Mark Hall's Staging Area

I can’t top Lorelei’s review of this race so please read hers. This race lived up to all that I had heard, and then some. The weather in 2021 was perfect, 54 at the start, low 70s at the end. Perfectly clear. It is hard to describe the scenery, it was all fantastic. There were 1,116 finishers. It was so much fun to be part a large group of runners enjoying the event so much.
The production was fantastic. The water stations classic, with Amish children handing out water. The swag you have probably heard about – the medal made out of a used up local horseshoe on a strip of leather from a local harness shop. And a nice short sleeve tech shirt with the distance and date, a whoopee pie, and a souvenir quality race book.
Depending on where you are from, the course may or may not have hills. My watch had 525 feet of total ascent, coming from east Tennessee they mostly seemed like inclines rather that steep hills.
This is definitely an event in it’s own class. If you enjoy a rural setting and well run event, this must be one of the best.

This was only a few miles away and worth waking up for. From the looks of the other 54 runners, they felt the same way – local folks up to support a local high school.
It started on the track at the concession stand of the football field, went out on the greenway past historic Weigel dairy, past the post office to the turn around. It was fun to run where I have only driven so many times before. There are charming older houses or the dairy field/flood plain most of the way. A nice long wooden boardwalk or sidewalks basically. My watch had 52 ft of elevation gain. Excellent police, fire, and ambulance support. The fire truck at the high school played the theme from Rocky as runners returned, sounded like a phone held up to a mic but it worked. The start was the race director saying “Go” but it was chipped timed by an area company, Personal Best Racing, they always do a great job. It ended on the football field 50 yard line, I forgot to strike the Heisman pose as I crossed the finish.
The swag was a tshirt and if you placed in an age division, a ribbon. What more could you ask for? There was a town festival with a car show and booths of local merchants and craftspeople that we spent time at between the finish and awards.
Definitely a recommendable race and worth making the effort to go to.

The Scholars Run is a well done 5K in a scenic small college setting. Packet picket in the morning was at the rec center and smooth, there were indoor restrooms. 200+ runners made a nice size. The course was mostly on campus with about half a mile going out the entrance into a charming well kept older neighborhood of the type of nice houses you’d expect across from a small private older university. Streets weren’t closed but there were police on the main street off campus directing traffic. The one water/gatorade stop was here, put on in front of an Edward Jones advisor’s front yard, with him and his family serving, nice.
The course was well marked with volunteers at key spots. My watch had 167 ft of elevation gain. There were bananas, bagels and pastries at the finish with plenty of water bottles. Swag was a quality cotton tshirt with silhouettes of runners wearing mortar boards.
We ran this last about 20 years and it was so nice to run it again. I hope we can run it again next year, it’s that kind of race.

Gorgeous marathon settings seem to be a Utah standard, the Sand Hollow marathon is a really fun small town race that was a joy to run and delivers on scenery and rural settings. This year the marathon course was doing the half marathon course twice, road construction closed the regular course. It starts in the old town section of Hurricane at the charming community center – a square block of a small museum, park, playground and 50s era grade school turned into a well maintained community rec building. The course heads south out of town thru quiet neighborhoods into farm land, and then turns east against dramatic buttes rising above the fields. The north view on the way back is of the mountains that lead into the southern entrance of Zion National Park, more “jaw dropping” scenery (as the race website says). I was happy to run the same route twice with surroundings like that. The roads are open but traffic was sparse even into late morning, it all worked.
The original date was early March but was pushed back to June 5 this year from Covid concerns – no snow in the background peaks in photos this year. More water stations were added, they seemed like a sufficient number to me. There is very little shade and the sun rises over the buttes early, blacktop is warm, and there was a record high the day before the race, so it was warm, 95 in town by mid morning and probably warmer out on the course. But that should not be an issue in the future when it is back in March. I was pleased with my time since heat really slows me down. The scenery and setting really did make the heat much more bearable. It was so nice to sit on the lawn in the shade of trees at the finish line and drink a couple cold bottles of water.
The swag is probably going to be my all time favorite – an image of a running Kokopelli in minimalist shoes. He is on the medal and tech shirt. Could be my next tattoo. Your race results are handed to you in what seemed like under a minute at the finish, overall results are taking longer to post but again, this is a small town race with a few people working hard to get it done, I am sure they will be there with all the past results soon. My watch had a 1,040 ft elevation gain, that all seemed to be in the mile and a half leading up to the turn around point, so 520 feet twice was not that steep or bad.
I was very glad to be one of the people running the marathon, I had been looking forward to this since November and it definitely delivered.

This was called a low key half and it delivered – a well done low key run on a greenway. Low key probably included 4 unsupervised road crossings, an open greenway, direction signs and mile markers in chalk on the greenway, swag = a shirt, and no direct police or medical support. All of which made for a really nice early morning run on a beautiful greenway. It also was geared toward runners with a 70 person cap and 2:30 time limit.
It started at Crossfit Pistol Creek, which is bordering the greenway. Plenty of nearby parking, heated packet pickup and restrooms (with supplemental porta potties). The 6:30 start time helped in many ways – I saw less than 10 people on the greenway that were not in the event, and it left a lot of Saturday to do all the regular things.
Race production was excellent – good prerace communication, smooth packet picket and race management. Makes sense though, Crossfit Pistol Creek knows athletic events and so does Knoxville Endurance, the two sponsors. There were 3 aid stations with water and gatorade, one also had syrup. Which made for 6 stops on the out and back course.
The Maryville area is known for its scenic greenways and the race segment lived up to it. My watch had 285 ft elevation gain, just some short inclines, no hills.
I would definitely run this again, a very pleasant and well delivered event that fits into a weekend smoothly.

