corn salsa, black beans, and pulled chicken on a tortilla. Plus some veggies at the end of the line to add to the tortilla. Plenty of sodas, water, beer, etc., was on hand as well.

Overall, I’d do this race again but probably not the 33k (they call it a 30k but they tell you it’s actually 33k). If I’m going to work that hard I’d probably just like to do the 50k and see the incredible views in the pictures on the registration website.

Worth the trip if you are looking for a well-organized race in a great location.

DIFFICULTY
4
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4
SCENERY
3
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4

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I'm from Asheville. Born there, but moved away when I got married at 26. I still have family that live here and visit regularly, BUT I generally do NOT go … MORE

I’m from Asheville. Born there, but moved away when I got married at 26. I still have family that live here and visit regularly, BUT I generally do NOT go downtown. The city has become overcrowded and overpriced in the last 30 years, unfortunately. I was visiting family and friends in AVL over this weekend and decided to run this race. I’m glad I did!

Although I generally avoid races that require you to come into town the day before the race for an early packet pickup, or that require you to pay extra for race day packet pickup, I was already coming to town so I went ahead and registered. The packet pickup location is at a brewery and the festival there for pickup was maybe the best race festival I’ve seen anywhere (and that’s over more than 100 races). It was really a cool thing going on at packet pickup at the Highland Brewery.

The race itself was also great. Parking was easy and I think I walked less than a block from where I parked to the start line. That’s unusual for an urban race in a town this size. Asheville is a beautiful small city. I love my city, but I’m biased. But this was a big race and I talked to a few people from out of town who came to town for the race and who loved AVL as well.

Because I spent 26 years in this town I didn’t expect to be awed by the course. But I’m telling you that Asheville put its best foot forward with this race. Parking was easy, plenty of toilets, a super pretty course through town, the river, and nice neighborhoods, and then a finish back into the downtown.

To the race organizers, I’d change two things. First, have the finish come in flat or down hill. That last two blocks running up hill through the finish line was not fun or appreciated. Second, and this is a bigger complaint, I saw two things to drink at the finish line… water handed to the runners as they crossed the finish line, and beer in the finish festival area. No sports drink? Not even a water table in the finish festival area??? And runners like to drink, but a lot of runners don’t drink at all… tell the breweries to bring NA beer, or get some Athletic Brewing Company NA brews. And if you add an actual meal, this would be one of my top 5 races. That is literally the only thing missing to make this a serious contender for a top 50 road race in the country. Despite the lack of a meal, or sports drink, this is a race that I’ll be doing again next year. Worth coming from out of town for the race and a visit to AVL.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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This is a pretty park. When I got to the race I thought it was a trail run. That's just my bad for not paying enough attention to the race … MORE

This is a pretty park. When I got to the race I thought it was a trail run. That’s just my bad for not paying enough attention to the race info. But I was glad it was a road run once I was a couple of miles in. I’ve raced in this park probably four or five times, all of which were trail races, and doing trail races here is sublime. Well, maybe not sublime, but it’s worth a few hours drive. Doing the road course here means you don’t get to see waterfalls and have water crossings, but it is still a decent course. Few cars, a lakeside run for part of the course, and it’s not a huge race so you don’t have to fight through crowds (if you are slow’ish, like me) in the first mile or two.

Parking was easy. They had toilets. Post-race food was okay (but not vegetarian), and the SWAG was all pretty average. Average is not bad, I just mean that it checks most of the standard boxes that races need to check these days – a metal, t-shirt, a few post-race snacks, and that’s about it.

Worth doing if you are within a few hours drive, but certainly not a destination race.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This is a great park for locals like me and I train here on a regular basis. I probably would not run this race if I wasn't local though. The … MORE

This is a great park for locals like me and I train here on a regular basis. I probably would not run this race if I wasn’t local though. The trails are only okay, there are no views, no water crossings or water at all, and plenty of hills. I’ve run this race three times I think, but only because it’s only ten minutes from my house.

With that said, if you are not local and haven’t been to Chattanooga, it’s worth a weekend to come do the race if you were already wanting to come to the area for a visit. It’s not a bad race at all, and the race org is fine… they check all the required boxes and not really any of the extra boxes. There are only a few aid stations and the food at the end is basically just bananas and granola bars. That’s not a complaint, really, but these days that’s a below average post-race snack menu for as expensive as races are these days.

Parking is fine and there are port-a-potties at the start (and you loop back to the start where you do a second loop on a different trail, so you see them twice in the half marathon). I wish they would do a road race in this park but the race org is called Wild Trails, not Wild Roads, so I doubt that’s likely from this group. 🙂

DIFFICULTY
3
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3
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2
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3

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I don't know if this run was just really, really difficult or if I was out of running shape. Maybe both. I had done shorter runs in the few weeks … MORE

I don’t know if this run was just really, really difficult or if I was out of running shape. Maybe both. I had done shorter runs in the few weeks prior to this one but nothing that approached 18 miles. It was hot, so very hot and humid.

Did I say it was hot? Or humid? It was. The finish line is at the put-in for the lake and I basically just kept running through the finish line, to the pizza tent to grab a slice, and then straight into the water. I stayed in the water cooling off for probably 20 minutes, and I was not the only runner who was doing this. Clearly runners had been thinking about this during the last few miles of the race.

For a trail run it was so-so. That’s not a knock on the race organizers or the state park. I’m from the Southeast and currently live in Chattanooga. I generally find trail courses to be not a great ROI. You work really hard and don’t get a lot of payoff in terms of views or waterfalls, etc. Still, I do the trail runs here because… well, because I live here. I wuld say that the trail itself was decent. There were rocky and rooty places but there were also plenty of places that weren’t rooty and rocky.

There were port-a-potties on site, parking was easy enough, and although I didn’t camp in the park I do believe there was camping available, or lodging close to the park.

I’d recommend this one for runners who live within a couple hours drive, but probably not further than that. I am not itching to do it again but would if I were looking for a nearby race and this was the only one that fit my calendar.

DIFFICULTY
4
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4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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First the pros. - Really easy parking and packet pickup. - The absolute best aid station I've been to. Ever. In 100+ races. It wasn't the food that made this … MORE

First the pros.
– Really easy parking and packet pickup.

– The absolute best aid station I’ve been to. Ever. In 100+ races. It wasn’t the food that made this aid station great… the food was average. But the guys running the aid station dressed as prisoners – orange pants and a white tank top – and were absolutely excited when I rounded the corner by myself, but well below 50%th percentile in the race. They screamed, shouted, whooped, cussed a little, and did ALL of my water bottle filling for me and then whooped and hollered as I headed on down the course.

– The waterfall and creek crossings. Really pretty, and unexpected. It was nice to stop and wash the poison ivy off of my legs and then drench myself in the water.

The cons:
– The course was brutal. Brutal ups. Brutal downs. And it was very technical. I did the 18 miler and I think maybe only 6 miles was flat’ish and not super technical. It was a lot like what you’d expect to find at a Spartan race.

The average:
– The swag. No metal, which is fine by me, but it’s not the norm.

– The post-race food was not what I expected it would be. My impression was that there would be some great post-race food. Unless I missed something there was just a lot of post-race snacks and drinks, the same stuff they had at the aid station. They did have some cake at the finish line.

– The post-race beer. First, bring some local craft beer. Second, get some non-alcoholic beer for those of us who don’t drink.

Overall, I’m glad I did this race but I wouldn’t do it again. If they could plot a course that had more good views and less brutal ups and downs then it would be good. I don’t mind the ups and downs but that is a lot of effort to really have the only payoff be a single pretty waterfall. Much of the rest of the time it is like you are running through a green tunnel that feels like it’s closing in on you. I heard repeat runners talking about this course, that they liked it, and so some will really like this sort of race. Run your own race, they say.

Even if you do want to do this race it’s not really a destination or bucket list race. I drove 3 hours to get to it. If you are driving to the race the night before, the hotels are very close by. The park is easy to get to. Parking is simple. There were indoor flush toilets close to the start line. This was not a bad race, just not a great race.

DIFFICULTY
5
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
2
SWAG
2

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This was only my second 30k run. I'm from Tennessee and so the Black Hills were a bucket list place to run. The course itself isn't through the most stunning … MORE

This was only my second 30k run. I’m from Tennessee and so the Black Hills were a bucket list place to run. The course itself isn’t through the most stunning part of the Black Hills, but it is a pretty course. I would do this course again.

A shuttle was required to get to the start line of this race. The shuttle was easy to catch and the race started on a dirt road where you got off the shuttle. There were some hills but for the most part the forest was open and you just have the most beautiful place to run for a few hours.

There were port-a-jons, parking by the shuttle was easy, and the post-race food was both good and plentiful. I’d love to do this race again.

I stayed in nearby Rapid City, so I’m not sure about hotels or camping near Sturgis, but if you stayed in Sturgis you could probably walk to the start line. It would probably be a 10-15 minute walk if you were staying on that side of the town. And Sturgis is a cute little town to walk through, although a lot of the shops seemed to be tattoo places, bars, or places catering to stuff bikers will want.

DIFFICULTY
4
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4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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This was my first 30k and I chose this race because it would be an easy entry into the 30k distance. It was along a gravel road and was almost … MORE

This was my first 30k and I chose this race because it would be an easy entry into the 30k distance. It was along a gravel road and was almost completely a gentle downhill grade. The host town was St. Regis and the highlight of this town was the Travel Center at the gas station. I don’t like touristy stuff but the Travel Center was pretty cool. And get a mulberry shake!

The course was okay. Although it was down, and it was a pleasant course to run with regards to scenery, it felt more technical than a gravel road should feel. It was a shuttle ride to the top of the course and that was easy enough. And there were plenty of aid stations, and I believe there were toilets at all, or almost all, aid stations. The post-race food was great and the best post-race food I’ve had in a while. But… please start offering food that vegetarians can eat. After all, part of our race fee is going toward the post-race meal. And those veggie meats are where we are going to get protein replacement… that’s not coming from fruit salad or cole slaw. I don’t think I’ve been to more than one or two races, out of more than 100, where post-race food had anything for plant-based eaters. A minor complaint though and this was a decent race and if I were in that area next time the race was held I’d likely run it again. But it’s not a destination race or a bucket list race. Still it was a fun race and I am glad I did it.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This course was just very pretty. It was hilly, but the views were constant and I didn't really think about the hills very much. It isn't a fast course, or … MORE

This course was just very pretty. It was hilly, but the views were constant and I didn’t really think about the hills very much. It isn’t a fast course, or at least it wasn’t for me.

The race org was good, with a great post-race party, plenty of food and drink. Or plenty of drink, anyway. I don’t actually remember the food, except that it wasn’t vegetarian (which I am). I think it was clam chowder, or something like that. I don’t know what the hotel situation is like; we camped the night before and the weather was perfect for camping… and running.

Overall, this was a great race. I live in TN and although I did not travel to OR solely for this race (we have family there), if I could pair this race with a couple of other pretty races in that region then it would have been worth the trip just for the running. It’s not a bucket list race and I probably wouldn’t make the trip across the country just for this race unless it were a runcation and I was going to be in this part of the PNW anyway. But I’m super glad this one found its way onto my race calendar.

I would highly recommend this one. Everything from the start line through the post-race party was just really well done.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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The draw for this race is where it is held, as in the nearby towns and Sun Moon Lake. The course was okay, nothing special. A good course, but not … MORE

The draw for this race is where it is held, as in the nearby towns and Sun Moon Lake. The course was okay, nothing special. A good course, but not a destination course except that it is near a very pretty part of Taiwan.

The SWAG was endless. All sorts of things in the goodie bag, including a frozen chicken filet (in another TW race the SWAG bag included a bag of rice). The toilet situation was good. If you do this race you’ll likely want to take a taxi from your hotel. As I recall the parking wasn’t good and that’s why I and two other racers at my hotel got a taxi. And we all took a taxi back as well.

Overall this was a good race. I was in Taipei at the time and I’m glad I took the train / bus down to Nantou for this race but it’s not a destination race and so I’d not likely do it again, unless already in the area.

DIFFICULTY
3
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4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
4

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Races in Taiwan are nothing like those in the US, except for the actual running, of course. They have pre-race group calisthenics. Lots of SWAG, lots of festival, and the … MORE

Races in Taiwan are nothing like those in the US, except for the actual running, of course. They have pre-race group calisthenics. Lots of SWAG, lots of festival, and the aid stations have massive amounts of every kind of food you can think of. Seriously. Each of the aid stations are like the church potluck, or like the Golden Corral buffet. If you’ve only raced in the US then you are in for a treat. This race, like all TW races, was no exception.

