Leslie Christensen's Staging Area

This was a well organized race that I’d recommend to anyone who is pursuing 50 states (half) or a runcation. The course is a mix of well maintained paved roads, a long bridge with views of the water and coastline and the boardwalk. The course had course marshals and aid stations. The aid stations were well organized and they gave out Gu around mile 8. The boards on the boardwalk were in good condition too.

The day before expo was about 1.5 mile from the boardwalk area start line. It basically just had bib and shirt pickup. The ladies shirt was a long sleeve v-neck which was true to size.

The race ends on the boardwalk near the Music Pier. On the pier runners were offered soft drinks, electrolyte drinks, water, bananas, other fruit, pizza, soft pretzels ,Italian ice, brownies and other pastries, and a little bag with caramel corn and salt water taffy in it. I had never seen so much post race food. The medal was nice with images of the boardwalk on it.

We stayed at the Atlantic per a RaceRaves user suggestion. The hotel was a very short walk to the start and finish line.

The expo was not huge but had a good variety of vendors from apparel, shoes and other running necessities. We were able to navigate on public transportation from the airport, to the expo and to our hotel downtown.
The start line was crowded with a mix of runners running different races. It was crowded but organized. There were plenty of porta potties. The course (half) started flat and then delivered some big inclines. There was one switch back a few miles before the finish line. I was not stopped but some runners had to wait at times to allow a bus to cross over the route. There was adequate fluid support on the course.
The finish area had plenty of snacks, a free beer and awesome Irish music entertainment. Most of the runners wore green and a lot had festive St Patty’s Day themed outfits.
We had never been to Portland before and really enjoyed both the city and the race.

Luray pronounced Loo-day is a small quaint town in VA. The race is small around 150 runners with a mix of local and out of towners (50 starts). The race was well organized. It has a gun start so if you’re set on a PR, seed yourself up front. The half course is hilly but there are stretches of downhill that help with your overall time. The course was well marked with marshals along the way. I was concerned about running on open roads but felt comfortable. There was only one spot where I stopped because a horse trailer and a pickup were on the same road at the same time. The roads were in great condition too, I don’t recall any pot holes.
The hawksbill Brewery was a great host. The beer selection was good and they offer a homemade nonalcoholic root beer. The race provided pizza, banana, cookies granola bars and water, etc at the end. There was a food bank too if you wanted to purchase something else. The medal and shirt were good quality and pretty. We also got a pair of socks too. We were visiting and took a local’s suggestion to visit the Luray Caverns. It was absolutely worth the price of admission. Luray does not have any really big hotels so if you’re considering this race as a destination race start looking for lodging early.

I ran as part of running in all 50 states. The weather was about low 70’s at the start and high 80’s around 9:30. The course went around closed lanes on bigger roads and through some parks. We ran by SouthFork Ranch but there were cattle or animals.
The course had ample fluid stops which were all well managed. The course starts and ends at an outdoor amphitheater which had cold water, Gatorade, bananas, and some other snacks. There were some other businesses there giving out samples of drinks too – like Athletic Brewing.
The medal was nice and the tank top was too. If you can tolerate Texas heat in June it’s a good race.

I ran in 2023 which required installing and using a health app daily for 10 days. The expo had a limited amount of official Asics race apparel. I chose not to wait in line for two hours to get into the booth to see it. They sold out of all shirts before the end of the first day of the expo. Asics or the race decided not to produce an official race jacket in 2023.
Runners received a bib and shoe timing chip at the expo (along with two covid test kits in 2023). After the race, runners received a medal, heat sheet, sweatshirt like material poncho, and a recovery bag that had two drinks and some sort of food item in a squeeze pouch. Every runner did not automatically get a race shirt. Those had to be reserved and purchased (with limited availability).
The race did not allow any handheld bottles or hydration vest bladders. I ordered Pocari Sweat online in advance of race day to practice using it. There were plenty of well manned fluid stations along the race. There are also plenty of porta potties along the route. I did not need these but be aware that some of several (200+) meters off the course and can have wait times of 10+ minutes.
I was assigned corral G and I think it took me about 15 minutes to cross the start line. This gap is important if you’re a slower runner because the course has multiple cut off spots that are based on gun time. I was fine but someone who is in corral L will need to be mindful to not waste time on the course.
The course is all city streets. Their streets are very well maintained. There was not even one pothole along the entire course. There are a lot of out and backs so you will be running on one side of the road while seeing other runners on the other side. The scenery is a mix of big city buildings with some iconic landmarks thrown in. There is a lot of crowd support but don’t expect to have spectators yell your name out loud. There is a variety of course entertainment too.
The medal and poncho are definitely worth keeping. The only thing I wish was different was not having any substantial food item in my bag. I noticed in the finish area that they might have had oranges earlier in the day. They were all gone by the time I finished.

