Michael Seymour's Staging Area

If you’re wondering if this race lives up the hype: IT DOES! Here’s my take from running the 2024 Boston Marathon:
– Go to the expo early in the day and Friday or Saturday if possible. It gets crazy busy.
-The $120 for the Boston Marathon jacket at the expo feels excessive. Do it anyway. EVERYONE wears the jacket. It’s a great way to connect with fellow runners that weekend.
-I showed up for the busses on race day 15 minutes before my wave was scheduled to depart. That was plenty of time.
-The bus ride is long. It can mess with your head thinking you have to run the whole way back. Just remember it’s the same 26.2 as any other marathon.
-Athletes Village is huge. There is plenty of time and space to stretch and warm up. There is hydration and plenty of porta potties. Guys, they have urinal versions that have NO LINES!
-Know there is about a 3/4 mile walk from the village to the start line. If it’s cool, keep your throw away clothes on as long as possible. Volunteers will collect them to donate, even up to the starting line.
-The first few miles are mostly downhill. You don’t notice the down as much in your head, but go too fast and your legs will definitely notice them later.
-Aid stations are every mile. No need to bring a water bottle.
-The race provides gels at a few stops. I am not a fan. I brought my own fuel, but never needed it. Spectators give out enough food that you can rely on that. I had a bunch of orange slices and bananas, even a watermelon slice. It was plenty. If you want salty or candy fuel, there was lots of that too.
-There were a few lulls in the crowd support in the early miles, but overall the support is excellent. The crowd really got me through, especially the last 10K. The crowds get bigger the closer you get to the finish.
-The hills in Newton in miles 17-21 are no joke. There are four main hills and they start right after the fire station. The first one was tougher than I thought. A long grinder. The middle two were fine. The last one, Heartbreak Hill is the toughest. I have run steeper hills in Marine Corps and the LA Marathon, but Heartbreak felt the hardest. It’s a long, steady climb. Coming at mile 21 in the race means the legs are sore already so it feels worse. Granted if Heartbreak was in mile 4 it wouldn’t be nearly as famous. Even at mile 4 though you would still notice it. Make sure you don’t run those first miles too fast or the hills in miles 17-21 will make you pay.
-The post race is efficient. You keep walking when you finish, get your water, then your medal, then your bag of food and Mylar blanket. You can meet family in the designated area. We instead chose to meet in the Public Garden. It’s a beautiful park 3 blocks from the finish line. It’s a much more pleasant place for everyone to wait for you. Make sure to designate a specific point in the park to meet like the George Washington statute or the ducklings statutes.
-The entire race process is a well-oiled machine. It’s a huge race with lots of friends and family so expect crowds and expect things to move a bit slowly for things like the expo, the lines for the bus, getting to the start line etc. However, it all moves efficiently. Budget a little extra time and you won’t have any stress.

This is marathon #27 for me and it is my all-time favorite!

I ran the 30 miler in the 2023. Here is my take.
The good: the course is beautiful. The Black Hills is a gorgeous place to run a race. The course is simple too. You run out on a crushed gravel trail, removed from cars, then turn around at the halfway point and run back. There is no possibility of wrong turns or extra distance from not taking the tangents. The course also doesn’t have any major hills. Most of the course is either a steady and manageable uphill or downhill, nothing dramatic. 99.9% of the course is on gravel trails. I wore trail running shoes, but one could have easily ran the course with road shoes too.

The race is well-organized. I felt prepared for all the details of the race from race director emails. The entire day went off without a hitch. The aid stations have everything you need. All I brought was a water bottle. They had plenty of water and tailwind, and enough variety of food to easily cover all my fuel needs. I prefer fruit when I run so I ran the 30 miles on watermelon, bananas, and the occasional chips. There were lots of other options too, I just didn’t partake. The race logistics are simple too. You start and end at the high school football stadium. There is plenty of parking and room to warmup/stretch/cool down before and after the race. The race shirt we get is great! I love the color and it’s not cluttered with advertisements like so many race shirts. I am picky about which shirts I keep, and this is one I am keeping. I also appreciated the free pictures posted on Facebook after the race.

Areas that could improve: instead of a medal, finishers get a mug. I have a display at home for all my medals so I was bummed to see we didn’t get one.

The post-race festivities are pretty much non-existent. There was a person at the finish line who took my picture, and another who handed me the mug. I think the runners just go home afterwards. I have been to many races where there is a party afterwards with grilling, music, and fun games like cornhole or ladder golf. This race didn’t have any of that.

