Liz Cothren's Staging Area

I did the half, which started in a beautiful areas near some barns. You run around a stunning lake and the foliage, beaches and homes were so pretty to run by. It is an open course where you run on the shoulder but for most of the race the running space was flat/even and drivers were very considerate. Good number of aid stations, more port-o-potties than I usually see which is great! Onne neighbor had boxes of snacks/waters for the runners which was a nice treat. Pre-race communications were good and they were responsive to questions/needs. They did have a space for showers in the school gym which amazing for the out of town travelers.

There are hills but I didn’t find them overly taxing (there is one at mile 3 I could have done without as someone from Louisiana with no hills at all!) but overall I would definitely recommend the half.

Bus transportation to the race start, but minimal wait times to ride and plenty of people guiding you to the location. Course had a lot of ‘rolling hills’, which were intimidating since I train in a very flat area, but these were very manageable. Roads were all open to cars with dedicated running on the edge but minimal traffic.

Course takes you on back country roads with a mix of green and corn fields which were lovely, then you cross the St. Croix river on a dedicated running/walking path which was gently sloping and easy to navigate. Plenty of volunteers helped guide participants and water stations every 2 miles on the nose was very helpful since the heat was high in 2024.

Overall truly recommend this race. I would absolutely do it again.