Kristyna Uhles's Staging Area

What is a better way to start your thanksgiving than to start by running 8 miles around downtown dallas with thousands of your peers? The course is crowded at the start until the 5k splits off and then the hard part with lots of hills and bridges take you around the rest of the way.

This race is starts/finishes in the parking lot of the HEB Center. The half marathon was a looped course in the shape of a figure 8. It a fairly flat course for the area (Texas hill country) but it did have a long uphill section in the first half and rolling hills in the second half (total elevation gain was just under 400 feet). I would say that the course was not the most scenic as the course ran through a neighborhood, along a country road, along the access road for 183A highway and then back through the neighborhood. The course had areas of no shade so it could have been really hot but we had good weather (approx 57 degrees at the start) and the race started at 7:30am, but it was definitely warm at the finish as it was a sunny day. Water and sports drink was located at about every two miles and mile 6 also had bananas, there were supposed to be gels out on the course (mile 8, I believe) but I never saw them. There were also port-o-potty at several points along the course. The half started approximately 10 minutes before the 5k with the same start/finish location. Participants had different colored bibs so the volunteers were able to easily direct you to the correct place for the 5k turnaround, but with the earlier start it wasn’t much of an issue that I saw. The race is relatively small for a half marathon with approximately 500 runners in the half and 380 5k finishers but there was still some very talented runners out there. Since this was a halloween themed race , there were quite a bit of people in costume (especially in the 5k) which made the event a lot of fun including a man dressed as Maui from Moanna complete with the large hook who ran the half marathon.

There were pacers with finishing times in 10 minute increments, I have learned to use them as a guide rather than running buddy as I have learned I run better when I run my own race and use them as a marker of how I am doing as I have experienced quite a few pacers go out a little too fast which can really take it out of your legs and the “bank” they create easily gets eaten up the second half when your legs are destroyed and you struggle to keep up with them (I believe since pacers typically pace a group that is a little slower than their race pace that they sometimes they don’t realize that they are a little fast and how detrimental it can be to runners who are pushing themselves to run 10-15 seconds faster a mile to keep up with the pacers). I started between the 2:20 and 2:10 pacers and decided to keep the 2:10 pace sign in my sights (which was easy to do since there were quite a few long, straight away sections) but not worry too much about staying too close to them and then close the gap the second half on the small rolling hills if I was feeling good. When I caught up and passed the 2:10 pacers at the mile 9 marker, the pacer announced to the small group that was with them that they were 2 minutes ahead of pace which was exciting for me to hear as I was still feeling great and meant that if I kept my pace up that I would beat my “A” goal of 2:10 but disappointing to hear for all the runners who where falling behind the pacers because the pacers had not ran even splits and started too fast. My fiancé started off with the 1:40 pacers and said that they were running pretty even splits (+/- 5 seconds a mile) with slight variations for uphills verses downhill sections, he left them at about mile 7 and ended up running a 1:34:55. He was thankful for the pacers as they kept him even and controlled the first half of the race and save some energy to push the second half which is very difficult to do the first time you are running a half marathon as he was. I am glad the pacers were there but I always use caution when running with them.

After the race, you received a finisher medal. They also had bottled water (sponsored reusable water bottles pre-filled with water), bananas, oranges, a variety of samples from Kind Bars. There were a variety of vendors with giveaways with the typical freebies such as wristbands, lip balm, and sunglasses. About two weeks after the race they emailed a link to a google drive with race photos for download for free, unfortunately the race photographers were pretty bad and missed a lot of people at the finish line because they set up behind the volunteers passing out medals and waters. the photos they did captured had people in the way. It was a good idea but poor execution of shots.

Each participant received a black, gender specific tech shirt, the women’s shirts ran very small and a goody bag with candies, snacks, flyers and freebies from sponsors. Awards were given to 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in age groups (5 year groupings) and received a medal. The overall male and female winners (1st 3 places) received a cash prize and as a added bonus this year, first place overall (male and female) received cameras and a home security system from one of the sponsors.

The race was well ran and ran smoothly. The MC was great at announcing all the finishers as they crossed the finish line and doing the award ceremony very quickly which is appreciated after race.

The race has a fell short on a few of its promises especially when it came to the finish area, I am quoting straight from their website and then following up with what was actually provided.
1. “What kind of food/drinks are at the finish line? There will be water and sports drinks for all participants. We will also have fruit ready for you as you cross the finish line!” There was no sports drinks at the finish line although there was water and fruit. I know many runners enjoy/need sports drink to help with cramping after a race. At least one runner posted on Facebook after the race that she suffered from cramps post race and was really disappointed that there was no sports drink to be found. This was probably especially true for “slower” racers who finished when the sun was at full force and the day was warming up quickly.
2. “Will there be a Finish line party? Yes, the finish line will be a party. We will have amazing food and entertainment and bounce houses and face painting for kids. Please feel free to bring blankets and chairs to relax on at the finish line while cheering on your fellow runners!” This was the first half marathon race where there was not pizza/chips/hamburgers/substantial snack selection at the finish line. I actually don’t think there was any food except the fruit and Kind Bar samples. As for entertainment, I don’t remember seeing the bounce house and face painting but I also didn’t look for those and the music was the typical MC/DJ that most races have. They have room for much improvement when it comes to “amazing food” and post race entertainment.

