Lani Cloyd's Staging Area

I loved running this race.

Coming off an injury for this difficult course, I didn’t do anywhere near as well as I wanted to. However, the stunning views were what kept me going.

If you want a race that you have a spectacular view, this is definitely it.

This race was huge. Way bigger than I expected.

Packet pickup was a breeze. (Definitely how where you’re going ahead of time bc reception is spotty at best.) (ATT and Verizon did not work once you were in the mountains.)

Race morning, however, was where I struggled.

They wanted us there early. They were very open about the last shuttle leaving at 5 am. So we got on the shuttle at 4:30 and they dropped us off 15 minutes later on the side of the road. Literally. There were NO accommodations. They had lots set up in a very small section. About 20 ports potties for what felt like thousands. They did have hot coffee. But that was it. The grass want mowed so you’re standing in knee high grass on the side of the road that was not shut down. There was no where to sit. It was 35 degrees. And it was a miserable hour and a half. By the time we did start I was so cold I couldn’t feel my toes for the first 2 1/2 miles. Made even more miserable by the face that it was all uphill. 🤣

Most of the race was paved. The last 3/4 of the race however was not. It was in wet, spongy grass/loose gravel. I’m sure this isn’t an issue with many people but it was awful for me because I have eye issues. Not to mention my calves were already toast from the run.

The medal was fantastic. No water at the finish line (this was a trash free race so bring your cup if you don’t get one at race pick up. Don’t be the jerk that yelled at the water ladies at mile marker 7 because you didn’t read that it was trash free.)

So i’m torn. I loved the race itself. The beginning was VERY rocky. We had to walk half practially a mile from the start line, and a mile from the finish line. There were so many people that you couldn’t go to the bathroom before hand. BUT there were portapottoes after they let the heat out, so there was that.

The expo was a huge let down. The potential to make something great was there, but it fell flat. Pretty much I would suggest paying the extra $50 to get the stuff the day of the race so you can save your money on a hotel the day before. I would also highly suggest doing the ST Judes bit. It’s a great cause, and you get pretty sweet stuff the day of the race.

It was a flat and fast course. Other than having to weave our way through thousands of people throughout the entire race, if you could start with the first heat, you could definitely PR here.

If you want to run for a race that the organizers actually care, this is your race. Great scenery. A bit difficult to breathe, but the course itself wasn’t super challenging.