This is at a touristy area south of Taipei. There were a lot of mountains, but the views from the top were stunning. It was really a great course.

Parking for this race wasn’t the best and I’d recommend you stay at a nearby hotel, within walking distance. I did, but the hotel owner insisted that I not walk. Instead he wanted to loan me his car so I could drive down. I was hesitant but he insisted. This is how TW’ese people are, just very friendly. I arrived early’ish and had to sort of create my own parking space. So be aware of this if you plan to drive in for this race.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

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I enjoy these races because of the friendly people, and the race organizers. The courses aren't especially pretty, but they are usually in a state park. There is one port-a-potty … MORE

I enjoy these races because of the friendly people, and the race organizers. The courses aren’t especially pretty, but they are usually in a state park. There is one port-a-potty and one aid station. The aid station is stocked with more food than you can possibly eat. I had to discipline myself to not eat too much each time around! You loop around and you see the same people and wave. It’s unlike any other race or race series I’ve done before.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
2
SWAG
3

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I enjoy these races because of the friendly people, and the race organizers. The courses aren't especially pretty, but they are usually in a state park. There is one port-a-potty … MORE

I enjoy these races because of the friendly people, and the race organizers. The courses aren’t especially pretty, but they are usually in a state park. There is one port-a-potty and one aid station. The aid station is stocked with more food than you can possibly eat. I had to discipline myself to not eat too much each time around! You loop around and you see the same people and wave. It’s unlike any other race or race series I’ve done before.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
2
SWAG
3

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I enjoy these races because of the friendly people, and the race organizers. The courses aren't especially pretty, but they are usually in a state park. There is one port-a-potty … MORE

I enjoy these races because of the friendly people, and the race organizers. The courses aren’t especially pretty, but they are usually in a state park. There is one port-a-potty and one aid station. The aid station is stocked with more food than you can possibly eat. I had to discipline myself to not eat too much each time around! You loop around and you see the same people and wave. It’s unlike any other race or race series I’ve done before.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
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This was a small race and parking was easy. The race was organized fine. Pretty standard things and they checked the boxes. The course wasn't especially pretty but it was … MORE

This was a small race and parking was easy. The race was organized fine. Pretty standard things and they checked the boxes. The course wasn’t especially pretty but it was safe and no complaints about it. I probably wouldn’t run it again but only because I live two hours away from this race. If I was local I’d certainly consider doing this one again. But it’s not one you want to travel for unless you are just going around doing all of the Whiskey Runs.

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I had a nose cautery on my nose three days before this race and so I walked it. The course was easy, the scenery along the ocean (for part of … MORE

I had a nose cautery on my nose three days before this race and so I walked it. The course was easy, the scenery along the ocean (for part of the way) was nice, and the post-race food was decent. At this time of the year there weren’t that many people in AC and so it was easy to find affordable accommodation near the start line. I do not appreciate needing to pay extra to pick up the packet on the day of the race, or to arrive a day early to pick up on site. This feels like a money grab to me and I generally don’t register for that type of race.

There were port-a-poddies at most of the aid stations, as I recall. I did not drive so I don’t know about parking. Overall, a decent run. It would be nice if it was in a different city though. AC is not a great place to hang out and wander around in. I was told by multiple people not to wander off of the boardwalk after dark. I didn’t want to anyway due to my nose cautery. I walked the entire race with gauze hanging out of my nose. 🙂

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So this is a race that seems to be primarily run by members of a running club near Fort Payne or Rainesville, AL. The production rating I gave it is … MORE

So this is a race that seems to be primarily run by members of a running club near Fort Payne or Rainesville, AL. The production rating I gave it is low, and that’s the way the race organizers like it. There are no chip timers, no start and finish line… you touch a mailbox at the end of a driveway on some back rural route, to start, and then finish whenever you feel like you are close enough to the mailbox to be done. I love it! This is an out and back course that has a single aid station at the turnaround point. The race organizer, Crazy Jerry, really is a personality and it’s easy to see how he gets his name. Super nice guy.

This is a race worth doing. In the last 15 years the races he has organized have donated $450k to local charities for abused or homeless women. I think there were less than 30 people running this race and I think I probably chatted with more people pre and post race at this race than at any other single race, even those with 5,000 runners.

The course is super rural and pretty. In the first 6.5 miles I think only five or six cars passed me. Someone asked about a port-a-potty and the answer was, “There are woods everywhere! You have 13.1 miles of port-a-potty!” That may turn some readers off but that gives you an idea how rural the course is. No turns at all. Just 6.6 miles out, and 6.6 back. It is pretty hilly though.

FYI, if you do this race in Mentone, stay at the Andiamo Lodge. This is the starting and finish point for the race. You have muffins at the lodge in the morning and the pre-race meeting is on the lodge back porch. After the race eat at Seabolt’s Taco Truck or Wildflower Cafe. And the cost is $100 for the trifecta of half marathons, three days in a row. Can’t beat that.

The course was actually 13.55 on my Garmin, but the other runners measured 13.74 or 13.75 almost to a person. Probably 1,000+ feet of ascent.

Absolutely zero frills at this race. Just friendly people which, imo, is the best frill of all. I had a nice conversation with a blind runner and her guide over the first three miles. We ran / walked together until I finally took off running because my wife was waiting for me at the finish line. You don’t get that sort of fun stuff at the much larger races, which I also love doing, but this was a special race.

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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 … MORE

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.

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So this is my first 25k race, and only my second race west of the Mississippi. My time for this 25k was far better than any trail race I've done … MORE

So this is my first 25k race, and only my second race west of the Mississippi. My time for this 25k was far better than any trail race I’ve done in the Appalachians, which are far more rocky and rooty than this race in San Angelo. I flew out to TX from TN for this race on Saturday, and for the Run the Alamo on Sunday. It was BY FAR the best trail run I’ve done, and that’s probably only about 20 races, but I just really enjoyed this and didn’t want it to end.

The pre-race dinner was typical (spaghetti, salad, bread, tea), and appreciated. Good food, it was hot, and there were picnic tables so you end up chatting with other runners while you eat. The dinner is at packet pickup, at the start line. Primitive camping surrounds the pavilion where you eat. I did see quite a few people camping but I didn’t want to deal with the tent stuff before a race and after. My phone told me the temp was 42 at start. My car told me it was 32. In either case, it was a little cool.

Although people from that part of the country might chuckle at my raving of the scenery in this state park, but we don’t have anything like this back east. It was stunning. What a great place to run, and I’d consider flying back out again just to do this race.

The aid stations were super. They had port-a-potties at most of them and they had plenty of food and drink. There is a 100k option for this race and the courses run concurrent in places, so the food needs to be stocked for them, I suppose.

Overall this was a super race. When I went to TX my primary goal was to go for the Run the Alamo. The San Angelo race was an afterthought. The Alamo race was very much so-so and I’m glad I found this desert trail race.

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3
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4

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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 … MORE

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.

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2
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5
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This course was not pancake flat like a beach course would be, but it was close to it. It's an out and back course, partially along the Chattanooga Riverpark and … MORE

This course was not pancake flat like a beach course would be, but it was close to it. It’s an out and back course, partially along the Chattanooga Riverpark and partially on the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. A really nice run, and a nice change from the typical HM courses that follow the Riverpark for the entire course.

This was a small race. It was 39 degrees at start, and raining until about ten minutes before start and I suppose some of those who registered didn’t actually come out to run. The 19 runners who did show up didn’t have to fight through crowds in the first mile or two as is generally the case. I’m surprised it’s so small since the race organizer does several other races and has an emailing list that he can use to advertise this race. Plus, runners can sign up on one of several online race finder sites. So I was baffled at the small size. But it was okay by me since I ended up winning my age category, which was a first! 🙂

Parking was between packet pickup and the start line. And there is plenty of parking should the race grow in size; it’s at a community college with multiple lots. Packet pickup was inside one of the CC buildings, next to a Be Caffeinated coffee shop in what I guess was a student lounge area. There were plenty of bathrooms in the building although with only 19 people they weren’t busy. The coffee cup SWAG was a nice change from the medal, but the white long sleeve cotton shirt probably won’t see the light of day for too many. It’s a decidedly unattractive garment. That’s not why most people run these races – for the shirt – but it is a missed opportunity for the race organizers for free advertising for next years’ race.

Anyway, I would run this race again since it is my town. I’d probably not drive across the country to come to this race though. But the course is pretty enough, and if you have time to spend a night in Chattanooga, it’s worth driving a few hours to come out for this one.

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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 … MORE

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.

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4
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In more than 60 HM's this is maybe the prettiest trail course I've done. It's just non-stop river or lake, with multiple river crossings over swinging bridges and other log … MORE

In more than 60 HM’s this is maybe the prettiest trail course I’ve done. It’s just non-stop river or lake, with multiple river crossings over swinging bridges and other log bridges. There are very technical and hilly parts, and there are places where you run on a smooth paved trail through the wooded area, and terrain that includes everything in between those two extremes. It’s a great course. There were multiple places that I and other runners stopped along the route to take photos. By the halfway point I stopped taking photos because I figured I already had photos of similar beauty. But it was non-stop.

There were four aid stations and they are unmanned. They all had water, sports drink, and plenty of snacks, including gel. At least one of them had small cans of Coke as well. I’m not a huge use of aid station food but I did stop for about five minutes at the final aid station and enjoy the beauty while munching on a bag of Doritos and drinking a can of Coke, around mile 10. I finished 3rd in my age / gender category, which I’ve never done, ever, and if I’d known I was going to place I wouldn’t have stopped for five minutes.

I also got lost at one point and wandered around for five minutes before myself and four other lost runners finally found the trail, by sheer guess. Even then, for another mile I wasn’t certain I was on the right path. I’m sure we weren’t the only ones, and one of the runners said that this same thing happened last year when he and about 20 other runners got lost. Luckily, it was at a road, where you can go straight, left, or right, so at least we were on a road and not stuck in the woods somewhere. The only thing this race can do better is to put volunteers at some of the less obvious turnoffs later in the race after the running field has thinned out. There were zero volunteers on the course and the pre-race email said to memorize the course. That’s not normal, I thought, and I’ve always been in races where the trail was marked well… and since I’m not last or first I usually just follow the crowd. It’s never failed. But if you are running this race, take the email seriously and memorize the course.

There were indoor bathrooms in the parking area and the course passed by one, and maybe two, indoor bathrooms in the park. And I saw at least one port-a-potty. So there were plenty of places to use the restroom if you needed it.

Parking was plenty but it was about a seven or eight minute walk to the packet pickup / start line. In 19 degree temps I was not keen to walk down to pick up my packet, walk back up to my car, and then walk back down to the race. It would be nice if they’d set up packet pickup inside the visitor center next to the bathrooms. It would, of course, require the visitor center to open a bit early, but it might also bring them a bit of additional business in selling shirts, hats, or whatever.

This race is about 1.5 hour drive from my house and I’d say it’s easily worth a two hour drive, although I might stay in the lodge next time, and there will be a next time for me. I loved this race. If not for the lack of volunteers and the all the cold weather walking required pre-race, this would easily be a five-star race.

The SWAG is typical. The shirt was long sleeve and not tech, which is fine by me. The finisher bling was wood, which is what this race company does. I do wish races would branch out of the typical shirt and start providing visors, race hats, beanie hats for cold weather, or decent runners gloves. The gloves would have been welcome among the runners. I chatted with one lady who said she couldn’t open her aid station gel because her hands were numb. I mean, that’s on her for not having gloves in 19 degree weather, but still, the gloves would have been a great addition. No complaints though. This is a solid race!

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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 … MORE

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.

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So I've run a lot of races in cold weather, and this race was not particularly cold. It was in the mid-30s I believe. But... the organizers need to plan … MORE

So I’ve run a lot of races in cold weather, and this race was not particularly cold. It was in the mid-30s I believe. But… the organizers need to plan a bit better for the cold weather. You’ve got runners taking the ferry from the mainland as early as 6:30, and the half marathon (which I ran) didn’t start until 9:30. I appreciate the late start on a cold morning, actually, but runners were super cold. I stood around for well over an hour in the 38 degree weather, doing nothing. There were heaters but more than half of them were out of fuel by 8:15am. The others had limited space around them and other runners were understandably crowding in around, but there just wasn’t enough space.