Multiple loops included steep elevation changes, four miles of a sandy riverbed and repeating a portion of the trails run on days 1 and 2. My Garmin had that we started around 4,610’ elevation and had around 1,294’ of elevation changes. The majority of course was outside of Colorado.

Two loop out and back trail course was mostly In Arizona. 4848’ elevation with approximately 762’ change in elevation and approximately 19mph wind gusts. Trail was a mix of sand and small rocks. My GPS read around 13 miles, others had similar mileage.

The race itself was great. The course is relatively flat and all paved. From the start to the finish there were spectators cheering for the runners along with entertainment along the way. Running past Cutty Sark, on the Tower bridge, up a hill towards Big Ben and finishing by the palace was really cool.
The expo is quite a distance from the touristy area of London. I went as part of a tour but you could navigate there via public transportation. If you do that, watch the news as in 2022 there was a rail workers strike the day before the race (which only lasted one day). The expo was efficient at getting your bib but the New Balance shop was like Black Friday in the 1990’s. Unlike some expos, the only apparel seemed to be New Balance who was a race sponsor.
The starting villages were about a 1 hour bus ride from my hotel. Again, I was with a tour who drove us. Because I had a later start time I had to sit in a grassy field for a few hours. Be prepared for the elements as there were no places to hide had it rained. The starting village had plenty of porta potties and the starts themselves were very well organized. The water stations are really long and hand out full bottles of water. I carried a hand held bottle that I refilled when needed.
My family waited to see me run near Big Ben and I was shocked that they saw me. My husband uses Find My Friends to track me while in a race. The race has an efficient way to allow spectators to cross busy roads that are part of the race route. Regarding the finish, we scouted a spot to meet afterwards. I’d recommend that because it’s really crowded after runners cross the finish line. Runners get their race shirts in the finish line. I guess they are unisex. As a petite woman mine looks like I’m a child wearing my dad’s clothes. I also heard that if you finish later, like me, that all the XS are gone. I got a bottle of water, an electrolyte drink, pretzels, and some sort of very dry oatmeal bar in my finisher bag. If you want something else, prepare accordingly.
All in all, I had a great experience and would recommend the race.

I ran this as a pacer. It was a great event. The expo was small but near local restaurants and the boardwalk. The race starts and ends on the boardwalk next to the beach. The course was a mix of boardwalk, paved roads through residential areas and a state park.
After the finish line a local pizza shop hosted a buffet lunch for all the runners with a mix of pizza, salad and pasta. There was beer too. The weather was great, the volunteers were wonderful. The course was interesting. Afterwards you can celebrate on the beach.

You can pick up your bib the afternoon before or in race day morning. The course was a mix of country roads, groomed trails along water and a downtown area. One thing that was different was that I was stopped during the end of the race for a train.
After the finish line there was a great choice of breakfast burritos, pastries, water and local draft beers. The medal was a small ceramic tile on a black cord and the shirt was a soft t-shirt.
NewBo was a well organized race. It was a good morning.

The course was was a mix of roads and a trail
by a river. We started at an arena which was a great area to stage the start because there were nice bathrooms and we were inside. The start of the race had a cannon that was startling if you weren’t prepared for it. The elevation was about 5,000 feet.
At the finish there was a selection of pizza, sandwiches and Mich Ultra. I got a long sleeve tech shirt, a buff and a medal.
The day (or two) before the race a local brewery had a short run around their property. The brewery was the location for a very small expo. The beer was good and I got a pint glass for participating in the beer run.

The best part of this race were the unofficial aid stations featuring king cake, Bloody Mary, beer, mimosas and cookies. The crowds were as festive as the city of New Orleans. The day I ran it was 61 degrees F at the start which felt great from someone visiting from the north east in February. The end of course was a big park with a live band, drinks (including beer) and snacks. The course itself is very flat and went through different neighborhoods. We rode a bus back into town afterwards. The buses were well organized. The race medal had beads instead of a typical ribbon which was cute.
When we ran this is Feb. 2020 (right before the pandemic lockdowns started), we learned that the city has multiple smaller Madri Gras parades before the big one you hear about on the news. If you go down for this race, ask about the smaller parades. Our hotel gave as a map with a schedule.

The Chicago Marathon is one of the most organized events I have been to. The expo is organized and provides transportation. The water stops are well manned and the gear check is efficient.
What’s nice about the Chicago Marathon is that you can walk to the start and you don’t have to wait hours to run (like in New York). There is also a party at the finish where you can relax in the park and listen to music with other runners.
The course is relatively flat but it had high wind gusts in 2019. If you are not from the Midwest, pack for all weather conditions. You never know from One day to next what the temperature might be.
Another fun thing about running Chicago is that you can run the 5K the day before. It allows those not running the full a chance to be part of the event.
The course on race day runs through the city, along the lake and then through different neighborhoods, each with its own vibe. There are plenty of spectators to cheer for you. All around it’s a great race.