Overall, the positives far outweighed the negatives. I enjoyed the race and so much about it.

I ran the 2023 iteration of Cedro Peak 50K. I am running a marathon/ultra in every state and I am quite pleased with this pick. Here’s the good: the course is beautiful. It’s hard, but fair. I have run races that were so hard they were absurd. This was challenging, but not excessively so. The first 10 miles actually are pretty mellow. I had visions of a PR. The last 20 miles are much more hilly. The scenery is spectacular. The course is probably 99% on trails, mostly single track with some jeep trails here and there. There are some rocks and roots, but overall the trails are smooth and fun to run on. The race director Val is awesome. She sends enough information that you feel prepared, but not so much your inbox is cluttered. I was traveling for the race and she accommodated me picking up my bib on race day since I wasn’t in town when everyone else picked theirs up. I am appreciative of that flexibility. The aid stations are great. Every volunteer was friendly. There is MORE than enough fuel and hydration to complete 31 miles. All I brought was a water bottle and that was plenty. The aid stations have great food, water/Tailwind/Gatorade, and are frequent enough that I never came close to bonking. The post game party was fun. There are tons of picnic tables to sit and eat/drink/rest. They have a grill with fabulous burgers to help with caloric replacement. I could smell the burgers cooking on the last mile of the race. What great motivation to finish! I also appreciated there were volunteers checking each runner at every aid station. That’s a nice safety feature that my family appreciates. Part of the run takes you to the top of a mountain. I recommend taking a moment when you summit and taking in the scenery. The medal is solid, a cool wood design of the mountain. The tech shirt is cool too. It’s not cluttered with a bunch of advertisements like so many. I will actually use this one (I keep ~25% of the shirts I get from races) . The April timing of the race is good. The sun rises early, it’s cool to start, but warms up without getting hot. 2023 weather was divine. It was upper 30s to start, got to the upper 50s by my finish. Quite pleasant!

One thing to consider: the altitude is no joke. If you live in NM, it’s probably no big deal. I came from sea level and definitely noticed. The entire race is above 7,000 feet in elevation. If you can prepare for that, the race will be more enjoyable.

Great race. Highly recommend!

The good stuff:
-The race is highly organized. Every detail was thought of and the event ran smoothly.
-When you cross the finish line they say something unique about you that you shared at registration
-The views from the top of the mountains are gorgeous. October is a great time to see some color change too.
– I liked the socks instead of a shirt for SWAG. I have tons of shirts and hardly use any of them. The socks will definitely get used.
The Not As Good:
– The course has 13/17 miles that feel ‘hard but fair’. There is a four mile stretch that feels excessive. You run up and down ski runs four times. One is really rocky, all of them are steep. You can’t really run up or down them. Running one would be sufficient. Four felt sadistic. The course is 34 miles anyway so cutting out some of those hills seems reasonable and would make it a 50K.
-The aid stations have enough fuel to sustain you, but fewer options than I am used to. There were bananas, chips, and candy. Again, enough that I didn’t need to bring anything of my own, but fewer options than other races I have done.

Overall, this is a challenging, well-run race. If you decide to run it, know that there are going to be some REALLY steep miles that will really test you. If you don’t mind that, everything else is great!

This is ultra/marathon #19 for me and it’s one of my favorites! Here’s what made the experience so memorable:
-the course is gorgeous. You see snow-capped mountains, desert, views for miles. This race is authentically Utah!
-The course is challenging, but not excessively so.
-They personalized the race. The bibs have our names on them, they shout out something special about you over the loud speaker at the finish line, the race director talked to me multiple times etc.
-SWAG is solid: I love the trucker hat, medal, and bib!
-Moab is such a cool place so there is plenty of other fun to have other than race day
-Aid stations have everything you need, including sunscreen! I brought lots of water storage and everything else was provided.
-The course is well-marked. It’s easy to navigate throughout the course.
-The race director is awesome. She’s REALLY good at her job!

Other notes to consider:
-There is no shade on the course. The sun is relentless too. Make sure to bring a hat and sunglasses. Sunscreen is provided at every aid station. You’ll need it!
-There are fewer aid stations than other races I have done. This is because the race is in a REALLY remote location. It was a warm day (80+ degrees at the finish) and I still had plenty of water though. I brought 40 ounces of water and I drink a lot. That was enough, even on a warm day. Make sure to bring a lot of water storage.
-The course is quite remote so cell service is spotty at best. Don’t plan on regular communication with friends and family while on the course.
-On a warm day it can get really toasty. There is a lot of rock running and the
-It’s the desert in March so the pre-dawn temps are about half what they will be at the finish. It was 40 degrees when we started, 80 at the finish. I brought an old shirt and gloves to stay warm before the start. I threw them away right as the race started.
-I like the design of the T-shirt, but it’s mostly cotton so I wouldn’t run in it. I probably won’t wear it. I wish it were a tech-tshirt instead.
-This race gets an A+ up and down the list. Loved the race!