Suggestions? Bring in more heaters. Make sure all have plenty of gas. Don’t just enclose the back wall of the tent, enclose the sides and part of the front, at least. And finally, have packet pickup open until the last race starts; be sure your website has the correct times for packet pickup. My race started at 9:30 but packet pickup ended – according to the website – at 7:40. Unless I clicked on another page, where it said it ended at 8:30. We stayed on the island overnight and drove a golf cart for 20 minutes to the race, so that 20 minutes at 20 mph on a cart didn’t help keep me warm.

BUT, these things above are the only complaints about this very cool (no pun intended) race! This race was awesome and I’d go back and run it again. And to be fair, this was unusually cold weather for Daufuskie… but still, there is a weather forecast to help planning.

The course was beautiful. The last two miles were so pretty, but also brutal. They were on the ocean and a biting cold strong headwind made running hard. I ran two 1:30 slower per mile in the last two miles than my average for the other miles. It was demoralizing, tbh. But that was no fault of the race orgs, it just is what it is, and I loved it. You run through a golf community, the historic area, the beach, down packed sand roads with hanging Spanish Moss, and I’ve run only a few courses that were more pretty. Out of maybe 75 races I’ve done this course was top 10.

I appreciated the pre-race cinnamon rolls, but the post-race food was ho-hum. I’m a plant-based eater and this is the ONLY race I’ve ever seen veggie burgers at the post-race meal, so kudos for that! But it was a burger on a bun, and that’s it. No tomatoes, no lettuce, onion… but maybe I expect too much? 🙂 They had chips, plenty of drinks, beer, and live music. If it had not been colder I would have stayed longer. Honestly, not much more you can ask for here.

The SWAG was decent. The duffle bag I thought I wouldn’t use was put into immediate use and is now my race bag. And it’s nice to get something other than a t-shirt. The medal was fine.

Plenty of toilets, plenty of aid stations, and the spectators were super friendly. I’d love to do this race again but I live six hours away, by car. Such a pretty place, and race. I would highly recommend this.

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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 … MORE

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!

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Races are all so very standard these days. You get a shirt, some bling at the finish, aid stations, and chip timing. This course has all of that (including gel … MORE

Races are all so very standard these days. You get a shirt, some bling at the finish, aid stations, and chip timing. This course has all of that (including gel and bananas at most aid stations) but where it really stands apart is the food after-party. Pizza buffet, all the donuts you can eat, and drinks.

The course itself is the riverpark, which seems to be the default course for a lot of Chattanooga races. No complaints, it’s a pretty course. But this course starts at the Wheland Foundary, which is NOT where most of the riverpark races start. This is the first time I’ve run from this end of the park. There were plenty of bathrooms, plenty of parking spots, and an easy in/out race venue for drivers.

This is one course I’ll be doing again next year.

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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 … MORE

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.

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This is a fun race, for me anyway. Helen is a little obnoxious and I wish the town were a little less filled with tourists like me. Traffic is bad … MORE

This is a fun race, for me anyway. Helen is a little obnoxious and I wish the town were a little less filled with tourists like me. Traffic is bad and you always have to wait in line for a place to eat. But the race is held on the first weekend Helen has Christmas lights, so that’s to be expected.

The race course is always different, and always enjoyable. The climb up to Anna Ruby Falls is brutal, but SO totally worth it. I don’t know how any runner can reach the top and not stop and take pictures of the falls. It really is just stunning. Part of the run is around a lake and ine year they had an electric guitarist – Metallica style – jamming solo on the sandy beach. Another year they had a bagpiper playing on the dock of the lack. You run right by them. This year there was no surprise on the lake. They also didn’t have the post-race beer, if that’s something you’ve enjoyed in the past.

This is a fun race and it’s intended to be low competition and Sean wants everyone to enjoy themselves. It would be nice if there were more than one aid station but there are a couple of places where you pass state park bathrooms and you can pop into one of those and refill your water bottle in the sink, if needed.

The weather for this race seems to always be bad. I think I’ve run this race five times now and the first year the weather was just damn cold. Maybe in the mid-20s at start, and finish. The other years it’s either been raining and a little warmer, or not raining but cold. This year it was in high 40s and misty, drizzly, but no rain.

The course is always challenging, even though it changes every year. One thing that would be nice is if the course would go through a bit more of downtown Helen so the locals could get a sense of the race and encourage them to come out and support. Or not… it is a bit early. In previous years the course did skirt the side of Helen downtown, but this year it did not.

In any case, Sean always puts on a great race here. I’ll be back again next year. That will be my sixth red beanie hat. I guess I need to start gifting these to family at this point!

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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 … MORE

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! 🙂

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I live in Chattanooga and initially registered for this race because it was the closest thing to a Thanksgiving Day half marathon I could run without traveling far. 2022 was … MORE

I live in Chattanooga and initially registered for this race because it was the closest thing to a Thanksgiving Day half marathon I could run without traveling far. 2022 was my second year doing this race and I enjoy this course. A lot of Chattanooga races build the riverfront park into the course, and for good reason. It’s pretty, it’s wide, and it’s car free. The aid stations were standard, the parking was plenty, and the race has everything a race should have these days. I loved the donuts at the end of the race, although it would have been nice if they’d had something hot to drink at the end as well. It is, after all, a late November race and the temps are on the cool side.

I’ll be running this one again next year. It’s really a hidden gem. There aren’t a lot of people who run it – maybe 350? – and so it’s a hassle free experience. But the race production itself is what you see at races with two or three times that number of runners. It’s not a travel-across-the-country race, but it’s certainly worthy of an hour or two drive if you are local’ish.

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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 … MORE

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.

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Despite having lived in the area for years, and running on the Chickamauga Battlefield a couple of times a week most months of the year, I've never run this race. … MORE

Despite having lived in the area for years, and running on the Chickamauga Battlefield a couple of times a week most months of the year, I’ve never run this race. But I finally ran it this year. The race production is good, the post-race food is great, and the course is even better. Such a pretty race and put together production. I’ll be back next year.

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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 … MORE

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.

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AwesomeSauce is the race company. They do a lot of races that are low production but have a great aid station. Their races consist of multiple loops with a single … MORE

AwesomeSauce is the race company. They do a lot of races that are low production but have a great aid station. Their races consist of multiple loops with a single all you can eat / drink aid station that you pass multiple times. I’ve only done three or four of their races and all of them were on water. On the river in Chattanooga, or on a lake in Guntersville, Alabama. It’s just a beautiful riverpark in Chattanooga and the section of the park they use is very nice. This race is in the fall, the trees are turning and the weather was perfect. Cold’ish, but not cold. Just the right temp.

It’s a small race and people are supportive. Your name is written on the bottom of your bib and people say “Good job, Kris!” as they pass you going the other direction. There are bathrooms along the course. Heated bathrooms with flush toilets and proper sinks. If you aren’t looking for a huge race with high production, and you don’t mind running with folks who don’t care too much about winning but want to compete against themselves, this is the sort of relaxed race you will enjoy. I’m not even sure this race is timed. It might be, but I don’t know. I didn’t see a clock and there is no chip on the bib. I actually started about six or seven minutes late and timed myself. Maybe 75 or 100 people ran this race, but you have no idea who is running the 5k, the 10k, or the HM. They have a full marathon and a 100k and a 100m, I believe, but I don’t think anyone registered for those; I only saw directional markers for the 5, 10, and half.

Highly recommend if you live within an hour or so drive and like a really, really relaxed race with a great aid station and good fan support. If not, you probably have similar races near where you live, so run those instead of this one. But Awesome Sauce has a lot of races in the eastern half of the country, although many of them are in or not far from Chattanooga, TN.

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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 … MORE

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.

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This is a beautiful course, with a lot of swag at the end (at least for a runner who mostly runs in the US). I'd run this course again, but … MORE

This is a beautiful course, with a lot of swag at the end (at least for a runner who mostly runs in the US). I’d run this course again, but it was a little warm. Great aid stations with chicken, tofu, all sorts of other snacks, lots of drinks, and they had these every two miles. Lots of port-a-potties along the route as well. Just an overall great experience.

Would absolutely do this race again.

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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 … MORE

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.

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This course is entirely along the river. Beautiful course, and it was my first night race. The only downside is that it was so humid and still the hot season … MORE

This course is entirely along the river. Beautiful course, and it was my first night race. The only downside is that it was so humid and still the hot season in Taipei.

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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 … MORE

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.

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This was my first non-US race and 13 miles is still 13 miles. The upside was that the weather was cooler than a July race in the US, and that … MORE

This was my first non-US race and 13 miles is still 13 miles. The upside was that the weather was cooler than a July race in the US, and that it was a HECK of a lot cheaper. Only 25 bucks. The downside (for those that care) was that there was no shirt. I have about 50 half marathon shirts in my drawer and wasn’t bothered by not having one, although if I am honest I was looking forward to sporting a Scotland half marathon race shirt. But not an issue, especially if the race is cheaper.

Parking was easy. There were a few port-a-potties, and check in was easy. About 750 people ran and it was a wider road course for the first mile or so, at which point it narrowed down to a single-track trail. It was probably a bit too soon to narrow down after only a mile with 750 runners. I’d recommend they run us around the property a bit to spread us out before sending us to the single-track.

The trail part of the course was nice, not technical. Maybe halfway into the race we started running on what I might call “technical sidewalks.” That is, not flat and smooth like a road course, but up the steps at road crossings, and down them, and the sidewalks weren’t in good condition. Pothole-y and uneven. It wasn’t on rural roads so unless they raced earlier (it was a 9:00am start) it wouldn’t be practical to close roads for the race. I don’t know the culture in the UK for closing road courses, but it would have helped.

The course profile has a significant net altitude decline. Going into the race I thought maybe it will be a fast course. My last 10 or 15 races have averaged a sub-2 hour time. My time on a course with a similar elevation profile was about 15 minutes faster, so that gives you an idea about the speed of this course. This is NOT a fast course, despite its being mostly downhill. Lots of sharp turns, technical sidewalk, and trail. I’d just come off hiking 84 miles on Hadrian’s Wall Path, so my legs could have been out of gas… but if so, I didn’t feel like it. I felt pretty normal. So if you run this, expect a slower race than the elevation profile would suggest.

The finish came in just under 13 miles according to my Garmin, so if you are a purist who cares about getting exactly 13.1, double-check the elevation profile to confirm whatever it is that you need to confirm. There was no real post-race party. There were bottles of water and that was about it. There was actually a bag with a few dry snacks, which were not something I was interested in eating right after running.

In something I’ve not seen in the US, there were a few people along the route who seemed to be operating independently of the race organizers. They had bowls of gummies; just grab while you run by. That was fun! Although it did occur to me that I’m eating opened snacks from people who could be giving me bad food. But I loved seeing these people. There were some spectators along the way who cheered, about like what a US race would have.

The bus back up to the finish line was easy enough. I think I waited only about 10 minutes for the shuttle. Although it was probably a 30 minute ride back up to the start line.

Overall, I’m glad I ran this race. I only ran this particular race because it fit into my travel schedule in the UK. I’d not likely run this race again though, but that’s not a knock against the race. The organizers communicated well, they provided a solid, no frills race. And it was cheap. And it was a nice finish line along the River Tay, just at the mouth out to the North Sea. But only the last mile was flat like this, and pretty.

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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 … MORE

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.

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This race was on my to-do list. Not quite rising to bucket list level, but I def wanted to do this one, and I was up in NE for some … MORE

This race was on my to-do list. Not quite rising to bucket list level, but I def wanted to do this one, and I was up in NE for some other races and planned to be in Portland for this race. It did not disappoint. The course is pretty, it’s rolling but not too hard, and the scenery is just very nice. The one part of the course that I did not like was around the lake, which seems to have had a new sidewalk under construction, or something like that. There was a lot of clogging on this part of the course, which was probably in mile 2 or so, if memory serves. So the pack was not yet spread out. If they’d reconfigure the course so this was in mile 8 or 10, then it wouldn’t have been an issue, but anyone trying to have consistent splits, or do a PR on this course, would need to start in the front of the pack or would need to start well after everyone else starts. But hopefully this construction will be finished by 2023’s race.

