Bonnie Randall-Hanson's Staging Area

This was my first time doing a Vacation Race, and I traveled from Minnesota with three friends to attend. The face expo was small but well-organized and there was an excellent selection of merchandise. The race shirts ran small, but we were able to exchange them for a larger size which was greatly appreciated.

Race day weather was gorgeous, and, after a short wait, busing to the start went smoothly. The buses were tour buses versus school buses, so we traveled to the start line in high style. A gold star for having hot coffee available at the start. I didn’t have a chance to partake as we got to the start on the late side, but if I’d had to wait this would have been a huge bonus! There were plenty of porta potties located by the starting corral, but many were out of toilet paper, had been heavily used and were very dirty, and the doors didn’t latch. One of my friends accidentally got an eyeful when she opened the door on a male runner in the middle of his pre-race constitutional. ;o) I’m guessing that porta potty company availability is limited given the remote location of this race and you get what you get, but an area of opportunity if there are other options.

The race had a rolling start, so runners started anywhere from 5:30 to 7:30 am. We had one very fast runner in our group, and the rest of us were scheduled to start about 90 mins later which would have meant that we would have needed to bus and start separately, as well as having her wait an hour or more at the finish. However, the race provided for runners to start in a different wave than they were assigned if they wanted, and that was a great perk as it meant we were all able carpool, start and finish together. In addition, the race was extremely walker friendly. There were people of all shapes, sizes and levels of physical ability participating, some of whom appeared to be walking the entire course which was great..nice to see such an inclusive race. The fellow who finished immediately ahead of me was using a cane…talk about a tough constitution and what a huge accomplishment!!

As for the terrain, the first half of the course was breathtakingly beautiful. The footing was tricky though…the trail was wide but lots of rocks jutting up so you had to watch your step. In addition, much of the course was downhill, so you were bracing yourself for the majority of the race. If you didn’t train for technical terrain and hills, you’d pay the price. My IT band started to seize at mile 6 so I did alot of intermittent walk/running the second half of the race. We ran on the road the second half of the race, so the footing was much better but it was less scenic. I’ve never been more sore after a half marathon…I could hardly get in and out of a chair the next day, and every single muscle in my legs hurt. It took me three days to be able to walk without pain. My bad for not training more vigorously! :o(

There were plenty of water stops along the way…every one had an ample supply of water and a energy gals. In addition, some offered an energy drink, as well as banana and orange slices. Race organizers had warned us the day before that they were short on medals due to a shipping issue, but they did their best to make it up to runners by offering Yosemite shot glasses, and then, when they ran out of those, shirt from the merchandise tent. They also gave all participants $50 off a future Vacation Race. In addition, they shipped the missing medals to finishers the following week. I’m sure it was disappointing to some to not get a medal at the end (like the fellow I mentioned above who knocked himself out to get it done), but they did the best they could given the circumstances. We were given bananas and boxes filled with a variety of cool snack items at the finish. Since the race finished at Bass Lake, I enjoyed a refreshing dip in the lake post race which felt great on my tired feet.

Besides the porta potty situation mentioned at the start, the only other piece of constructive feedback I would have is about medical assistance. At mile 5 there was a woman who was very ill. Despite the fact that she was on her hands and knees vomiting about 30 feet from the water stop, none of the volunteers noticed or assisted her. When I asked the first volunteer to call for help, she told me there was an ambulance two miles down the road. I told them she was in no condition to continue on the course. They then referred me to another volunteer for help. When I approached him he demonstrated zero sense of urgency in calling for help. No emergency personnel passed me during the next two miles, so I stopped to inquire at the 7 mile water stop. There was a medical tent there, but no ambulance or medical support present, and no one knew where they had gone. I asked a volunteer to find out if anyone knew about the runner and if she’d been helped. This volunteer demonstrated concern, took the situation seriously and quickly followed up. Moving forward, volunteers need to pay attention to runner safety, have clear instructions how to access medical support, and demonstrate a sense of urgency when a runner needs assistance. There were ambulances at the finish, but I worry as to what would have happened if there had been an actual medical emergency on the course.

Overall, this was a well-organized and very fun experience with a couple of areas of opportunity. Thanks to all the staff and volunteers who made it possible. I would definitely do another Vacation Race!