Overall, I would recommend this race for someone who has never ran it as it was well ran and overall a good race with a lot of perks and the time of year gives you a good chance at good weather. I do not think I will run it again since for distance races (half or longer) I need great fan support, an amazing scenic course, or some other factor to push me to do it again and this race just didn’t have the repeat factor.

This race is starts/finishes at the Clay Madsen Recreation. The “lollipop” course runs along the granite/cinder trail and sidewalks in the nearby neighborhood. It is a tougher 5k course with the moderate hills and the trail for over half of the race. Water was located at about every mile. The first and last was the same water station was one water station that you hit at the start and finish of the “lollipop” loop. It was overcast which was amazing for a August race, the race organizers start the race at 7:30am which would have made a bigger difference if the sun was out. After the race they had bottled water, ice cold CMRC branded towels, rice krispies, bananas, oranges, a variety of chips, popcorn, animal crackers, gatorade, and granola bars.

The race is small with approximately 300 runners but there was still some very talented runners out there. Each participant received a tank top and a beach style tote bag of goodies at packet pickup including fliers, water bottle, mini fan, trail mix, resistance band and refrigerator clip. Children had the option to run a 1k and received a different color tank. As a special cheers to 15 years of the 5k for Clay they had champagne flute (filled with sparkling water) to do a toast before the awards started. Awards were given to 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in age groups (10 year groupings) and received a medal and water cup with straw. The overall male and female winners received a medal, backpack and gift card to fleet feet store. There is also free race photography, there was a photo booth at the start/finish and photographers at the start, about .5miles, 2.5 miles, finish and awards. It is so worth scrolling through photo albums to self identify when the pictures are free to download.

I had a rough race as I struggle on races that aren’t on sidewalks/roads but I was able to win my age category which was my first 1st place award in my adult running career.

This race is located at Old Settler’s Park. The course runs long (approx 3.5 miles) as it runs a loop around a creek and then a look around a lake with the start/finish in the middle. It is always motivating/frustrating when you run right past the finish line and you still have a mile to go and people are already finishing. Water was located at about .5 and 2 miles. It was one water station that you hit at the start and finish of the first loop. The course wasn’t completely flat but not hilly. It was warm as it was June in Texas but the course did offer some shade and the clouds played nice and kept the sun hidden part of the time. After the race they had bottled water, fruit snacks, granola bars, and an ice-cream truck with a selection of popsicles and ice cream.

The race is quite small with approximately 120 runners but everyone was motivated to support Brady’s Bridge and run a good race. Each participant received a cotton t-shirt and a bag of goodies from the sponsors at packet pickup including fliers, coupons to Chick-fila and Whataburger, and a complete dental set including toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. Children had the option to run a one mile fun run and they received a cape to run in. Each finisher received a medal upon completion. Awards were given to first place in age groups (10 year groupings) and they received a $25 gift card to a variety of restaurants. There was a raffle after awards (tickets for $10 as the race is a fundraiser for Brady’s Bridge) with prizes including movie tickets, Kendra Scott jewelry set, Tito’s Vodka, zip lining and much more.

This race is held at the georgetown dam, parking is located at Overlook Park and restroom facilities are also located there. The race is point to point running from one end to the other, since the wind was coming from the south, we started on the far side so we ran with a tailwind which allowed for a nice mile warmup. The race was ran in 3 heats, the first being sub 7 min miles, second 7-9 min miles, and finally 9+. A kids Quarter mile happened after all heats were completed. You self-placed yourself in the appropriate heat upon registration and it seemed that most people did which was fantastic. The first heat took off at 6:30PM with each of the following heats starting 10 minutes later.

I started in the second heat after hearing the first heat winner finished in 4:44. My goal was to come in around the 8 minute mark. Bill, the race director gave us some helpful hints about running the mile with taking the first half moderately and pushing the second half and putting everything for the final push and how to appropriately take the bend as to not add distance to the race. The race was chipped time but there was not a starting chip reader, everyone in the heat times started when the horn went off no matter if you were in the front or the back. My heat was the smallest of the evening and allowed for plenty of spacing. I ran the flat course just as planned and suggested and pushed hard the final slightly downhill section to finish in 7:53. The course is a straight with a bend about 3/4th of the way to the finish. Since you are running over the top of the dam, there is no shade or sun protection so I was very happy that I had my sunglasses.

All finishers received a medal and pizza was also waiting at the finish line. Great value for $10 ($5 for Georgetown Running club members).

The race was held at San Gabriel Park with it being an out and back course starting and ending on the gravel path but the majority of the race was on sidewalk. The turnaround is past Rivery Park. There are two steep uphills (which also means downhills since it is an out and back course), neither very long but it is sometimes important to be mentally prepared for them.

The first 50 people who signed up received drift shirts while the remaining participants received cotton shirts. If you did not register by the shirt guarantee deadline then you had to wait until after the race to collect a shirt from what was remaining. Good incentive to sign up early.