The packet pickup, port-a-potties, post-race food, finish line, etc., everything was just superbly done. I’ve done probably 80+ races and this in easily in the top 10. Highly recommend, especially if you can stay downtown and explore a bit, and then walk to the start line in the morning. Hotels are expensive in this part of town, but it’s worth a weekend away, and bring the spouse! 🙂

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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 … MORE

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.

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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 … MORE

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 NOT flat. Another reviewer said it was “pancake flat,” or something like that. It’s not. It’s not really hilly either. It’s like running into the bottom of a bowl in the first half of the “out” leg, and then running up out of the bowl in the second half of the “out” leg. Then turn around and run back down, and back up. For eight laps (for the half marathon distance). It wasn’t steep, but it’s enough to make you slow down and walk a bit if you are an average runner like me who has run two half marathons in the previous two consecutive days. My time for the course the day immediately before this race was 30 minutes faster than on this course. And my race two days before this course was 31 minutes faster. So, day 1 = 1:54. Day 2 = 1:55. Day 3 (this course) = 2:24.

Another reviewer also mentioned that they’d had a hard time finding the start location. Mainly Marathons must have updated their website because the GPS map location there took me to exactly the right place when I was using Google Maps on my Android phone. But it is at the back of a highway rest area, which seemed a bit odd, but it wasn’t odd at all once you get there. It’s at the turnaround point of a state park greenway.

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. You are in trees for the entire course although you can see the Blackstone River off to one side on part of the loop.

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.

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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 … MORE

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.

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This race has been on my bucket list for a couple of years now. You have to register within a few minutes of the registration opening or you won't get … MORE

This race has been on my bucket list for a couple of years now. You have to register within a few minutes of the registration opening or you won’t get a spot. I didn’t, and had to go through one of the charities (which requires raising $500). Rarely do races I find on “must do” or “best of…” lists live up to the hype. This one does. It’s a pretty course, the race organization is superb, the post-race recovery snacks and drinks are varied and plentiful, and the aid stations were also good. The only thing I didn’t like about this race – and it’s something that simply cannot be changed due to the location of the start line – is having to take a shuttle up to the start. This means you have to get up an hour or two earlier than you normally would (or at least earlier than I normally would) to get to the race on time.

The course itself is very pretty. I think we only ran on one covered bridge, and maybe saw or passed two or three more. But that doesn’t take away from the quality of this race. I’ve done 40+ half marathons and this was the best one so far and it wasn’t even close.

Perhaps the best part for me personally was that I ran my second best time ever. I’d read about the beauty of this course, but don’t recall reading that it’s a PR course. There are a few rolling hills, and one short and steep hill on mile 8 (that I walked), but other than that it’s a very fast course. Although I’ve had a single race time that is faster, by four minutes, this is the only race where all of my miles were under 9 minutes. And it’s also the only race I’ve ever done where my fastest mile was my final mile.

The swag. The typical t-shirt of course, finishers medal, and also a snapback mesh trucker’s hat. Highly recommend this race. I’ll be going back.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
4

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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.” … MORE

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.

DIFFICULTY
2
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3
SCENERY
3
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3

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This was my 38th half marathon and I had high expectations going to this race. It's at the Greenbrier, which I'd never been to but had wanted to visit for … MORE

This was my 38th half marathon and I had high expectations going to this race. It’s at the Greenbrier, which I’d never been to but had wanted to visit for years. I wanted to like it, and I expected to like it. But unless you have that same childhood dream and a lot of money to burn, don’t stay at the Greenbrier Hotel. This is a 5-star resort with a 3-star hotel sitting on the resort grounds. I won’t detail all of that, except to suggest you save your money and stay somewhere else. Maybe in Lewisburg, 10 minutes down the road. Although I will admit that the convenience of walking from my room to the start line was nice. That comment is not a reflection on the race at all. Just a suggestion to save your money if you do the race.

The race was all along the Greenbrier golf courses and on a few roads behind houses that faced the golf courses. It was a really pretty run. Because it was on the golf course there were bathrooms at some of the holes, either at the tee-off or at the greens. This was a nice feature; most races I’ve done don’t have bathrooms along the course. And there were plenty of aid stations, stocked with water and sports drink. I don’t recall seeing any energy gel or other snacks. That’s not a complaint, but it is becoming less common these days to see aid stations without some sort of gel. I had my own and that’s not a complaint, but you should bring your own if you need it.

This race was not super crowded – 222 runners according to results page – but the paved path we were on was only wide enough for a golf cart, so maybe four to five feet wide? Not really wide enough for a few hundred runners to get off on a running start and not be running in the grass trying to pass other runners. I would *highly* recommend starting this race in waves set a minute apart, or even 30 seconds. I actually got to the start line about three minutes late and caught up with the tail end of the pack within about half a mile and had to run in the grass to get by some of them. I wasn’t running to win (I finished in 2:05.12, or 63rd out of 222, for context), but I also like to get my pace set early in the race and keep it, when possible. This wasn’t possible with this course, both because of the narrow course and because of the hills. And, if you are looking for a PR course, this isn’t going to be it; there are a lot of switchbacks, sharp turns, u-turns, etc., that prevent you from really knocking out these miles in record times. Most people are doing this race for fun though and I don’t think I saw any elite level runners.

The course was hilly although not excessively so. Most miles had a couple of hills, and this was especially true in the second half of the course. The last mile was mostly uphill until maybe .25 of a mile to the finish line, at which point if was either flat or downhill. And it was a downhill finish which was nice.

Now to the post-race party. Sigh… a great disappointment. I kept hearing about the post-race party and food. I read reviews that said it was the best food they’d eaten, it was epic, etc. It might have been in prior years but in 2022 it was NOT. Each runner has a post-race party ticket automatically, but if you want to bring a spouse or SO, the cost is sixty bucks a ticket, or $64.95 after online processing fees, taxes, or whatever. For that cost I was expecting a darn good brunch. I did question the champagne and beer part of it though. First, I don’t know (or see) too many (any?) runners who are ready to pound down pint after pint of beer (or glass after glass of champagne) after running 13 miles. Second, who wants to drink a bunch of alcohol at 8:45 or 9:00 in the morning?!

The food itself? The food, quite honestly, was horrible. I bought my wife a brunch ticket for the brunch based partially on the description on the race website of what would be on the menu, and partially based on my own expectations of what a hotel like the Greenbrier should offer. What I got was a fruit platter, mediocre bread pudding, watery scrambled eggs, store-bought croissants and cinnamon rolls (that were honestly not worth a second bite), orange juice out of a jug from the store down the road. They also had Oikos Greek yogurt, which was fine. But for $65 bucks I’d like to have that yogurt hand churned on site! They did have coffee and alcohol, neither of which I had so I cannot comment on either. This was not a brunch I would have paid $10 for if I’d known what it was before I bought it. Honestly, I do not understand how the Greenbrier can serve – with a straight face when they take your 65 bucks – a brunch that is not even on par with what I’d get from a school cafeteria or a sack lunch for a school trip.

With that said, if I’d not bought my wife the $65 brunch ticket I would have felt like it was an okay (but not great) post-race meal. It was low in quality, but high in quantity. The variety of food was only so-so. I think they had only two hot foods, plus the fruit, plus the croissants and cinnamon rolls. There was no meat or protein – other than the yogurt, and there was nothing for vegans. So basically, you’d be happy with this if you are vegetarian, but not vegan. I am vegetarian, so I’ve no complaints about the no-meat selection, but for $60 at least have some veggie meats, have some hash browns, some grits, have some actual food. So unless you have money to burn, don’t buy an extra ticket. Oh, and they had self-serve take-away containers, so I could have taken my wife a full breakfast buffet for free, and we could have eaten together poolside, just a few steps from where the food was served, and where she didn’t need a ticket.

I really only dwell on this brunch so much because there is SO much in the reviews about how great it is, and because the race website really pushes it. It’s not worth it. Period. Maybe in years before 2022, but not in 2022. Perhaps they’ll make improvements next year.

I drove six hours to get to this race and the drive up from Chattanooga was so pretty. If you explore the area there are a few local breweries, places that make local maple syrup and hard cider, and some great local diners. Absolutely worth some exploring if you have time. And the Greenbrier grounds are stunning, actually. Worth walking around here for a few hours as well. Before we arrived at Greenbrier we were thinking that this could be an annual race. It still could be, but if it was we would A) not stay at the Greenbrier, B) not get the extra brunch ticket, and C) would want to start at the very front of the race pack, or (as I did this time) a few minutes after everyone else has started.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
2
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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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 … MORE

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. 🙂

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

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2022 is my fourth time running this race and I love almost everything about this race. Parking is easy, the course is pretty flat, aid stations have Powerade, water, and … MORE

2022 is my fourth time running this race and I love almost everything about this race. Parking is easy, the course is pretty flat, aid stations have Powerade, water, and gel, LOTS of port-a-poddies, packet pickup is easy, and the post-race food is better than at any race I’ve ever been in, and I’ve done 60+ races, and 30+ half marathons. The 2022 post-race party was not as solid as in the three prior years I’ve run though, and I’m not sure why. But even at its reduced vender attendance it was still better than anything else I’ve been to. Maybe add a local brewery with a free pint (with a good non-alcoholic beer option?) as well?

The course is mostly flat but with a few small’ish hills. Nothing to really slow you down. I’m not a fast runner, and was averaging 8:30 a mile in the first 10 miles, including the two miles that had the small’ish hills. Nothing to be worried about. For context, I placed 225 out of 874, so not anywhere close to the front.

This race production is above average. The swag is average… a shirt and a finisher’s medal. No complaints at all, but it’s the standard fair (I’d like to see running gloves, running socks, a race belt, maybe a beanie, or a pint glass?). I’ve got so many shirts that my wife sent them off to the quilt maker to have a quilt made of them, and others went to the Goodwill. Runners need gear other than shirts. But again, no complaints, it’s a pretty average swag bag.

Would I do this race again? Absolutely. I’ve run it four times now and it’s a two hour drive from where I live. I love this race. With that said, it’s not a race that should be on your bucket list and I wouldn’t be doing this race if I lived in Kansas, or Michigan, or any further than a couple of hours. But it’s a super well-done local race.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
2
SWAG
3

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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 … MORE

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.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5

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First, if you do this race you really must come for the weekend. Find a place to stay downtown and explore the city. See a show, or a movie, just … MORE

First, if you do this race you really must come for the weekend. Find a place to stay downtown and explore the city. See a show, or a movie, just walk and find a great place to eat. Chattanooga is hard to beat for a small city.

The race itself is nice. There are a few short but steep hills but this isn’t billed as a flat and fast race so a few hills are to be expected. Aid stations are every couple of miles, the route is pretty (with the exception of a few segments), and the spectators are also great. It’s an easy race to watch as a spectator because a lot of it is downtown, so people stand on sidewalks or corners and cheer the runners on.

I love this race and I’ll be back. No real downsides to this race, and a lot of upsides.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
4
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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 … MORE

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.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This race was fine. Had everything you'd expect from a race. Pretty typical as far as race organization goes. There were porta-potties on the track, tables to put your stuff … MORE

This race was fine. Had everything you’d expect from a race. Pretty typical as far as race organization goes. There were porta-potties on the track, tables to put your stuff on next to the track, and decent post-race snacks. Chocolate milk, fruit, M&Ms, and maybe granola bars. Nothing fancy. There is ample parking right outside the center.

The best thing about this race is just that it was different. I certainly wouldn’t regularly run indoor half marathons, but it was a fun novelty. Would I run it again? Probably not, but that’s only because I prefer running outside. Am I glad I ran it? Absolutely, it was a unique experience.

You’ll likely need to drive in for this race, there weren’t any hotels that I saw within walking distance. But the center is not in the middle of town anyway. Would recommend staying in downtown Milwaukee if coming from out of town, and then taking an Uber or Lyft, as I did.

