Melanie Ciupak's Staging Area

Overall, I enjoyed this race for the scenery and the after party. I am a “back-of-the-packer” and actually finished last in the half-marathon. We live in Houston, so the elevation was definitely a factor in my performance and overall enjoyment of the race, even though we acclimated for about 5 days before.

The expo is small, but the volunteers were efficient and all of our questions were easily answered. Anything you need or forget to bring with you was available for purchase. Additional areas for pre-race photos would be a nice add here – as there was just a small sign for pics with your bibs.

Logistically, you board early morning (4:30am) buses to the starting point on the mountain. I advise trying to take one of the last buses if possible, as we waited close to an hour outside once on the mountain. It was about 39 degrees at start and there were no places to sit (other than on the ground). Not a big deal, but if you want to avoid standing for a long period before the run, a later bus would be a better option. They did have ample port-a-lets at the start, as well as hot coffee and hot chocolate, water, and gels. They also offered gear check up until the start of the race. My running club advised using a large trash bag to wear and keep warm before the race; I got a lot of strange looks, but let me tell you – IT WORKED.

As a runner/walker in the back, I was alone for most of the run, until the marathon runners begin to pass me around mile 8. There is little crowd support during this event, until right before the finish. It’s great if you just plan to enjoy the scenery, but it can leave you on the struggle bus if you need the crowds for motivation.

The scenery was beautiful – it was pretty peaceful for about the first 4 miles of the run. My husband ran the full marathon and had 17 miles on the mountain (incredible views and pics!). Of note, there is a decent crown in the road, which may cause you to run a bit awkwardly as the course pushes you to the side of the road. There is also a section that puts you out on a highway that was pretty noisy, but ultimately the course moved to a trail so the noise doesn’t last long. The volunteers at each aid station were very supportive and encouraging, and made for a great experience.

The trail areas were quiet and had great scenery. There were a couple of foot-bridges over areas, and that was a surprise, but they were really cool to run over.

As far as the finish – the crowds start to show up for you around mile 11.5 of the half. Race volunteers call your name as you finish and cross the finish line. From a logistics perspective here, the finish was confusing. There were a lot of people just beyond the finish line that were waiting for their finishers, and this caused me to miss the post race food (banana’s, water, granola, etc.). They didn’t direct finishers to this area, so it was easy to miss.

I grabbed my medal from a volunteer and went to the after party area; I have a practice of taking a post-race selfie, and only then did I realize they handed me a 26.2 medal instead of a 13.1. I walked back to the volunteers for the correct medal, and was told that they were sorry, but they had run out of half-medals. They said I was welcome to keep the 26.2, and they would be reaching out after the race to get my information to be mailed the correct medal. The volunteer I spoke with was very sincere in their apology, and to their credit, they emailed me the very next day to collect that info. The finisher medals are very nice – it just would have been nice to have the correct medal at the finish line! Kudos to the lady that let me borrow her half-medal for a post-race pic!

For the post race party, they had beers from a local brewery (O’Dell), a local band, and a variety of food trucks, There was lots of seating as well.

Overall, this was a good race and a good experience!

This race was exceptional – the start line energy is unmatched, and the on-course support could not have been better. The Expo is one of the best I have been to. We participated in the We are Houston 5k the day before, and also earned the Houston Double Medal at our finish. Highly recommend doing this for the experience!

This race is described as fast and flat, and it is! We had perfect weather throughout the race as well. One of the things slower runners should know is that there is a 13:45 pace requirement over the first 8 miles that is listed in the rules on the registration site. It caused me quite a bit of stress, but other runners from prior years encouraged me not to worry. I did spot the course sweepers on the course, but did not see anyone at my pace (about 15:30 per mile) swept off. The spectators show out! I lost count of how many random strangers cheered me on by name by just reading my bib. Everyone after mile 9 saved me!

My only complaint would be the number of available port-a-cans after mile 8 on the half marathon course. I still hit a personal best but lost about 8 minutes waiting for a restroom. I’ll plan accordingly next year.

I also purchased the photography package because I feel like I never get great photos and wanted a few good ones. They snapped over 100, and now I’m having trouble choosing my favorites.

My last bit of caution is be sure to plan ahead for miles before and after the race. As I mentioned, we attended the expo and did the 5k the day before. This amounted to almost 10 miles total the day before the half. Then – after you finish the half, you continue walking through the medal stations, photo booths, t-shirt pickup and gear check. All I wanted to do was sit down! Next year, we will limit our activities the day before to have fresher legs the day of the main event.

Overall, it was an incredible experience!

This is my second time participating – this production group puts on a great race. Near my home, it’s also easy to get to. Overall, a flat and easy course, and set a PB this time. This run is always well attended and festive.