I worked hard and am happy with the results, I ended up in 3rd place in my age division. Awards were in 10 year increments. First place received a plaque while second and third received a ribbon. The run was based on gun time instead of chip time (although the race is growing and chip time might be implemented next year) and times are not posted until later in the afternoon of the race.

I had a wonderful experience as a first time participant. My only complaint was the size of the starting corrals, they seemed a little large and crowded. With the size of the race, they could have had more corals or have more space in each one. The course is hilly in the first half and then downhill or flat on the second half.

Great 5k Course. You start in downtown georgetown and circle Southwestern University with a downhill finish. You receive a long sleeve cotton t-shirt. Award winners receive a water bottle instead of a medal. Great Local Race.

I really enjoyed the Houston Marathon, loved the flat course with plentiful water stations and tons of fans along the course. The only hills are towards the end of the race but overall the course is pretty flat. Fans line the majority of the course with only a few areas are lacking fan support.

The race was very warm for November, there were record breaking heat that weekend. They encouraged runners to slow down and make sure to hydrate.
There were plenty of water stations along the course but not very much people cheering. Well run race. Since the weather wasn’t ideal, there weren’t the normal cyclist/runners out on the trail fussing at the participants for being in their way.

The course wasn’t too exciting but the race well organized and you finished on the warning track in the stadium. Tickets to the game are included with the race but you have to separately pick those up from will-call. Tech shirts are only given if you register by a certain date so make sure you register early.

Parking is unorganized, need to arrive early as most parking is street parking.
The race ran on a trail around the lake, unfortunately this is a very popular trail for (sometimes rude) cyclist and other runners. This trail is not closed to the public. There was often only enough space on the trail for two runners to be side to side, which created frustrated cyclist and it difficult to pass slower participants.
The after party included lots of vendors giving away freebies but it looked like the 5k finishers get to enjoy all the benefits while the 10k and 15k finishers put in more work. There was only one medal no matter the distance.

The race course changed this year and now is a certified course. The water stations on the course were in very odd locations being at about mile .5 and then not again until mile 2. Would much rather had it at mile 1 and 2 or 1.5 and 2.5.
You receive a cotton t-shirt and medal for participation and finishing. You were supposed to receive stick on mustache but I didn’t receive mine.
After the race there were vendors with freebies which were nice.
Parking wasn’t an issue if you followed the directions provided by the race organizers and arrived with a little buffer to allow for parking.
I didn’t stay but awards weren’t until 9:45am when the race started at 8am. I prefer when they start the awards within an hour of the start of a 5k.

This race is untimed and serves more of a charity run than a timed race. The race was a bit short this year. The water station was set up so you hit the same stations multiple times (5 chances total) throughout the course. Good time to get out and run and raise some money for the hospital. You receive a t-shirt and number for participation and they had sport drinks and water at the finish.

The race weather was beautiful, cool and plenty of cloud cover. Race weather this time of year in Fort Worth can be unpredictable. Start was on time and corral/ wave start was super smooth and efficient. First 10 miles of race had plenty of spectators and was fairly crowded, after mile 10 (soon after the dreaded hill) the half breaks off back to finish and marathon/ultra continue on. People love the stockyards at about mile 6 and although I loved the people and looking around, the smell of manure was definitely present. From the split to about mile 14 there wasn’t very much crowd support and the area was under construction/ up and coming and restaurants and stores all seemed to be closed Sunday morning. The crowds picked up going through neighborhoods and the Neighborhoods were great, people were out with self made support tables handing out just about anything you could have wanted/needed. Lots of small, gentle rolling hills throughout but more so on second half so not flat but not terrible with proper training. There was supposed to be 29 bands on course, bands early on were great but later on it thinned out/ weren’t playing music. Overall great race.

The draw of this race was the free Pancake House pancakes after the race. The line got extremely long when 5k walkers/10K speedsters were all finishing at same time, so to hurry things up they gave you less pancakes drenched in syrup it became inedible and told you to get back in line if you wanted more. The race over and bridge and back so it was a nice difficulty and I loved that the RunProject postponed the race instead of cancel due to freezing weather on initial race day.

Huge race with thousands and thousands of participants. Race has timed and untimed entry, there was supposed to be a separate corral for timed runners but they allowed the untimed runners to start at same time without separation so start was a mess. As this is a family (and dog) friendly race, there were thousands of people who did not know proper race etiquette such as dog/strollers start in the back. Walkers to the right and start in the back, etc. Once the 5k turned off to finish, the race thinned out a bit (and these runners just had better etiquette). 8 milers received a medal but 5k did not. Would recommend for family friendly thanksgiving event but not necessarily PR friendly given amount of walkers/children/ dogs/ strollers etc.

The race was an out and back course with a water stop at the turnaround. The course was very flat and fast and the weather is very humid. The majority of the participants participants take part of the 1 mile run with several (three if my memory is correct) heats. Awards are after all of the races are completed, it took several hours, I had time to go eat breakfast and come back. First place walks away with a frozen turkey along with a medal. Second and third also get a medal.