Best thing about this race is that you can aim for a PR since it is perfectly flat. The only downside is that if you are a slower runner like me you’ll need to run in the outside lane, and thus run farther than the fast runners who run on the inside lane, and thus you have a slower time. The middle lane is for passing. I was within 1 minute of my PR and I may have beat that PR if I’d run on the inside lane for the entire race. But hey, no complaints! I’m glad I did it. It was nice to experience something different for a change.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
1
SWAG
3

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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, … MORE

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.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This review is for what I know of the course, and nothing else. I had covid on the day of the race and so had to run another day and … MORE

This review is for what I know of the course, and nothing else. I had covid on the day of the race and so had to run another day and submit my time. The course is along the riverwalk in Chattanooga. It’s a pretty course with the river always to one side. Even if not to race, I highly recommend visiting Chattanooga. Great town with great food options for a town of its size. Plus, it’s home to Little Debbie, Moon Pie, and the first ever bottled Coca Cola. Lots of history here.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This is a fun race largely because it's small and very low production. The course is pretty. Sometimes it's along the lake, sometimes deep in the woods, and the first … MORE

This is a fun race largely because it’s small and very low production. The course is pretty. Sometimes it’s along the lake, sometimes deep in the woods, and the first mile or two are on the road.

It’s small enough that everyone parks at the lodge, there are indoor bathrooms in the lodge lobby. I don’t recall seeing any on the course, but I may have missed them. There were at least one or two places where they could have placed them, one of which I know did not have any.

I didn’t stay at the lodge but if you are from out of town I would recommend it. There is nothing within 15+ minutes driving from the start line, and the lodge looked quite nice. The breakfast buffet would have been welcome after the race if I’d been staying there. The start line is at a lower parking lot of the lodge, one or two minutes walking from the front door.

The aid stations were amply stocked, and not staffed, which saved on cost, I’m sure. They had far more than far bigger races have with a lot more volunteers. Mostly only water but they had a variety of snacks. No energy gel that I can recall, so if you need that you should bring your own. They had chili at the end but if you are a vegetarian like me that won’t be super helpful, but I did appreciate that they had it. I love seeing hot and homemade food after races.

The course. The course was nice. The one downside of the course was that with the race taking place in the late late fall the ground was covered with leaves. I’m not a regular trail runner. Of my 25+ half marathons maybe only 5 of them have been trail runs, and none in the year before this one. So I’m probably more likely than most to trip up on roots and rocks, but I tripped five times and fell (and rolled) once. A guy in front of my tripped and fell pretty hard. Another guy tripped up on some roots but didn’t fall. Nothing to do about this except change the month of the race. Mostly it was pretty flat but there were a few hills.

If you are local’ish and need a December race, this is a great one. Don’t travel too far for this one though; nothing much in the area. Florence is worth a visit, Athens is worth a visit, and so is Decatur, so if you have a couple of days to spare, the region is worth a visit.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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Any race that offers donuts at the end is a race I'm going to register for. It's a gimmick though, because I am *never* in the mood to chow down … MORE

Any race that offers donuts at the end is a race I’m going to register for. It’s a gimmick though, because I am *never* in the mood to chow down on a box of donuts after running 13 miles. Is anyone? I had a half a donut and most of the boxes looked untouched, and the woman at the donut table implored me to have more. But hey, I’ll register again next year and dream of eating a box of donuts at the end of the race.

And what’s not to love. Chattanooga is a great town. You run along a riverpark most of the way and it’s a nice course. Basically flat but with two or three short but steep’ish hills. The shirt is nice, parking is convenient, packet pickup was easy, and there were indoor heated bathrooms near the start line, which is always nice for a race where the outside temp is 29 degrees at the start of the race. Great volunteers, I loved having kids hand me water and snacks. They were SO eager to help the runners. A bit of sibling rivalry perhaps at each of the tables? In any case it was great.

I’d certainly recommend this race if you are in or around Chattanooga for Thanksgiving weekend.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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Good race. The three star rating isn't a negative. It's just that a lot of races go out of their way to provide a lot of extras and bells and … MORE

Good race. The three star rating isn’t a negative. It’s just that a lot of races go out of their way to provide a lot of extras and bells and whistles. This races isn’t a bells and whistles race, but it’s a nice race with a nice greenway course. Parking is easy, packet pickup was easy, plenty of aid stations with plenty of volunteers. Would have been nice to run a bit more around downtown Cleveland, but that’s not a complaint, just a suggestion for future course revisions.

Would recommend this race for local’ish folks, but don’t travel too far for it.

DIFFICULTY
2
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3
SCENERY
3
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3

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So I would probably give this race 3.5 stars in any category I had to choose here between 3 and 4. I loved this race, and in 25+ half marathons … MORE

So I would probably give this race 3.5 stars in any category I had to choose here between 3 and 4. I loved this race, and in 25+ half marathons I had my second best time, only the second time I clocked in below the 2 hour mark. But, there are some things that really could be improved on. It’s a big, big race, I get that, and I’m sure there are some limitations due to the size of the race. Still…

Organizer communication is good, and the packet pick-up was fine. Packet pick-up venue was not close to anything connected to the race, which was fine but was also different than I had done for a race before. There was an athlete guide in PDF that outlined everything you’d need to know as a runner, especially a first time runner. This was appreciated. But why does it need to be a PDF in this age of web? Put everything on a webpage. I only say this because I didn’t actually see the PDF guide until the week before the race, but kept looking for info on the actual race webpage. Not a huge deal though.

One note. The athlete guide gives recommendations from Millennium Station (if you choose to take the train to Jackson Park), but when I did try to find this station later that afternoon when we were headed to Wrigley Field (because google maps seemed to think I could catch a train from there), it took us about 30 minutes to find it. There are quite literally no signs outside the station. And once you do find it, after asking multiple people, you’ll still be unsure where to go within the station because even the underground station isn’t clearly marked. Really weird! All other stations we rode on the CTA were well marked and easy to find. Not sure what’s up with this one. I’d recommend NOT taking the train to the race. Take the shuttle or drive.

The shuttles to the race left at 4:45 according to one official race source, with no indication of when they would stop, or if they were only leaving at 4:45am. According to another source, they would run until 5:15. According to yet another official source they’d run until 5:30. I took a chance and caught one at about 5:15 and there were still a line of busses, so clearly they were not going to stop running shuttles before 5:30. This would have been great to know because once you arrive at Jackson Park you end up standing around in the 56 degree temp, huddled around the exhaust fan from engine on the portable lights. If you plan to run this race DO take some warm clothes to wait around in. Or just take a later shuttle. There was a free bag drop, so that was a nice feature, one that I don’t see at too many races.

The start was right at sunrise, more or less, and was really quite pretty. Blue sky, the lake was nearby, and because you are standing in the corrals for about ten minutes with thousands of other people the temp seemed to increase significantly. Despite running on Lakeshore Dr., you don’t get great views of the lake except for a few miles. But you are running on a wide road, good surface, and generally the course condition is very good. No real incline / decline on the course to speak of, except for going up / down a few bridges. One thing that I did like was that they grouped runners by their estimated times. Lots of bigger races do this but I’m pretty sure most people put the times they hope to get, not the time that they got in their last race or in their training; you end up passing people that should not be in the front of the pack. With this race – despite passing and getting passed – it seemed that people were grouped better somehow and so you didn’t get things clogged up with 14 minute milers holding up the 7 minute milers.

There are aid stations. More than I needed. I think there were about 10. All stations had portable toilets as well. This is a nice feature for a race, particularly since the city of Chicago probably doesn’t want 7,000 people looking for a toilet on Lakeshore. And there aren’t any trees either.

Post race was very meh. The concert was fine, the festival itself was fine, but the post-race food was not good. At . All. The drinks exiting the finish line corral was fine (bananas, water, Gatorade, and a protein drink), but I saw picture advertisements in official race media of Chicago style hot dogs and really sweet looking pizza in the post-race festival. No such thing. No hot dogs at all. The pizza was thin crust and genuinely looked like it was three days old. It was a single slice in a box. I took one bite and tossed the rest in the garbage and saw others doing the same. I’m not much of a drinker but saw that the post-race beer they were offering was a mass produced big label brand. All other races I’ve seen that have had this have offered some small label craft brew. And it would be great to see an NA brew at a race this size as well. (Athletic Brewing Company would be great, if the organizers read race reviews here). So the post race food really needs to step up it’s game. For a race that I’d give a B+ to up to the finish line, I’d drop that grade by almost a full letter due solely to the disparity between the marketing and the reality of the post-race food. I just burned 1,500 calories, dammit, I want some yummy food! 🙂

Final note, according to my Garmin Fenix 5 the course was 13.25 miles. When I got on the shuttle back and asked other runners what their distances were, they all nodded in agreement, that it was a little longer than 13.1. That doesn’t bother me at all, but for many race purists it’s a deal breaker, and in a race as big as this one you’d think it would be exactly correct. But perhaps it is actually correct. Perhaps we clocked more than 13.1 due to zig-zagging on the course, weaving in and out of the thousands of other runners. In any case, if you are a purist, you will want to confirm the distance prior to committing to this race.

Would I do this race again? Absolutely, even with the nasty post-race food. There is so much to like about this race, not least of which is that you can spend the weekend in Chicago. No race can be perfect, but all things considered, the organizers put on a great event.

DIFFICULTY
1
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4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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The pros: This course is in a beautiful state park and the course is great. It is paved the entire way and parts are on a bike trail, other parts … MORE

The pros: This course is in a beautiful state park and the course is great. It is paved the entire way and parts are on a bike trail, other parts are on the road. You are on a lake part of the way, and it’s two loops for the half marathon. The aid stations were also spaced at about every mile or just over a mile, and there were five or six of them, so for the two loops you end up with an aid station every mile or so, for the full race. All of them had water and sports drink and a few of them had energy gels. I also appreciated that this was not a large race. The limit is 500 and I don’t think there were 400 runners across all race categories (5k, 10k, and half), which was nice. Nice run, honestly, and I would recommend this for those who are local’ish.

The course is hilly but not badly so. I normally run between 9:30 and 10:00 minute mile half marathons but for this one I ran 11:29 a mile. So you’ll run more slowly, but you’ll also enjoy the course.

The cons: There are several and for the die hard half marathoner this will NOT be a race you’ll want to do. First off, it’s not 13.1 miles. My Garmin said 12.44. My son’s Garmin said 12.92. And a lady in front of me turned around – just about 1/10 of a mile before the finish line – and ran back past me going the other direction, and then turned around again after I passed by her and ran to the finish with me. I asked her why she had turned around. She said her Garmin wasn’t reading that she’d run 13.1. She wanted the extra 2/10ths of a mile that her Garmin said she needed. This wasn’t a big deal for me, but for many it would be a dealbreaker.

I don’t organize races and I know it takes a lot of work. And a BIG thanks to all the volunteers and Boy / Girl Scouts that came out to volunteer. Loved seeing those kids out there. But there are a few things the organizers could do better to make it go more smoothly on race day. First of all, the address provided on the website is NOT EVEN INSIDE THE PARK. It was about a quarter mile outside the park gates. On the race website the organizers do provide the name of the place inside the park you should go, but when I looked that up and plugged it into Google Maps, nothing came up, nor did it come up on the Park’s own info site, not that I could find anyway. I wasn’t the only one, I had a line of cars following me as I turned around and wandered through various parking lots and roads to find the race. This is easy to fix.

Once I finally found the race, I had a hard time finding an empty parking space. It would be great to have a volunteer or two put an orange cone in full sections of the labyrinth of parking lots / roads that wind through the starting area. This could be remedied, and would help smooth the morning parking rush.

Next, I waited 15 minutes to pick up my packet and there were only about 10 people in front of me getting their race packets. It wasn’t because they had trouble with only one slow person, it was because the system was just clumsy and slow. Also easy to fix. Do it like other races do it. Have more people checking racers in, or just have envelopes instead of looking it up on a computer, or something. Never seen this go so slow at another race. I had to run my stuff back to my car and by the time I got back to the start line it was 10 minutes past the official start time. As a credit to the organizers they seem to have realized things were going a bit slow and they delayed their start time by about 15 minutes. I was grateful for that.

On the course I don’t recall seeing any port-a-poddies, although I could have missed them. The start / finish line also didn’t have any port-a-poddies, but they did have park bathrooms that were small and would be the equivalent of two portable bathrooms. Anyone who has waited in line for the porta at a race can tell you that two portables isn’t enough for most races. There wasn’t a line though, remarkably, which I attribute to the small size of the race. They may want to consider bringing a few in if they get many more racers in future years.

Lastly, it would be great if post-race snacks included chocolate milk or something with a better balance of carbs and protein. While I’m happy to fill up on Coke and Doritos, those don’t provide me with a healthy replenishment. This is also a simple fix. They did have bananas and granola bars as well, but only water and Coke to drink.

