Laura Szuberla's Staging Area

The course is breathtakingly beautiful with each mile! Race temps were ideal for running and it was the perfect time to visit Zion. Finishing outside of the park with the red cliffs in the distance makes the perfect end of race backdrop. Vacation Races are always well organized, and Zion Half was no exception. I registered about a year ago for this race and was sent many updates along the way. VR’s recommendation to stay in Springdale was perfect. I stayed at the Cable Mountain Lodge where the race finished and thought it was the perfect location for packet pickup and the finish line. Shuttle buses ran very smoothly, and VR employees and volunteers brought a great energy despite the chilly, dark start. Aid stations were placed appropriately throughout the course (and I love the sliced oranges) and the snack box at the finish was awesome. The course was scenic the entire 13.1 miles which helped pass the time, but I loved knowing it was a point-to-point course and that we were heading towards the park with each mile. I also enjoyed running through some of the small towns along the way. The course is not very technical, or actually very hilly. There are a few uphill portions but nothing unmanageable. Running on the side of the street sometimes meant we were running on a slight angle, but that is common in most road races. I think the swag is awesome and I always look forward to purchasing a new shirt or sweatshirt. The medal is beautiful and will be hung with the rest of my VR medals! This was a top-notch half marathon from start to finish.