I have only run this race in 2019 which was the year the NFL draft coincided with the race. That was great for me because I got to see Dirks Bentley perform live for free.
Besides that the expo for the race was pretty big and had a variety of running essentials. The course was challenging as Nashville is a hilly area. One thing to note about this race was that we ended at the football stadium which was a noticeable distance from the start line. I don’t recall if the race provided any transportation post race because we walked back. The finish area had typical snacks and beer.
My shirt ran very large and was Super Bowl themed. I would have preferred something else but it was an atypical year to have both events on the same weekend.

The expo was small but I got to meet Jeff Galloway which was exciting. The race starts a really cool venue called the Hang Out which lets runners stay warm in their spacious dinning room. The course runs through a nature walk of a state park. Several miles are board walks. Towards the end a local parrot head group gave runners leis before the last mile. The medal was nice. Runners got a choice of box lunch, two beers, ginger beer and more. A band played music for hours. It was a great event and well organized. I’d consider running it again.

Very hilly course on closed roads with excellent marshals and sufficient water stops. The pre race packet pickup at Road Runner Sports was well organized and had a coupon for savings at the store (same day only). The shirt was nice for men or women and fit well. The medal has magnets on the back which is really cool. There was a repeat board with props for cute post race photos and a fenced in beer garden. Bring an ID if you look young. The course was challenging but interesting for a visitor to the southwest.

Small race on open roads which included running towards or besides cars, trucks, full size bus, dozen motorcycles. Course was pretty well marked with purple stickers on the road. There were course Marshall’s at about half the turns and small but well manned water / Gatorade stops. The course has mile markers but no splits. You ran through a small downtown, near a river with trees, through a park and through a wooden covered bridge. Post race had vegetarian and meat chili, corn bread water and banana. Beer was available for purchase and the proceeds went towards a local charity. The registration included a long sleeve cotton t-shirt that fit well and had a nice design on it. The medal was very pretty design on a silver colored medal. Everyone involved with the race was very supportive and friendly. There were also good quality free photos of the finish line emailed hours after the race.

Traveled by air and car to get to Duluth. The expo is great and the people are friendly but I don’t really see what the hype is about this race. Perhaps it’s because in 2018 the weather was foggy and cold.

If you’re running the half get to the busses early. We arrived within the requested time but the line was really long and by the time we boarded, were dropped off, threw our gear bags on the ground (because the bins were full), used a potty and walked to the start; we were 15 minutes after the gun went off. We weren’t necessarily slow and when I looked back I saw dozens (if not more) runners behind us (since I know we we were not the last bunch of busses). The gear check when I finished (near 2 hours) was like pandemonium on a cold day. Being short I knew I couldn’t fight my way to the front so I found a line for soup and beer tickets. I’m not sure why I received less tickets than two women next to me. Maybe they were given two by mistake whereas I only had one, who knows. I’ve run in races with stadium finishes so the finish line was not that spectacular to me. I’m sure there are runners who love the straight shot, down hill course for PRs but it was not a race I’d travel
that distance to run a second time.

This race continues to evolve and improve year over year. The highlights include runners getting a free ticket to the NFL Hall of fame museum during race weekend, on field finish and post race for full, half and relay runners on Sunday and the awesome ring 5K medal on Saturday and a cool fleece blanket on Sunday. There are also shirt options each of which come with different registration fees so this race can be a real bargain if you don’t care about getting a tech shirt. Pace teams are also offered at Sunday’s race.

The expo is now at the county fairgrounds and had a good mix of local organizations, races and essentials that a runner might need on race day. The fair grounds has adequate parking too.

The drawbacks are getting into the fairgrounds by start time on Sunday. Plan to arrive earlier than you think you’ll need because there are a lot of cars from three directions all entering into the same gate. Good news is that you can stay warm in your car while waiting. In my opinion the two main drawbacks are that the course is not that scenic with little community support (maybe that will grow over time) and there were no food or drinks for sale for spectators waiting in the stadium for family to finish (maybe that will change in the future too). If you have spectators be sure to have them pack some snacks. The last 2-3 miles of the course was mostly uphill with a headwind in 2018 so be prepared for that too. The stadium and hall are about one mile from the fairgrounds so you’ll be taking a shuttle back to your car so you’ll want to use the gear check which transports your gear to the stadium while you’re running.

I ran this race as part of a 20 mile training run while on vacation in California. The race has a Alice in Wonderland theme. I dressed for the theme as did a few other runners.

The race allowed day of packet pickup which was great for us. Runners got a cool short sleeve shirt (tech for half and cotton for 5K). The medal for 2018 had the mad hatter and a rabbit on it. It was very colorful and cute.