These cons might make you put you off of this race, but unless you are a die hard half marathoner who MUST have 13.1 miles, or unless you are traveling far and expecting the best race ever, then you should consider doing this race. I would do this race again and the nice course and Scout volunteers outweighed the shortfalls at registration, routing, and parking.

DIFFICULTY
3
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1
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4
SWAG
2

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This is a very pretty and historic course. The entire course is along the C&O Canal towpath, and appears to be a National Park with old locks and canal quarter … MORE

This is a very pretty and historic course. The entire course is along the C&O Canal towpath, and appears to be a National Park with old locks and canal quarter lockhouses along the way. It’s a great course to run and as a professional historian I loved the whole concept of spending two hours running next to this kind of history. And the race director was great at communicating, which is always a plus.

Another plus were the aid stations. Sometimes aid stations seem to be set up by people who don’t run. No garbage cans 100 yards past the water table, full bottles of gatorade and water (instead of small cups), 75% of which get wasted… but this race had coolers, small cups, and trash cans just beyond each station. I’d probably want them to offer Gatorade at ALL water stops instead of maybe only two of them, especially in this heat. There was no gel, snacks, or fruit at the aid stations, just liquid.

There are a few things I’d change about this race in an ideal world. And I’m sure the race director has considered all of these angles already, and these aren’t enough to deter a person from doing this race. The race could have started an hour earlier. It was an 8am start and by that time the heat and humidity are already on the rise. By 10:30 when I finished it was in the low to mid-80s and humid. I’m a slow runner and normally finish half marathons anywhere from 1:56 to 2:17. This one yielded the worst time I’ve had in a few years, at 2:28.

This is an open course and the towpath trail is well-used. I passed at least as many runners on the course who were just out for a Sunday run as I passed fellow racers. Lots of bikers and walkers on the path as well. Ideally this would be a closed course, but that may not even be an option.

It would be great if the start line could begin in the parking lot, or in the field next to the parking lot, and then run to the towpath. That would make for about two or three minutes of running OFF / to / from the towpath at the beginning and end, but it would also allow for a more festive post-race setup that might attract a few more vendors, or allow for a better tent setup.

This is a small race and race production is well-organized but it is low budget. I’d be happy if they dispensed with the small medal (with no ribbon) and saved the expense and waste. And maybe have chocolate milk at the finish line, and pure Gatorade instead of watered down Gatorade (which is fine when running, but after the race you want something stronger).

Overall, I’d recommend this race. But know you are going to a low-budget race and you should go for the beautiful course and not for the swag or post-race food and festivities. And for sure, take your own fuel.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
5
SWAG
2

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This is an average race. That isn't a criticism. Most races these days check all the boxes: nice course, good support on the course, chip timing, post race snacks, etc. … MORE

This is an average race. That isn’t a criticism. Most races these days check all the boxes: nice course, good support on the course, chip timing, post race snacks, etc. This race checked those boxes, with a few things better than average and a few worse than average.

First, the course was great. You can’t see beyond the trees on the path for part of the race, but it’s a nice surface and you do have river views for part of the run. It’s almost completely flat, so if you are looking for a soft surface flat course, this is your race… I’ve not raced too many (any?) non-paved trails that are this flat.

The aid stations were great. They had sports drink, water, and a few stations had gel. A few may have also had cut oranges. But the liquid was all in bottles which may have been a Covid-related thing. But it’s wasteful because runners don’t usually need more than a few ounces of liquid at each stop. Who drinks a 10 or 12 oz bottle of Gatorade or water? Wasteful, but again, it was likely Covid related. The post race food and drinks could have been a bit more robust. No chocolate milk? That’s becoming a fairly standard thing to see at races, and rightly so since it is widely considered nearly the perfect immediate post-race drink.

Parking was good and there were porta-potties at the start. This is a small race and I don’t think they’d be able to get much bigger due to parking limitations. But the nearby town of Covington is a cute town, worth walking around in, but as cute as it is, it isn’t real tourist friendly. I think I saw maybe only one or two places to eat on the main street, and one of them was closed. The other was a hot dog and ice cream joint, which isn’t exactly what races are looking for pre-race. Still, I loved this little town and the race. I probably won’t do it again, but only because it was a 6 hour drive for me to get to Covington from my home. If I lived only an hour away I’d do this one again.

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This is a nice course. It's an out and back course and the first (and last) two or three miles are very pretty, along the river. And flat. But the … MORE

This is a nice course. It’s an out and back course and the first (and last) two or three miles are very pretty, along the river. And flat. But the middle miles are on roads that are not good. I’d almost rather run on packed gravel than some of these roads. Found myself swerving here and there to stay on un-cracked, un-pot-holed asphalt. They need new roads… not for the runners, but gosh, for the drivers!

But I’d still have run this race. Lots of aid stations, friendly spectators, lots of police at the road crossings, and a nice long-sleeve shirt. I had originally intended to run the Mini-Indy, and would like to go back for that bucket list race. I probably wouldn’t have run this Checkers race if I hadn’t already scheduled other things around that weekend, planning to run the Mini Indy race, but that one was canceled. I think the size of the Mini Indy would make traffic heavier. This Chase the Checkers race is a small race, which made it nice. I stayed with family just out of town so had to drive in. But coming in I didn’t notice any hotels within easy walking distance of the start line. There may be, but I didn’t see them.

Parking was easy, the aid stations were great, post race snacks were abundant. It’s a good race. I’ve run probably 25+ half marathons and this one is probably in the top half of the pack for overall recommendations, all things considered.

One thing I would recommend to the race admin is making info on the website easier to find. It seems that race websites are sometimes a bit cloudy on details and I wonder if the people making the website are actually runners. Some of the info I was looking for was actually on the website but I had to email the race directors to find it.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This race is advertised as being on the battlefield. It is, but it isn't. You will not run by the better known Gettysburg battle sites, such as the High Water … MORE

This race is advertised as being on the battlefield. It is, but it isn’t. You will not run by the better known Gettysburg battle sites, such as the High Water Mark, Little Round Top, or anything to do with Pickett’s Charge. It is a pretty course and I don’t think the mis-advertise the battlefield aspect, but runners should know that if you want to see that other stuff you’ll need to get in your car and drive to it. Would have been nice to have actually included some running through downtown G’burg, as well as some of the better known sites. But still, this was a nice race. No real complaints on the course. On the flip side, the start / finish location was right in a hotel parking lot so if you stay in that hotel you just walk out the front door to race. That was nice.

The post-race party didn’t ever seem to materialize, which might have been expected due to Covid, but the website advertised things that I didn’t see at the end of the race. No biggie, and I did get my pint glass, which was a nice touch.

The website could have been a bit more clear with regards to putting needed info all in one place. There was no race day packet pick up info, or if there was it was not easily findable.

Overall, no race is without a flaw here and there and having run 25+ half marathons and 25+ other types of races, this was a good race. Pretty course, well organized, and plenty of aid stations. Having enough aid stations is always a nice touch, and a touch that many races don’t have, unfortunately. I would recommend this race. Easily in the top third of all the races I’ve done, all things considered.

DIFFICULTY
3
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4
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3
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4

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This is a great race, in just about every regard. If this isn't your PR race then you aren't trying hard. It's up and down for the first few miles … MORE

This is a great race, in just about every regard. If this isn’t your PR race then you aren’t trying hard. It’s up and down for the first few miles and then the rest of the race is downhill. And not like falling-down-the-mountain downhill. It is almost imperceptible, which is the best downhill you can have when running. The course is on a paved greenway and you have only a few road crossings. It’s pretty, but it’s not running by waterfalls, cliff edges, or spectacular views. But no complaints, really. It is a nice course. There are also amply stocked aid stations every few miles which is always a plus. For context, I finished 508 out of 1,052. Pretty average.

The organization of the race was also great. Timely emails, easy start and finish, and the race starts (point to point) downtown, so if you want to stay at a hotel near the start line, you can. But you’ll need a ride up to Traveller’s Rest, where it starts. And Greenville is such a cute town! I grew up only an hour away and don’t remember Greenville being such a nice town, but it’s definitely worth a weekend trip. If you do this race, I would highly recommend staying at a hotel in downtown Greenville and exploring the town. And the spouse can drop you at the start line, then go back, sleep a bit longer or eat breakfast, and then wander down to the finish line to watch you finish.

And the post-race party at the end, despite Covid, was great. This was my first time in this race – 2021 – and I think the norm is to have a more lively post-race party. And at the finish line you are in the Falls Park area of the city. Lots of bridges and benches to walk and sit on, and nearby cafes to eat at… if you are still hungry after eating the post-race meal.

In 25+ half marathons and 25+ other races, this is easily in my top 5 races, all things considered. Highly recommend.

DIFFICULTY
1
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5
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3
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5

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This race was okay. Not bad, not great, just average for races... and these days average means a well-organized race with a tee-shirt, or some other swag. We got a … MORE

This race was okay. Not bad, not great, just average for races… and these days average means a well-organized race with a tee-shirt, or some other swag. We got a long-sleeve shirt, which is a plus, but also got a coffee cup, which I love because so few races do anything other than a shirt and metal.

The downside of this race was that the course wasn’t particularly creative or scenic. It was a below average course and I wouldn’t do this race again unless there was nothing else that looked decent for this racing month. I’m not discouraging runners from doing the run, I’m glad I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again.

Dawsonville is a cute little town and it’s a scenic area, which makes the course even more disappointing, given all the beauty around it. Parking was easy, and this was one of the few races taking place during the Covid racing season, and for that I’m grateful. Was nice to be out with runners again. And, to be fair, this was a VERY small race. Only 36 runners in the 10k field. Not sure about the 5k field, but there were way more people running than 36.

I don’t remember water stops. They may have had one, but probably only one since there was some looping in the course. But I don’t even remember for sure if there was one.

With all of that said, I didn’t reach my target time, but this was still a PR for me in the 10k category, so I can’t complain about that!

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
2
SWAG
4

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Sean "run bum's" races should be on your bucket list. This race is great. It's cold, but there is a great pre-race party the night before, and they offer a … MORE

Sean “run bum’s” races should be on your bucket list. This race is great. It’s cold, but there is a great pre-race party the night before, and they offer a pint glass and free beer at the end of the race. The course seems to be modified a bit each year. One year it went by Angel Falls in the park, and other years you run by quiet wooded ponds. He seems to always have a surprise on the course as well. Once it was an electric heavy metal guitarist standing on the beach playing as you ran by on the sand. Another year it was a bagpiper playing on the dock of the pond. Always a great race, and Sean’s enthusiasm is part of what makes his races so great.

For those purists who want their half marathon’s to be exactly 13.1 miles, this isn’t your race. Sean’s races almost always fall short of 13.1 by up to a mile. He’s pretty upfront about that, and unapologetic. And all the runners seem to enjoy the race anyway.

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3
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5
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5

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I ran this race because I couldn't find another turkey trot locally that wasn't filled up. The course here is unimaginative, includes lots of parking lot running, and is along … MORE

I ran this race because I couldn’t find another turkey trot locally that wasn’t filled up. The course here is unimaginative, includes lots of parking lot running, and is along a non-scenic circular greenway. Race production and volunteers were pretty typical for any race… that is, they were good. I always grateful for race volunteers who get out on a cold morning and stand there in the cold for an hour or longer. Still, the course is the fatal flaw of this race. Easy, but ugly. There are better turkey trot races in the area.

DIFFICULTY
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3
SCENERY
1
SWAG
3

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This race likes to advertise the high percentage of PRs people get in this race. I was out of running shape when I did this race and did not get … MORE

This race likes to advertise the high percentage of PRs people get in this race. I was out of running shape when I did this race and did not get a PR. The first four miles or so are up and down (out and back), and then you head down the mountain and never look back. It is a point to point race and unless you have a ride to drop you at the top of the mountain you’ll ride the bus to the top. It’s a small race – maybe 200+ half marathoners? – and so bussing everyone up wasn’t bad at all. They bussed us from the finish line and there were plenty of busses taking us up there. This was easy, well organized, and parking was less than a 20 second walk to where I got on the bus, and there was plenty of parking in the small town where we the finish line was set up.

I raced in 2020, when Covid precautions were still mostly in place, and it was one of the first races in the area to be held as things started to relax a bit. Everyone wore masks on the bus and at the start line until we started running.