The race theme was a do-over for the races we couldn’t run this last year: “ For those of you who have been disappointed by cancelled or postponed races, we’ve got your back!”. It started and finished at Percy Priest Dam park and went along the Stones River Greenway. Extremely scenic especially for being next to the Nashville Airport.
It was a certified half marathon but had gun timing. At the end 2 women peered at my bib and called out my number to the person writing down the time at the finish – I loved the personalized finish.
The production seemed flawless. Packet pickup the morning of the race at a shelter with heated restrooms, well organized with knowledgeable volunteers.
The course was beautiful, woods pretty much the whole way and along the Stones River. My watch had 666 ft of elevation but nothing really steep, just inclines. There were aid stations every 3 miles, just right.
The tech shirt and medal had a very nicely designed logo. I was pleased with my performance since my calf tightened up about 1.5 miles into it, but I was able to manage it thru paying careful attention to my stride. And really, I just don’t care much about time especially at a beautiful and fun event like this, it was nice just being there. There were about 90 runners and everyone was encouraging each other as we passed on the out and back course (with 2 small different loops put in).
I would recommend this and be happy to run it again. I hope it continues since in the future the name would connect to the odd year we just went thru.

I ran the 10k for the second year in a row. This is a popular area event, both distances. Fun to see hundreds of runners out in 24 degree cloudy weather this year. The course starts and ends in the small town of Strawberry Plains. The 10k (and half) is out and back thru nice river side farm country. My watch had 266 ft elevation gain. The shirt has been nice both years and there is even a medal, not standard in a KTC event, although maybe for an Eddie’s Health Shop sponsored one. Really a fun time.

A half marathon fit in my training cycle, this seemed like a good one, and actually it turned out to be a great one. The local running club put it on and had a well produced and supported distance for almost everyone – 5k, 10k, and half.
Pikeville KY is a scenic mountain town but since the race went along the river, it was a flat course, my watch had 259 ft for the half. The course was a 10k out and back, with the half marathon doing it twice and the 5k halfway. I was happy to view the scenery twice and talk with the aid station folks twice. The weather cooperated, it was a clear cooler day, gorgeous. The packet picket was smooth, indoor restrooms were available since the race started at an event center in the old downtown. Covid wave starts worked well. There were sidewalks and generous road shoulders (with light Saturday morning traffic) the whole way. Free and numerous photos. A nice medal and great quality hooded sweatshirts for the half, a nice long sleeve tshirt for the 5 and 10k’s. Beer at the end, 2 well placed and stocked water and gatoraide stations along the course, with the far one having gels. Hard to think of a nicer way to spend a Saturday morning. Pikeville is a nice place to visit, with plenty of motel and restaurant offerings even though it is tucked away in the mountains. Being the county seat and having a small college probably helped. Definitely a recommendable event and one I would not mind at all repeating. The town is also a good example of the distance between first and second place – a sign at the scenic overlook above town says that it is home to one of the world’s largest engineering feats, second only to the Panama Canal. Most people know of the Panama Canal, how many have heard of Pikeville KY? I would love it if this race changed that.

I loved this 10k. The idea of all uphill (most of the +2,000 ft is in the last 4 miles). The setting, the way the production fit the race (no chip time, no need – no pr’s here), and of course the challenge of pretty much up hill all the way. Perfect weather in 2020 to top it off.
The point to point course starts next to the main street of Norton, VA and climbs to the scenic lookup above the town. A significant portion has the classic switchbacks of a road that only leads to an overlook – where you slow the vehicle down to make the sharp turn. Woods provided pleasant scenery and shade. The last 50 yards are flat but otherwise it is uphill.
The production was smooth, the swag terrific – the hellbender on the tshirt has a facemask for 2020, and the age group award mugs were locally made. It was smart to go with gun time and presumably lower the cost so more money goes toward the charitable cause. The race start was late enough in the morning to allow easy driving to Norton from where ever you spent the night.
I loved seeing what I could do, and there is the added benefit of all the hills in the races following the Hellbender seeming insignificant.

Here are the answers to the form prompts –
Share specifics, e.g. awesome aid stations, a medal I’ll sleep with under my pillow: Yes to both. Plentiful water and Gator-aide ready to go every 2 or so miles. Gummy bears, pickles, fruit. Friendly people that stayed for the tail end runners. The medal, what’s not to love about an ear of corn from an Iowa marathon? Definitely an under the pillow medal.

What was the most unique aspect of this race?: 2 things – I am not sure how many marathons there are between 2 small Iowa farm towns when corn and soybeans are near their peak before harvest. This must be one of the few, and to me the course was beautiful. Also, 2020 was the year of Covid 19 and so many races were cancelled. The Cedar River Complex folks had precautions that were being used nationwide and went on with their race (It’s been over 2 weeks and I am symptom free so it worked for me). That, and that the marathon was a Boston Qualifier seemed to draw a crowd, they seemed at their cap of 80, up from high 30’s the year before. It was one of the few marathons happening and was in a place I was glad to visit in a format I felt secure in.

How would you improve the race?: Wouldn’t change a thing.

Would you recommend this race to friends?: Definitely. We were surprised that nearby Mason City had so much to offer. Definitely stay in Osage if there is room at the motel and Airbnb’s, for a country experience. But 35 minutes away in Mason City is the only existing Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel, renovated re-opened in 2011 and a joy to stay at. Mason City has a wonderful old city around the Historic Park Inn and it was fun to spend time around the marathon in.

I liked the swag, for a race this size. The medal speaks for itself, nice long sleeve tech shirt in superman blue with a large graphic like the medal. Fun local stuff in the bag.