There were so many great aspects to this race. First, the race director Tim is first rate. He provided enough emails that I felt prepared ahead of time without cluttering my inbox. I went to register 4 months ahead of the race and the 50K was sold out (sign up early!). He granted me an extra spot so I could run. Tim also created an extra age group for my daughter so that she could win a first place medal. She is 6 years old and running her first trail race (she did the 5 miler). Being able to stand on the podium with her medal was such a wonderful experience for my entire family. If my daughter becomes an endurance athlete, this race will be a big reason why!

All the logistics were smooth as could be. The entire race was highly organized. Race packet pickup took one minute. It was a brisk morning the day of the race, but there were plenty of heat lamps to stay warm. The course was so well marked that no reasonable person would get lost. I LOVED the mile markers for every mile. This is the first ultra I have run that did that. The course is 99+% on trails. Most of the course is single track, with some wider stretches interspersed. Most of the trail is smooth, with maybe 10% having roots or rocks. The course is constant undulating hills. Very little of the course is flat, but there were only a half dozen larger hills. The varied terrain was nice because one muscle group doesn’t get overtaxed. I ran 31 miles and had no muscle soreness the next day. The aid stations are plentiful. I brought my own water to cut down on the cups being used. I didn’t even need to fill up at some of the stations because they are so frequent. The food was typical ultra fare. It was more than enough to sustain me for 6 hours of running. I brought no food of my own and was totally fine.

The volunteers embodied southern hospitality. They were high energy and quite friendly. The bibs have personalized names on them which is a nice touch. The finishers medals are made out of clay and are totally unique to anything I’ve earned before. There was pizza at the finish line which is just what my empty stomach needed. The race is entirely within Fort Yargo State Park. The park is beautiful. Since it’s February, you can see much further since there aren’t leaves on the trees. There is not a ton of parking there, so carpooling and getting there as early as possible is recommended. The 2020 race was under clear blue skies. While I didn’t cook in the sun, I recommend sunglasses as there were lots of sunny stretches.

This is my 7th ultra and 17th race of a marathon or further and this is one the best ones. The race somehow managed to provide the intimate feel of a small race, yet have the organization and quality goodies (personalized bib, cool finishers medal, post race food etc.) of a much larger race. My wife and daughter are very fortunate their first trail race was such a good one.

I STRONGLY recommend this race to anyone looking for a quality ultra experience!

Running on the Las Vegas Strip at night was a lifetime memory for me.

There are so many positives about the race: the amount of correspondence ahead of time was good. I knew what to expect and wasn’t inundated with emails.

The expo was fairly large, very well organized, and a fun experience.

The starting corral was simple and efficient. There were tons of port-o-potties to take care of business ahead of time, then you find a pacer at your preferred pace and stick next to them. Then you meander a ways (a mile maybe) to the starting line. There were waves to start so I could run my pace after mile 1.

The course itself has some absolutely amazing parts. About half the marathon is on the Strip. Having Las Vegas Blvd closed to all cars was surreal. It is such a cool way to experience the Strip. The course was well marked and had plenty of water/gatorade stops. They had some fuel options as well with potatoes around mile 8ish, bananas at 19, and gu packets at several points. I brought food, but one could easily run the entire race completely on the fuel and hydration provided. The course is largely flat, with some hills in the second half of the race with bridges. My only complaint about the course was the lack of excitement factor for most of the second half of the marathon. There are some pretty blah neighborhoods to run through and the worst stretch was almost 3 miles (miles 21-24) of running through a giant parking lot. That’s a stretch where keeping your head in the game is tough under perfect conditions, but laps around a parking lot made a tough stretch even more difficult.

If you are really just looking for an authentic Vegas experience, I recommend the half as the entire course is either on the Strip or a small part running downtown. Much of the full marathon course off the Strip was out and backs on lifeless streets. With all the u-turns, I would not recommend this course if you’re looking for a PR. They are momentum killers.