Once the race started masks came off. The downhill part of the course was probably a little steep for my tastes. Running downhill seems attractive but a) if it is too steep you end up spending more energy trying not to fall down the mountain, and b) your legs are killing you the next day! That’s not a complaint, I loved the course, but it is a warning. I’ve run lots and lots of races but this was my first race that was primarily downhill and I thought it would be easy. My quads were killing me the next day and I thought I was just in terrible shape, but the race director sent out an email to the races a few days later and said, “now you know the price for running downhill races,” or something like that. I felt a little better.

I’d do this race again, but I’d probably do a bit more downhill training before the race. I didn’t get a PR despite the downhill course. If you are really looking for a PR, look for a course that is almost imperceptibly downhill. The Greenville Half Marathon in SC is a great PR course.

I think this race normally has a pretty good post-race party but due to Covid they had nothing. I never hang out too long after a race anyway, but it is nice to sit in the grass and rehydrate and eat some snacks while everyone else wanders around. Due to Covid this wasn’t really permitted after this race, understandably.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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This course doesn't get enough PR. This is maybe one of the most beautiful courses that aren't in a national park, along the beach, or on top of a mountain. … MORE

This course doesn’t get enough PR. This is maybe one of the most beautiful courses that aren’t in a national park, along the beach, or on top of a mountain. This is a far better course than Run the Bluegrass, which is listed as a bucket list or must-do list race on many websites.

The parking for this race is fine, plenty of space, but you do have to walk a couple of minutes to the start line. You run through the college campus at the finish and it’s a beautiful campus.

Race day packet pickup was easy, indoors, and quick. There isn’t much in the way of swag that is better or worse than any other race, but there are INDOOR bathrooms and a warm place to wait indoors while you wait for the race to start. It’s a lobby of a student center or something, but plenty of space.

The course itself is not terribly difficult but it isn’t the easiest course either. It’s got a few hills, is on gravel and paved, but I noticed these less given the beauty of the course.

There are aid stations on the course, AND porta poddies, which isn’t as common if you aren’t at the start/finish line. I’ve done this course twice and the second time the course and organization were FAR better than the first time. It wasn’t bad the first time, but it was extraordinary the second time around, a few years later, in March 2020 just a few days before the Covid shutdown.

DIFFICULTY
3
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4
SCENERY
5
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I love this race. Chattanooga does races so well and it's such a pretty town for racing (Ironman, anyone?). It feels like a big city race in the start finish … MORE

I love this race. Chattanooga does races so well and it’s such a pretty town for racing (Ironman, anyone?). It feels like a big city race in the start finish area, and along the parks and downtown areas. But once you get out of the immediate downtown, there is some pretty course and some not so pretty course. The course is so-so, as I imagine most downtown courses are. But it’s not a bad course at all, just not super great scenery.

The race festival area and post race stuff are all great. You finish downtown and can walk to cafes, coffee shops, great places to eat, or you can plop down in the grass by the river, where the finish line is. There are aid stations and they were stocked well, and the packet pickup is also smooth on race day.

There are hotels within easy walking distance from the hotel and unless you are on a shoestring budget I’d recommend staying downtown. There is a lot of parking along the river but these parking lots are linear and so you may need to walk a couple of minutes to the start line. And Chattanooga has plenty of parking spaces, but again, you may need to walk a couple of minutes.

I give this race four starts because it’s great, but not A+… meaning, it would be perfect if you were, say, running on the rim of the Grand Canyon? Everyplace can’t have that, and this is about as great a race as you are going to find for small town urban races. I can’t think of anything I’d change about this race, except perhaps move the few miles of busy road running to something a bit more quiet. But that’s a minor complaint.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
4

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This is a great race. One of my favorites. The course is beautiful, the organization is great, the parking is easy, the post-race food and festival are the best I've … MORE

This is a great race. One of my favorites. The course is beautiful, the organization is great, the parking is easy, the post-race food and festival are the best I’ve seen in 50+ races, and there is just so much good about this race and almost nothing bad.

For starters, this is a medium size race that is growing larger each year, it seems. But because it takes over an outlet mall (is it an outlet mall? Not sure, but it feels like one), races have all the large parking lots to park in, so easy parking is always nice. Although it is in a shopping area the race begins before things open and this Bridge Street Town Centre does NOT feel like your typical outlet mall area. It is very quaint, with cobblestone streets and waterways and cute bridges and park benches. It’s quite nice, actually. And the post-race festival takes place in this area. This post-race festival is second to none. All you can eat food, drink, I mean… this is venders coming out, offering up their food, for free. And, on top of that, you have the standard packaged snacks as well. For the post-race alone this race is worth running.

But even if the race didn’t have a good post-race, the course alone makes the race worth running. It’s a great course, one of my favorite. You start in the shopping area but pretty quickly you are out in the countryside, running along hills and hollows, past old churches and farms. Quite a scenic route. There are some hills but I’d probably not call this a particularly hilly course. It’s a quick’ish course but probably not PR quick. You’ll definitely enjoy it though.

Highly recommend this race. Don’t put it on your life’s bucket list or anything, but it’s worth traveling a few hours to run. Easy parking, great course, great post-race… this is in my top 3 favorite races. I really can’t think of anything that would make this a better race… except perhaps transport the post-race party and easy parking to one of the National Park races, or to a flat beach race.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5

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I'd read a lot about this race needing to be on any half marathon bucket list. Scratch that. It's a good race, but not that good. I've run several others … MORE

I’d read a lot about this race needing to be on any half marathon bucket list. Scratch that. It’s a good race, but not that good. I’ve run several others that are as good or better. It’s still a good race, go do it… but don’t be disappointed when the scenery fails to impress like the Northern Lights.

Parking is easy, pre-race festival / expo is nice, course is pretty. In the 50+ races that I’ve done this is in the top 10, but not the top 5. Would I do it again? No. Am I glad I checked the box on this race? Yes.

I don’t think this is a PR course, if that’s what you are looking for. There aren’t hotels on site so you’ll have to drive in. There were ample aid stations.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
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4

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Sean "run bum's" races should be on your bucket list. This race is great. It's cold, but there is a great pre-race party the night before, and they offer a … MORE

Sean “run bum’s” races should be on your bucket list. This race is great. It’s cold, but there is a great pre-race party the night before, and they offer a pint glass and free beer at the end of the race. The course seems to be modified a bit each year. One year it went by Angel Falls in the park, and other years you run by quiet wooded ponds. He seems to always have a surprise on the course as well. Once it was an electric heavy metal guitarist standing on the beach playing as you ran by on the sand. Another year it was a bagpiper playing on the dock of the pond. Always a great race, and Sean’s enthusiasm is part of what makes his races so great.

For those purists who want their half marathon’s to be exactly 13.1 miles, this isn’t your race. Sean’s races almost always fall short of 13.1 by up to a mile. He’s pretty upfront about that, and unapologetic. And all the runners seem to enjoy the race anyway.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

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This was a great race and it's too bad they stopped holding this event. It does look like it may return in 2021 though. If it does, do this race. … MORE

This was a great race and it’s too bad they stopped holding this event. It does look like it may return in 2021 though. If it does, do this race. This is the one of the prettiest courses I’ve ever run. Through country roads, it’s quiet, and just a great race. It is a hilly race though, so practice your hill running.

The single thing I would suggest that is changed in this race is the distance. My Garmin Fenix recorded a distance of 13.79 miles. I tend to believe this is correct. My normal times for half marathon courses like this one would be somewhere between 2:07 and 2:10. The Bridge Street Half Marathon in Huntsville is about my closest comparison in terms of course difficulty, and my 2017 and 2018 times on that course were 2:09, and 2:07, respectively. My Hills and Hollers time was 2:13. And my Garmin Fenix invariably measures the distance of half marathon courses to within a tenth, or .15 miles of the advertised distance. This course needs to be shortened, I believe.

The race organization is fine, no complaints there. The swag was standard, nothing above or below average. But the post-race food was great! There was plenty of food to eat after the race, which is always nice. Plenty, and plenty to drink. Some of it was packaged snacks and some was bake sale type snacks that must have been organized by the race directors. Loved that stuff.

It’s a small race and there was plenty of parking, and parking was AT the start line, which is always a plus. But if they hold this race again starting in 2021, and if it grows into a larger race they’ll have to find additional parking. I mean, I think there may have only been 100 people running, give or take. That might be off, but it feels like a small race, and that’s a good thing.

This race is rural and although it is literally beside the highway I don’t recall any motels nearby, so if you are coming from out of town (if they resume this race) you’d not be able to walk from your motel to this race.

I’m not a great runner, I have slow times, but I’ve run maybe 50 races. This is one of my favorites. Probably not worth traveling across the country for, but if you are within a two or three hour drive and looking for a decent race, consider this one. It’s on my calendar of race to do again, if the tentative 2021 date holds.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
3

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The scenery on this course is great, but not like Zion or Glacier great. But worth the trip. But by far the best thing about this race is the aid … MORE

The scenery on this course is great, but not like Zion or Glacier great. But worth the trip. But by far the best thing about this race is the aid stations. They have them every two miles and it isn’t just water. They had gels, fruit, and all sorts of goodies. By the end of the race I was feeling a little full from overindulging at the aid stations. Not kidding, it’s that good.

The parking is fine and there weren’t any on site hotels, so you will have to drive in. And although the course is pretty, it doesn’t go through the Cades Cove that I remember going to when I was younger. It isn’t a rural race along quaint country roads the entire time. There are some rural hilly roads, but there are also some busier roads that you’ll run on.

Highly recommend this race. In 50+ races I’ve run this is easily in the top 10.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
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4

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So I ran this race in 2018 but cannot find my results on the race page. So it may be that my chip time did not register. No idea why. … MORE

So I ran this race in 2018 but cannot find my results on the race page. So it may be that my chip time did not register. No idea why. My Garmin Fenix shows a time of 2:11 though, so that’s what I’ve entered. Not sure if maybe my chip was faulty or if their chip timing wasn’t up to the job.

This course is on a beautiful lake in Guntersville. It’s on a sidewalk that runs along the lake the entire way. However, this is a loop course and I think maybe we had to do 10 or 12 loops, and although it was a small race – maybe 150 people, at most, between all of the races? – it felt crowded the entire time. This was not something I enjoyed and I’ve not run another of the Sweet Southern Discomfort races for this reason.

As I understand it, the race organizers deliberately choose looped courses so that they can have a single aid station, which admittedly does make race organization a heck of a lot easier, I would imagine. And the single aid station is a runner’s dream…. or maybe a nightmare if you can’t control yourself with all of the yummy goodies at the aid station. Literally, this is a smorgasbord of junk food (we’ll call it energy food) that you can eat all along the way. You get your own plastic cup and you write your name on it, and you re-use it each time you come around for a new loop. That part was great, and that’s what attracted me to this race to begin with. I like races with a lot of good food, during or after the race.

Parking was easy, and not more than a 1 minute walk from the start line. Packet pick up was also easy on race day. You’d need to drive to the race though, there isn’t any lodging within easy walking distance.

Beautiful scenery, great food, good organization, but due to the looped and crowded course I’d not do this race again. These are popular races though and it’s not a bad race at all.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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This is a great race. One of my favorites. The course is beautiful, the organization is great, the parking is easy, the post-race food and festival are the best I've … MORE

This is a great race. One of my favorites. The course is beautiful, the organization is great, the parking is easy, the post-race food and festival are the best I’ve seen in 50+ races, and there is just so much good about this race and almost nothing bad.

For starters, this is a medium size race that is growing larger each year, it seems. But because it takes over an outlet mall (is it an outlet mall? Not sure, but it feels like one), races have all the large parking lots to park in, so easy parking is always nice. Although it is in a shopping area the race begins before things open and this Bridge Street Town Centre does NOT feel like your typical outlet mall area. It is very quaint, with cobblestone streets and waterways and cute bridges and park benches. It’s quite nice, actually. And the post-race festival takes place in this area. This post-race festival is second to none. All you can eat food, drink, I mean… this is venders coming out, offering up their food, for free. And, on top of that, you have the standard packaged snacks as well. For the post-race alone this race is worth running.

But even if the race didn’t have a good post-race, the course alone makes the race worth running. It’s a great course, one of my favorite. You start in the shopping area but pretty quickly you are out in the countryside, running along hills and hollows, past old churches and farms. Quite a scenic route. There are some hills but I’d probably not call this a particularly hilly course. It’s a quick’ish course but probably not PR quick. You’ll definitely enjoy it though.

