Kristen W's Staging Area

This is the most unique and difficult course I have ever run. It has trails, grass, a national park, a river, and historical landmarks. The unique challenge was awesome, but many runners did not seem prepared for the rocky and hilly trail sections. If you sign up and you are not a trail runner, make sure you take it slow to avoid injury.

Parking was fine and there is a hotel next door. The volunteers were wonderful and there were plenty of water stops, but there was no finish line food, water, or celebration. The restaurant at the place was not open. It was disappointing and a missed opportunity by the race host.

There were multiple spots on course with no arrows or arrows people missed. People went in different directions in three spots along the course that I saw. It was stressful to worry about getting lost in the woods.

The worst part of this race are the shirt and medal. I was expecting a cool medal with the unique Harper’s Ferry theme, but it’s super cheap and thin. They probably bought them in bulk and will hand them out for years.
Overall, I still recommend this race because of the terrain and the national park.

The race this year didn’t take place on base, so my review may be different than other years. The course started and ended at a big finish line festival at the Museum of the Albamarle. The expo was also there, but it was medium sized and crowded. I also visited the museum for free while picking up my packet.
The race announcers did a fantastic job at the start and finish to make it an energetic event. It wasn’t a huge crowd, but they set up the finish line like it was a major race. The race felt like a relaxed small town race, but they had great security. The spectators were able to line the finish and cheer. Spectators had seating, bouncy blowups, and face painting.
The course went through a few miles of gorgeous homes on the water, but the rest of the miles were boring, sunny asphalt. Wear sunscreen, heat gear, and prepare for some quiet miles. There was sparse crowd support, but people were enjoying themselves.
This year’s course doubled back on itself quite a lot, so I could see the winners run past, which is always fun. If you run this race, keep in mind that you need to stay in your lane because the wheelchairs and winners come through fast.
Earning the great medal and seeing the coast guard helicopter throughout the race was awesome! This is an expensive, but very well run event.

This run is in a beautiful state park and part of a larger Florida Run series. The half marathon starts earlier than the other distances, which spread everyone out nicely. It was the perfect mix of fast and slow runners to keep things interesting. The course loops around a lot so you get to see the fast runners pass by. The trails are wide, so it made it really fun for all speeds. Lots of happy faces and great vibes!
The trail is a flat mixture of packed dirt and lose, fine dirt. I suggest you wear trail shoes with better tread than a road shoe, but I wore road shoes and it was fine.
There were lots of water stations and a porta potty on the course. I enjoyed the cypress trees and yellow wild flowers throughout the run.
The park staff and volunteers ran the whole event very well. Buy your parking pass that morning online and get through the front gate quickly. Note that cell service is bad in the park.
I love the shirt and medal! The medal is large and has a manatee with the run name and 2026 on it. I recommend this race!

This is a laid-back island race with incredible scenery. You see ocean, marsh, grasslands, beaches, and moss covered maritime forests.
I really like the medal and shirt. There was a meal afterward, but the cold forced the spectators inside and they were blocking the entrance and occupying all the seating. I was freezing after a cold and rainy race, so I left without food or water.
Despite the rain, it was beautiful. I’d recommend visiting Jekyll island and/or running the race to everyone.

This race really surprised me! Parking was easy, the course went through interesting neighborhoods, there was tons of neighborhood support, and the finish line was fun! I think this could be a wonderful first marathon if anyone is considering it. The course is flat and the whole event felt easy.
The medal is a deer. I hate the medal and would have preferred a bass for Bass Pro. The medal reminds me of a dead stuffed deer. Barf.