The half starts first. It starts in a parking lot and then moved to a paved bike/hike trail. There’s a bit of a bottleneck at the start as everyone gets to the trail so seed yourself in the front of the pack if you’re trying to PR. Not being from the area I thought the course was going to be more scenic. Nonetheless there was great support by local groups at the water stops which also had a big variety of Runner snacks! At the end of the race they had ice cream sandwiches which were a great treat. My family ran the 5K and had fun watching women practice for roller derby in the complex while waiting for me.

Scenery of ocean was very pretty. If you’re not from the coast be prepared for humidity, even if it’s not hot. Race day was windy when we were near the coast. The shirt was pretty and the medal was a pineapple with an inscription on the back that explained the significance of the pineapple. After the race they offered drinks, fruit, candy, bagels, peanut butter and delicious soup! The shuttle buses were no issue and there were plenty of bathrooms. The start and finish is right next to the beach so you’ll get to walk in the sand if desired.

A few minor issues. The course has at least two 360 degree turnarounds which might impact someone going for a PR. Also the spectators seemed reluctant to cheer for strangers, with the exception of a few groups of teenagers.

Smaller race is capped around 2,000 marathoners. Course is flat, two laps around a very pretty park. There was some shade with fun water stations each mile. The parking was at a nearby amusement park and was well organized. The park itself had long stretches of sand beaches that you can check out before or after the race. The short sleeve tech shirt was pretty and the cloth bag with a zipper top and movable inserts was really nice. The finish line had water, chocolate milk, bananas and sandwiches from Subway. The only funny thing was that my bag didn’t have any pins. Be sure to bring some with you. I would consider running Erie again with hopes of improving my time!

Expo was easy to get to and the parking was $8 on a Saturday. The expo was large enough to offer a variety of essentials and non-essentials. I think the half and full both got the same short sleeve tech shirt and a 40th anniversary bottle opener/key chain. The medal is pretty and has a little bit of bling on it. Driving to downtown proved easier than expected on race morning. We parked near the baseball stadium which was very close to the start for $10. I noticed some runners found shelter inside the Quicken Loans arena (although not needed) before the start of the race. The first four miles of the course hit most of the top sights in downtown Cleveland and for the most part the half course had nice fan support. There was a large incline around mile 4 but other than that the half course was an easy run. The post race finish area was outdoors. After a free beer I left earlier than planned because there were no heat sheets to keep warm when it started raining. Areas the organizers can improve upon are that I found the water stops very congested (Pittsburgh’s are much more spread out) and I noticed runners had issues knowing where the power ade was.

Course was out and back loop on paved roads with some elevation changes which made it easy to gauge where you were and for spectators to see you. I saw a friend’s husband on his bike on the course at multiple spots. There were mile markers every mile and more but I don’t recall any clocks on the course. For those striving to run a particular time you’ll need to watch your own GPS or take advantage of the pacers the race offered.

Water stops were well managed with water and gatorade although I know at least one ran out of gatorade mid race. The course did not seem to have a lot of shade which made for a hot race as the temps increased (to about 80) and the time of day got closer to noon. The race promoted free race pics but I have not yet seen them (It’s only been 1.5 days). The photographers were not wearing anything that would make them obvious (like bright vests) so we’ll see how they come out. Spirit Airlines was also planning on randomly awarding one half and one full finisher free airfare. I’m not sure who won (not me) but that was a great prize for someone not likely to place on the leader board.

As the number of registrations for this race grew, they had to add busing from a fairgrounds about 2 miles away. We did not have an issue with the buses. We arrived about 15 minutes later than planned due to traffic but still made it to the start line in time. In fact, the race start was delayed 15 minutes to allow those caught up in traffic to get to the start. I think the fairgrounds only had one entrance open. It was quite surprising that everyone politely took turns from three directions to drive into the single entrance with no stop light or traffic cop.

The start/finish area had ample porta potties which still had toilet paper post race. The finisher medals and fleece blankets are both football themed and something a runner would want to display. The finish area had water, a strawberry/protein drink, hot dogs, chips and bananas. The expo was not huge but had a nice variety of necessities (e.g. GU, Cliff shots) and extras (e.g. medal racks, t-shirt quilts, apparel) a runner might like to browse.

Two ideas for the race directors are to have someone hand you a water at the finish (I was so hot and tired that I didn’t realize I walked right past a pallet) and have a link on your web site to suggest appropriate dress for newer runners. For those finishing over 4:00 it got pretty hot. I was surprised to see runners wearing long sleeves and leggings. I wondered if they were less experience and just didn’t realize to dress for 10 degrees colder than it actually is.

Race offered packet pickup day of which was nice. Runners could wait inside a hall to stay warm and stretch. The course went through wooded residential areas that were quite pretty. The course was more hilly than I expected and I earned my finish time. The shirt and medal were just OK. The post race had pizza and a live band inside the hall.