Highly recommend this race. Don’t put it on your life’s bucket list or anything, but it’s worth traveling a few hours to run. Easy parking, great course, great post-race… this is in my top 3 favorite races. I really can’t think of anything that would make this a better race… except perhaps transport the post-race party and easy parking to one of the National Park races, or to a flat beach race.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
3
SWAG
4

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Not to be confused with the road race series of the same name but which is held in August, this April trail race is great. The course isn't quite 13.1 … MORE

Not to be confused with the road race series of the same name but which is held in August, this April trail race is great. The course isn’t quite 13.1 miles, or wasn’t by my Garmin measurement, but it was a pretty course and I enjoyed the park. Such a pretty place. The course itself, although pretty, doesn’t afford any stunning waterfall or cliffside views. These exist in the park, although perhaps not in a manageable trail route. The course is mostly tree-covered.

They were grilling burgers and there was plenty of post-race food. Plus you get a great long-sleeve tee-shirt hoody. Parking was good and was right next to the start line. Bathrooms were not portapoddies, they had real bathrooms, which was a nice change from most races. And since it was a small race you really don’t have to wait in line for anything.

I would recommend this race for those who are looking for a decent trail run, but not if you are looking for an exact 13.1 run.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
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4

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This is a decent race. Average, which is to say that it has all of the obligatory swag, volunteers, packet pickup, etc. A good race. I did appreciate the endless … MORE

This is a decent race. Average, which is to say that it has all of the obligatory swag, volunteers, packet pickup, etc. A good race.

I did appreciate the endless boxes of pizza on offer after the race, and the indoor bathrooms. This is a small race so you won’t have to fight crowds, and the course is nice, but it’s a lot of in-the-woods running without any great views. If you are local and looking for a race, this one is worth a look.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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Sean "run bum's" races should be on your bucket list. This race is great. It's cold, but there is a great pre-race party the night before, and they offer a … MORE

Sean “run bum’s” races should be on your bucket list. This race is great. It’s cold, but there is a great pre-race party the night before, and they offer a pint glass and free beer at the end of the race. The course seems to be modified a bit each year. One year it went by Angel Falls in the park, and other years you run by quiet wooded ponds. He seems to always have a surprise on the course as well. Once it was an electric heavy metal guitarist standing on the beach playing as you ran by on the sand. Another year it was a bagpiper playing on the dock of the pond. Always a great race, and Sean’s enthusiasm is part of what makes his races so great.

For those purists who want their half marathon’s to be exactly 13.1 miles, this isn’t your race. Sean’s races almost always fall short of 13.1 by up to a mile. He’s pretty upfront about that, and unapologetic. And all the runners seem to enjoy the race anyway.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

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This was a Spartan Super, somewhere between 6 and 9 miles. My best estimate was about 7 miles. I don't think they kept the same course after the 2015 race, … MORE

This was a Spartan Super, somewhere between 6 and 9 miles. My best estimate was about 7 miles. I don’t think they kept the same course after the 2015 race, but this was the most brutal course I’d done in any Spartan race. I’d run maybe five or six up to this point and volunteered on several other courses. The word “hard” does not begin to describe this course. Another course I volunteered on later, I ran into one of the race organizers for the AVL race and she admitted that they may have overdone it on the course, but noted that it was a televised race so it had to be hard. For context, I placed 762 out of 5,735. Clearly I’m not an elite racer, but that is within the top 15% or so of all racers. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the finish. And when I did, I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried, just from the emotional toll of trying to stay in the race. And this is not someone who doesn’t finish races, or who cries after races. In about 50 races, none of that from me… except for this Spartan.

If they changed the course I would do this race again. Parking was typical for a Spartan, festival also typical. As always, the fire jump at the end could be a bit better (build something bigger than just a pile of coals for those who finish after the elites), but also, as always, these races are expensive as hell. Volunteer and you can race for free, and these races are volunteer intensive, so they do need you.

Asheville is nearby and this is a great reason to add this race to your calendar. This is my hometown, so I’m a little biased, but if you are there for a few days the area has lots to do. Go exploring. But be prepared for a hard race at the quarry.

The scenery was hard to beat though. But it wasn’t super enjoyable

DIFFICULTY
5
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4
SCENERY
5
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3

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This is a small race. The course is pretty, rural, flat'ish with a few hills, and just a real pleasant run. Much of the course, maybe the second half, is … MORE

This is a small race. The course is pretty, rural, flat’ish with a few hills, and just a real pleasant run. Much of the course, maybe the second half, is along an old Rails to Trails path and is quite pretty. The course is a loop and after you finish you get a nice coffee cup to fill up with chicken noodle soup. The cup is a nice change of pace from the typical tee-shirts that races usually give.

The race organization is fine, nothing above or below average, particularly for a small race. There are indoor bathrooms, which is ALWAYS a plus. And because it is a small race there was no waiting in lines at the bathrooms, which is, again, always a plus. Parking was easy, and plenty.

The morning I showed up for the race I had a hard time finding the starting line. Turns out the race was cancelled due to rain and either an email hadn’t gone out or it hadn’t gone out in time, I can’t remember… but I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t gotten the email. There were quite a few runners who came to run. The race organizer showed up as well, just in case people showed up. He told us the course and it was still marked, so all of us who showed up went ahead and ran, and then invited us to come back and run the rescheduled race again, which I did. So although he was nice, I do think the communication could have been made a little sooner. But maybe not. Who knows. Anyway, it all worked fine in the end.

The namesake Hound Dog is at the race and loves attention, and ran the race as well. It’s in a small, small town and I don’t recall any lodging nearby. We stayed at a B&B in Pulaski, which is a cute town with a lot of history. There is a great little town just south of Elkmont, in Alabama, called Athens. This is a town with a lot of Southern character in the historic town square. Recommend visiting if you are in the area for a run. The Rails to Trails path is worth running even if you aren’t there for an official race. And the trail ends beside a little store that sells homemade farmed goat cheese products.

This race has been discontinued, I think, which is a shame. If it starts back up it is worth a drive out to do the race. I did it twice and that’s probably enough for me. I liked it, but there are a lot of other races I’d like to do and unlike, say, Bridge Street Town Center Half Marathon, in Huntsville, or the Chattanooga Marathon (which I’d do every year if schedule permitted), two times is probably enough for this race.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
4
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4

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So this is a great course, very pretty rural area and a nice small lake for the swim, but the race organization feels like it needs polish. It needs polish … MORE

So this is a great course, very pretty rural area and a nice small lake for the swim, but the race organization feels like it needs polish.

It needs polish from the transition area to the actual course, particularly the swim. I think they have made some changes so it may be better after the 2016 edition of the race. But I first ran this race in 1989, and again in 1990, and it was very well done then, better than in 2016, oddly, and I think the 1989 edition was maybe only its third or fourth year.

Although it is out in a rural area the spectators around the finish line were great, and it’s a fun local race if you are local. But certainly not a race you want to drive more than an hour’ish to do. I would do this race again, I do enjoy it, and it seems to draw a lot of the same locals each year. I am only 30 minutes from the race location.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
4
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3

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Great run in a pretty location, and in hallowed ground. This is a run through the battlefield, both on road and off road. It was a nice mix of road … MORE

Great run in a pretty location, and in hallowed ground. This is a run through the battlefield, both on road and off road. It was a nice mix of road and trail. This is a mostly flat course, just with a few rolling hills but nothing too difficult. There were a few places where the grass in the battlefield was a little long, could have been mowed a little closer to the race. And it’s toward the end of the race when you are ready for the running to get easier, not harder.

Organization of this race is fine, zero complaints. Nothing out of the ordinary either good or bad. I would run this race again.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
5
SWAG
3

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I was in SOCAL on a quick business trip and found this race at the last minute. What a find! I do most of my races, to date, in the … MORE

I was in SOCAL on a quick business trip and found this race at the last minute. What a find! I do most of my races, to date, in the eastern half of the US. This was completely different scenery, and such a nice change. This was not a race that had a lot of support and not much at the finish line either, so take your own water and fuel. But this is a race worth doing.

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
3

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This race is a low cost race that is great for local runners. You probably won't want to drive too far for this race, My family and I ran this … MORE

This race is a low cost race that is great for local runners. You probably won’t want to drive too far for this race, My family and I ran this together for a few years. At $25 registration fee, the entire family can run.

Parking was easy and it was only a short walk (or shuttle ride) up to the start line. It is in December so it’s a cold race, but the course is fantastic. Right along the Chattanooga Riverpark greenway. It’s an out and back course.

Post-race you walk to the Sports Barn and have a biscuits and gravy meal.

Again, race production is cheap and maybe only 100 people ran this year. There might have been a 5k option in addition to the 10k option. It’s a great little race and you get a nice long sleeve shirt (the same one, I think, every year) at the end.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
2

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This was my first half marathon, and I hadn't planned on doing one; I was looking for a 10k to do while I was doing some research in Grand Rapids. … MORE

This was my first half marathon, and I hadn’t planned on doing one; I was looking for a 10k to do while I was doing some research in Grand Rapids. I happened to see this race and that the cost was only $25, so I figured why not. I’m glad I did, and after this race I immediately began searching for more half races, and have never looked back. I credit this race with getting me into half marathon running, and that is largely due to the cheap entry price and the pancake flat course, both of which were good things for a newbie. And I think that this is exactly why this race director does this sort of no frills, cheap, and easy course kind of races – to make running, racing, accessible to more people.

There wasn’t really a pre-race festival or post-race party, which was fine. I wasn’t even sure I was in the right place when I got to the start line, there was just not much going on, and only a few runners. So if you are looking for a festival sort of environment, this isn’t the race you’d want. I don’t recall any post-race party, except people standing around drinking water at the finish line. It may have changed in the last few years, I ran this race in 2015.

The course isn’t terribly scenic, although there are a few miles that were pretty. Otherwise it was just along park sidewalk or the sides of the roads. Pretty flat. I like a course with some hills, but for a newbie the flat course was a real plus. The race director had set up the course so that he was able to move his mobile water stops and he personally handed out water at most or all of the aid stations. This course was not chip-timed – volunteers wrote down the times when you came across the finish line.

Swag was nothing fancy but I could have cared less, I had run my first half marathon! And now that I’ve run quite a few races I’d still do one of these Run Michigan Cheap series races if I lived in Michigan. A cheap race series is a real asset to the increasingly expensive world of racing. And with a drawer full of medals that never see the light of day after I get home from the race, who really wants or needs all that stuff anyway? Keep the medals and let me keep my money.

Cheap, flat, small race (50 runners?) had aid stations, and an enthusiastic race director. Lots to like about this no frills race.

DIFFICULTY
1
PRODUCTION
3
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2
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2

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I love running on this course. Chickamauga is just a super pretty place to run. Not because it has lots of mountains or rivers, but because it is an old … MORE

I love running on this course. Chickamauga is just a super pretty place to run. Not because it has lots of mountains or rivers, but because it is an old battlefield and you are running through a lot monuments, fields, forested areas, and is very peaceful. Very little traffic, especially that early in the morning.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
3

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The scenery in this race is great. Hard to have a race in the Finger Lakes without having good scenery though. Good race production, good transition areas, easy parking near … MORE

The scenery in this race is great. Hard to have a race in the Finger Lakes without having good scenery though. Good race production, good transition areas, easy parking near the transition area and swim start.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
5
SWAG
3

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This was one of my first triathlons in NY, and the first I'd done in 14 years... since maybe 1990? The scenery was great, we ran into the falls, did … MORE

This was one of my first triathlons in NY, and the first I’d done in 14 years… since maybe 1990? The scenery was great, we ran into the falls, did a turnaround, and headed back out. The swim and bike were nothing out of the ordinary. I’d recommend this race, or almost any in the Finger Lakes.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
5
SWAG
3

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I ran this race before it was a half Iron. It was a spring triathlon, and it was really well-run. Nice course where spectators could see the racers at multiple … MORE

I ran this race before it was a half Iron. It was a spring triathlon, and it was really well-run. Nice course where spectators could see the racers at multiple points on the course without needing to do a lot of moving from one place to the other.

Iron bought this race and I haven’t run it since then. But the lake is beautiful and the surrounding area is worth a visit.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
3
SWAG
3

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