Lance Null's Staging Area

Why not have a great, run filled weekend at Flying Pig?
The 3-Way with Extra Cheese Challenge has the Fifty West Mile on Friday night, the 10k and the 5k on Saturday, and the Half on Sunday. (The Full makes it a 4-way). 2023 will be the 25th anniversary of the full.
A well designed challenge, it is very doable. On Saturday, the 10k starts at 7, followed by the 5k at 9. Bag check on Saturday is provided for challenge participants so you can switch bibs and let them hold your medal while you complete the 5k.
The races start and end around the Bengals Stadium, and you can go the entire weekend without needing a car. The hotels in Covington leave you with about a 1-1.5 mile walk each way, so if you’re worried about the extra steps, pay the extra for a downtown hotel.
Nice post race goodie bags with snacks and drinks for a quick pick me up. (Free beer!) The post race area is down on the riverfront and features bands and more vendors.
You come home with a full suitcase of new shirts – one for each race and one for the challenge.
The expo is less than a mile from the stadium, has a lot of vendors, and some nice swag from sponsors P&G and Kroeger. They bundle all of your bibs for the challenge into one packet, BUT if you add the extra cheese (the mile run), then you have to stand in another line for that. (If you notice it…otherwise you can pick it up before the race like I had to.)
The courses are nice. The 1 miler basically does a loop around the football and baseball stadiums. The 5K is a nice little tour of the downtown & riverfront area. The 10K adds in 3 bridges as you also run thru Covington and Newport. The Half reverses the 10k course, then takes you up a real hill, where you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the Ohio river before returning back downhill to the stadium for the finish.
There is a reason this race it on many bucket lists. Add it to yours!!

2021 race moved the start /from the Fairplex to Bonelli park. The course had most of the previous race course, converted to a spiral out and back course.
The course markings were bad in the last two miles of the race, and there was some confusion among the slower runners.
Parking was poor, compared to the normal parking at the Fairplex, and the parking cost is still $12 (each day.)
The race does have extra gifts and rewards for participants who run 3+ consecutive years. (The Penguin club).
Some people complained that the course is more hilly than past years, which is true, but the hills are relatively short and very manageable. (And nicer scenery).
The shirt was also a change this year. The shirt fabric was a very nice relaxed cotton with a very soft feel (previously tech material), but was no longer their traditional Christmas sweater designs. Hopefully that will return.

Course is an out and back course along the coast and along the running/biking trails.
We saw a baby bear cross the course (fortunately without mama.)
Nice post race food and drink.
Great course support – plenty of well stocked aid stations.
Plenty of parking near the start / finish. Many hotels within walking distance.

Fun course, with a 3 hour time limit.
Free parking about 3/4 mile from the start. Finishes at Green Flash Brewery. (First beer is free!) Free shuttles back to parking.
First part of the course (along hwy 56) is slightly downhill, but the hills are lurking. Last third of the race has some good up and down hills.
Good course support. Race starts early enough to avoid the heat.
If you miss the cut times, you are advanced, not swept. (If you get the bump, let them take you to the top of the first hill – not mid hill like a friend did.)
Nice post race celebration, with good food available for purchase at the brewery.
Free race photos too.
I’ll be back!!!

An annual event on my running calendar.
Usually hot temperatures, but we were lucky in 2021 – overcast day. Perfect running weather.
Hills, hills and more hills. Trail race around Vail Lake in Temecula California. Second half of the course is easier than the first.
Good race support, and great support from fellow runners.
RD is great, I hope he is back with the new company next year.
No post race party in 2021 (due to covid restrictions), but the post race party is another good reason to run this race.
Easy parking at race site – for a $10 day fee from the campground.
See you in 2022!

There are lots of pre-race porta potties – if you know where to look. They did not do a good job of identifying the location, and the ‘holding pen’ for later waves, was nothing like the map implied.
Once the race started, it was very enjoyable. You start on the UN campus and run by some scenic buildings, before heading across town and past the Nebraska state capitol building. You run past Union College, and along a rec trail before returning back through neighborhoods, back through downtown and finishing back at the UN campus.
The race usually finishes inside Memorial Stadium (Nebraska Football), but this year we finished on the track due to construction. The National Guard provides excellent support, and there are also members out rucking the course.
Nice post race snacks and drinks.
Parking meters are free on race Sunday, and there are also plenty of parking garages and lots within reasonable walking distance of the start/finish.