The finish line is organized. You get your medal then keep walking as you get various other goodies like food, hydration, etc. The finish line is by the Mirage and you get to the end of the exit chute between Caesar’s and Bellagio.

It was such an awesome experience! I am so happy I did it!

This race has so many positives. First, the race is run by a most talented race director. Helen sent enough emails ahead of the race that I felt prepared, but not so many that it was too much. I can tell she genuinely cared about the racers because she knew who I was before I even introduced myself.

The course is a gorgeous run through Mississippi forest. It is four 8 mile loops. About 7.5 of the miles are on trails or grass with about 1/2 mile on pavement. The course is challenging but fair. There are some hills but I wouldn’t call it hilly, The challenging part is there are very few flat stretches and sometimes the grass sections can be draining on energy. The course itself is beautiful. It’s mostly through forest with some meadows as well. The forest stretches have variation too. Some stretches are mostly pine trees, where other stretches have palmettos. The 8 mile loops were long enough that they never felt monotonous. The course was incredibly well marked and at no point was I confused on where to turn. There was an aid station at 4.3 miles and then one at the start/finish. That was enough. The only suggestion I have for improvement on the course would be a mile marker half way before the aid station and after. Maybe a mile 2 and mile 6 marker to help gauge your pace.

The weather for our race was perfect, 70 and sunny. I heard late October is a great time for a race there.

The SWAG was about what you expect. The race shirt was a regular t-shirt (not a tech running shirt) which I liked. I wish the shirt would have mentioned that the race was in Mississippi though.

The lodging next to the race is solid. It’s a no frills, everything you need and nothing you don’t. It’s dirt cheap, $50/night for two beds. I stayed two nights with a friend so I was only out $50. The rooms are right next to the start/finish line which was super convenient. Plus, there were two dinners and a breakfast served so you really don’t need to go anywhere from the time you arrive Friday night to when you leave Sunday morning.

The best part of the race was the community of runners. Many seemed like they knew each other. I was a newbie and everyone made me feel like I was part of the group, not an outsider. After the race, many of us gathered around to watch football, play corn hole, and eat dinner together. There was so much laughing, eating, and drinking after the race.

This is one of the most enjoyable, well-run races I have ever been a part of. I highly recommend this for those looking for an authentic Mississippi experience, in a small, homey feeling race. While one could just do the race and enjoy it, if possible, the experience will be greatly enhanced if you can make a weekend out of it, stay Friday and Saturday nights on site, and really get to know the wonderful community that supports this run.

I ran this race in 2018. Here’s the good: This course is about as flat as a New England course gets. A PB or a BQ is possible here. There are a tremendous number of volunteers. Many of them are directing traffic and they were everywhere. Super helpful! The course is five loops that start and end at the finish line so spectators could see you six times without having to move. Loop four has four blissful miles on trails through a forest with water on both sides. It is hands down the best stretch on the course. We repeated other loops, but not that one. I wish we could have done more miles on that trail. The small town race had nice perks like picking up my bib with no wait at all on race morning. I used a port-a-potty 30 minutes before the start and had no line. Within five seconds of crossing the finish line I had a medal on me, a bottle of water in my hand, and a wet towel around my neck. It was hot and humid that day so that is exactly what I needed. The swag bag is great and I’ll use it for gym workouts. The police support was amazing. They did a great job of directing traffic and seemed genuinely supportive of the runners. 7am start time is solid because in late May the sun rises so early so you want to be off the course before it really starts cooking. Lots of positives in this race.

Areas for growth: there were some pretty bland stretches of this race. Some of it is running through old industrial parts of town with one particular stretch of running through a large parking lot (luckily it’s followed by the best 4 mile stretch). Loops 1 and 3 are the same and 2 and 5 share a large stretch so it can get a little monotonous. The race provides you splits of the loops but since they are all different distances, you can’t really discern splits very well. I would have appreciated more traditional splits like 10K, halfway, 30K etc. The swag bag itself is solid, but not much else to speak of. We got a cotton t-shirt which is actually unique these days, but I prefer a tech shirt. The rest was coupons. Because it’s smaller there is pretty sparse crowd support. This isn’t an ideal travel race because there aren’t really hotels to speak of in downtown Nashua. It’s an easy 45 minute jaunt from Boston though (where I’m from).

The positives are many and the areas of improvement are minor in nature. I really enjoyed myself at Gate City!

