Courtney Barth's Staging Area

Not the easiest of courses but not the hardest either. The one mile climb was a bit rough but I prefer a race with a little challenge to it. Who wants to sail through everything? It is mixed course with road, dirt road and trail. Mostly shaded. A couple water crossings but you are on bridges so no wet feet. Just like all VR races it’s an overall awesome experience. Good swag although I wish the race shirt wasn’t technical or a lighter weight technical. I like a good old fashioned cotton tee for my race shirt so that I will wear it on a day to day and not just to run.

It is definitely a flat course but it is through farm land so you definitely needed to watch your step for holes potholes and ground ruts. It was a pretty course in the jungly areas. The heat and humidity definitely took its toll on me. But just like all VR races I had a great time and it was a well put on event. Only recommendation would be chests of ice throughout the second half of the event to help with the heat and humidity. Nothing like shoving some ice cubes in your bra to cool off!

The course isn’t too difficult although it feels like a low grade incline the entire time. You finish on a horse race track which is okay unless you had storms overnight the night before the race then it can be a little mucky to finish on when your legs are spent.

If the race continues to be held in July and with only water stops every 4 miles, I won’t be running again. It is way to hot and humid for only 3 water stops in July in MD. I was cooking by the end of the race and I drank four handhelds of water when I normally only drink 3/4 of one in a race of a half marathon distance.

It is a good race. Well organized, good swag, good post race food. The course is cool with little bridges to cross. There was one mean as hell horsefly that wouldn’t leave me alone. The only bad thing is the time of year is rough. it was the first hot summer day we had had for the year and I was hurting. And then the course according to my garmin was a mile over the half distance. But maybe I got lost and then found it again.

The course has some hills but I love hills so I didn’t think they were too bad. This was more of a training run for me than a race. The course was gorgeous. While a small race it was greatly supported with water stops and hydration options. I will definitely run it again.

It is a killer race. A great time but…. the course is rough. It is in sand and sometimes deep sand and it is at night. But it still has all of the other great Vacation Races race vibes and swag. I don’t know that I will do it again because it just wasn’t exactly my thing but it was definitely a great experience. VR puts on the best races around.

This was my first Vacation Races race and it made me fall in love with them. The course is gorgeous and it is fairly easy. The staff are great. Volunteers are great. Locals are great. Swag is awesome. And its at a National Park…. it really can’t get much better.

Another Vacation Races race…. everything was great. The course from what I saw of it was good. Challenging but doable. Swag is great. The VR staff…. they are amazing folks. I fell and dislocated my shoulder at mile 4.5 during the race so I didn’t finish but they came and got me in an F250 truck. Cherie has killer driving skills. Got me to the ambulance. Medical care at Flagstaff Hospital is top notch as well. And one thing that really won me over…. VR staff followed up with a text and a call the next day to see how I was doing and if there was anything that they could do for me. I was away from home on the opposite side of the country and hadn’t ever even broken bone in my like and I dislocate my shoulder on vacation during a race…. the text and call meant the world to me.