Judgment Day was the first in-person race in Kern County since the pandemic hit. Only 325 in person participants (plus virtual runners) participated in this event, with a modified course for this year. The course was great with a lot of flat trails along the Kern river, and a large hill in the middle. I really enjoyed the course, and look forward to returning when normalcy is restored.
Good job with safety measures in this weird year. Masks required before and after the race (with disposable masks available), temperatures were checked before entry into the start/finish area was allowed. Rolling starts allowed minor separation of participants at the start, and plenty of space on the course.

half marathon and 10k options. (and 5k starting in 2021)
Generous time limit – 4 hours (For both half and 10k!)
Extra swag for registering early.
Large, shiny medals.
Good sponsor support (Free beer!)
Post race breakfast burrito and real chocolate milk.
Can combine with nearby races for a weekend double!

Race starts in downtown Phoenix and ends in Tempe.
Course is very light rail friendly. Expo, Start and Finish are all close to the light rail lines. Possible to visit city and run race without a rental car.
Good support along the course. Adequate hydration stations available.
Just over 16 min/mile pace is enforced. They will “move you forward” in the race, and DNF you for the race (but you can still get the medal.)
Post race food starts to disappear after 6 hour finish time. Concert ends at 6:30:00 finish time. At 7 hours only water and Gatorade was left in 2020.
Decent crowd support along the race. Easy for family to support with a little planning.
The processing fees are now 20% of the race cost, a big extra cost.

Loopathon – up to 4 medals available. Earn them sequentially.
1 mile loop, followed by 5k loops.
Medals: 1 mile, 5k, quarter marathon, half marathon.
3 rides are running during the race – you can ride if you want – during or after the race.
After earning 4 medals, you can continue for overall or AG places. Most laps = highest place.

Ample free parking for the race and expo. Free shuttle from parking to expo and back, or a .75 mile walk. Same walk on race morning.

Excellent medals – Crab theme.

Combination medal opportunities such as the Baltimoron (5k+half – same day) or with other races in the area.

Plenty of aid stations, stocked with water and electrolytes, along the course. Great volunteers. Plenty of post race food, and an area to stretch out and to get a massage.

Beautiful scenery during the race, including a few iconic Baltimore sights.

Don’t forget to get your post race photo by the USS Constellation.

Despite mother nature’s attempts the 2019 edition of the Air Force half marathon went off after a 90 minute rain/lightning delay. The course was a new course, but as a race newbie, I didn’t know the difference. The course has some hills, but they were well spaced out to me. The late race weather was hot and humid, and the race danger was elevated from yellow to red.
On course support was good, and the hydration stops were well stocked and manned.
I love the finish under the wing of a C-17.
Post race food left a lot to be desired. They didn’t even have the usual chocolate milk this year.
I would like to run this race again.

Not a PR course. Beautiful point to point course in Anchorage. Weekend closest to the summer solstice, so it’s light 24/7 (although the sun does set for a few hours.) The course is on bike trails, unpaved roads, single track trails, and back to paved roads and bike paths. The second half is generally flat or downhill. Beautiful scenery along the way. Good aid stations with electrolytes and water. Many stations have pretzels and fruit too. Fantastic volunteers! Expo is small. Shirt is a finisher’s shirt you pick up at the finish.
I really enjoyed this race.

Race is at Vail Lake RV Resort in Temecula, CA. Most of race is on trails with some good ups and downs. There are tougher races, but this is not a walk in the park. There are usually first time half marathoners at the race each year. Nice medals and wine glasses for all finishers. Well stocked aid stations (water, electrolytes and gels) on the course, and a nice post race celebration with wine tasting and Subway sandwiches. Multiple pre-race packet pickup options and race day packet pickup available. Warning – most years this is a hot race – bring sunscreen. Great support from fellow runners. Come enjoy this smaller field race.