There were a lot of great aspects to this race. The town of Burlington is awesome. They take such pride in the race. The way the course is designed (lots of various out and backs) means it’s easy for fans to see a runner multiple times. Plus it feels like the crowd support is huge because of it. The race strikes that amazing balance of large crowd support with the small town feel. The course is moderately flat by New England standards. It has some hills, nothing too steep, but a few that were long, steady inclines. It’s a fair course to chase a PR in the Northeast. The race is quite organized. It was easy to find my family afterwards. The food and drinks were what you expect from a race. The tech shirt is great. I am quite picky when it comes to keeping them (I hardly ever do), but I am keeping this one. The start/finish line is in a beautiful area, in a park on the lake. I absolutely loved the last 4 miles of the race. It’s on a flat, mostly shaded, bike path that has woods on the left and views of the lake on the right. If you are chasing a PR, those last miles will help you get there. This is my 9th marathon and only the second one I enjoyed so much I would consider running again.

Here is what I consider positives about the race: the course was very flat, almost as flat as possible. The scenery is interesting. I’ve lived in MA, CO, and CA and this was NOTHING like running in those places. Running along swamps with alligators and wild boars is very unique. The three laps of 16.7 miles is easy to digest and helps you navigate how much more you have left to run. The course is really well marked. You would have to be pretty clueless to get lost.
What could be improved: I would have appreciated mile markers. My GPS didn’t make it through the entire run so the last lap I didn’t know how far we had left. At the very least, mile markers at the aid stations would have helped. The first two aid stations were a bit far apart (4-5 miles). It wasn’t a big deal on the first lap when you don’t need them, but subsequent laps it felt far. The flat course I think was actually harder for me. Others might prefer it, but I was using the same muscles over and over and found myself wanting a hill once in a while.
All in all, a quality race. I am glad I did it.

I ran this race with the sole purpose of qualifying for Boston. It is the flattest course I have run in New England. There are a few small hills, but flat overall. The aid stations were frequent enough and staffed with friendly people. The course largely runs along a river which in October makes for some nice scenery. I loved that they gave out PR and BQ key chains after the race for those that earned them. There was also good tracking devices for family to follow you, as well as a cool printout of your splits after the race. The post race refreshments were solid. Areas I felt were suboptimal were the stretches of road where there was just a small space reserved for runners. Many miles were spent running on the shoulder of a 2 lane road. I didn’t like being that close to moving cars. At the end of the race a sports drink would have been great. The water was nice, but I would have loved some Gatorade too. The race attracts some intense people. I saw a woman collapse multiple times on the course, another woman with grossly swollen feet going to the hospital, and other more gross things I won’t repeat here. Lowell itself is a nice little town, but not one I would travel to from far away (I live in Boston, 40 miles away). If you’re looking for a small race on a flat course to get your PR or BQ, this is a solid pick. I wouldn’t let your expectations exceed that.

I had a good experience in Providence. The course is relatively flat, though there are a few noticeable hills, one in particular late in the race that felt like Everest on my tired legs. The scenery had some nice stretches to it, running through a great New England neighborhood, running briefly along the ocean, running on running trails away from traffic etc. There were also some not-so-great scenery too, but definitely more good than bad. I like the nautical medal and the tech-T is solid. I usually donate them, but I kept this one; it’s stylish and high quality. The location is awesome, right in downtown Providence. I took the train from Boston, stayed in a nice hotel right by the start/finish line and made a nice weekend out of it. It also has a half and kids run so my whole family got to participate. It’s a smaller race in a smaller town. We enjoyed our weekend getaway, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re traveling from far away. Overall I was pleased with my experience.

This was my first ever marathon. There were a lot of positives about this race. First, Portland is amazing! I love that town. Stay in the Old Port neighborhood and you have tons of hotels, restaurants, and shops at your fingertips. The race is within walking distance of there. The course is scenic. You start on a flat stretch by the bay. Then you spend a lot of time in the woods (on pavement) with occasional ocean views. The medal is a giant moose which is cool. I felt like I got a good sense of Maine from my run.

The not so great: the course doesn’t really go through the city parts of Portland. I would have liked more of that. The start and finish line are in a bland spot. It’s close to the bay so the views are nice, but it’s just a bunch of asphalt. Many other races finish next to some green space so you can sit down and refuel/relax. Not the case here. I would not recommend trying to PR here as it’s pretty hilly. There are no monster hills, but they are noticeable and relentless, especially on tired legs in the second half of the race.

This is a race worth traveling a reasonable distance (I came from Boston). Portland is a great place with lots to do. The course has a lot of beauty and gives a good Maine experience. I have now completed six marathons and this race compares favorably.