Beverly Nestor's Staging Area

This race was very well-organized with great swag. The race expo was large, especially for an inaugural race.

The course was a flat point to point. Runners were shuttled from the local casino/convention center parking lot to the start line, and shuttled back from the finish line. The highlight of the course was crossing the Susquehanna River near the finish.

There was a finisher’s medal and a VERY nice quarter zip pullover. Finisher’s also received free sunglasses at the finish line.

Even the bib was well thought out as it was in the shape of the State of Pennsylvania, customized with the runner’s first name.

If I still lived in PA, this would probably be one of my favorite races.

I’ve reviewed this race before, so I’ll just update for 2023.

The biggest complaint/disappointment was the fact the city/county was supposed to unlock the restrooms at 6:30. For unknown reasons, the restrooms were not open until after the 5k started.

The 5k started at 7:30 and the 10k started at 8:15. This allowed challenge runners 45 minutes to complete the 5k before running the 10k. It was not a strict cutoff, so runners were able to complete the challenge even if they did not finish the 5k in 45 minutes.

Since I reviewed this race last year, I’ll just add some more details.

Course: while most of the course is a generally soft trail, the beginning (and on the 2nd lap of the 10-mile course) has crushed stone that can be uncomfortable with softer soled shoes. My altra superior come with an optional stone guard and I wish I had used them.

After the race: there were games and prizes after the awards were given out. The prizes were just little stuff, but I thought it a nice touch. There was also a variety of food available including nonalcoholic beer.

I’ve reviewed this race before, so I’ll comment on this year’s event. The timing company had some technical difficulties, which took them several days to work out and publish the final results. Age group awards were given out on the day of the race though.

The tank this year is 100% cotton as opposed to being tech material like last year.

The course was changed slightly to lessen confusion at a traffic circle but apparently people still complained about the course being confusing. I had no problem with the course.

Highball to Thurmond offered 55k, 50 mile relay and 50 mile solo options. My review will be about the 50 miler. I will include what I did for this race and whether it worked for me. Or not.

For the 50 miler, runners could choose to start early, at 4:45 am. They would not be eligible for awards but would have a 14 hour time limit. The regular start time was 6 am, with a 12.75 hour time limit. The time limits for the 50 mile race were mainly for the train. Since the 50 mile course was point to point, runners had the option of taking an Amtrak train from the finish line back to the start, or else make their own transportation arrangements. The course started in Montgomery, WV, went through New River Gorge National Park and finished in Thurmond, WV.

I chose the 4:45 am start, which worked well for me, as I was able to make the cutoffs. Due to miscalculating how long it would take me to get ready and get to the start, I arrived at the start area at 4:41 am. This worked out, as I was able to park about half a block from the start line. I would not recommend doing this though, as it was all street parking and I just plain got lucky 😂.

The first 9 miles consisted of rolling hills, then the next 10 or so were gravel/dirt roads and a more serious, 4 or so mile climb. There was then a two mile descent, with some waterfalls along the side of the road. After going across Hawk’s Nest Dam, this brought me to the first drop bag location. I switched from road shoes to trail shoes, which worked out well. I did not have the rock guards in my Altra trail shoes, but I wish did. There were parts of the course that has some sharp rocks underfoot. I would also include bug spray in the first drop bag.

Mile 20 or so was when the trail running began, starting with a steep but thankfully short climb to a single track trail. There were rock cliffs on one side of the trail and steep drop offs on the other side. Parts of the trail (both here and later on) were muddy, but not terribly so.

The trails varied between technical single track, flat rail trail, and steep, rocky descents and ascents. The section of trail descending to Kaymoor Miners Trail had wooden steps and rock steps. My trail shoes did fail me a bit. The first time, both feet slid forward out from under me as I was going down a steep part, landing me on my butt. No harm done. That time. While trying to be cautious on the rocks, my toes had a tendency to slide forward in the shoes despite using a heel lock method of lacing. This caused bruised toes and I will lose at least one toenail.

There were some brief sections of road when connecting between some trails. Some trails had a steep drop off to one side, so be careful if you’re afraid of heights. Or have a fear of tripping and stumbling down the side of a mountain, like I do.

The second bag drop was at roughly mile 40. I definitely needed the bug spray that I had in there but might have preferred another change of shoes. I think trail shoes were still needed (more on that shortly) but maybe some with more cushion. There was a fairly steep paved section that my knees and quads didn’t like as my zero drop trail shoes just didn’t provide enough cushion.

After following a fairly flat rail trail for a few miles after that, there was one final brief but very steep ascent. This climb was just that…a steep 300 foot climb up a rocky trail, more suitable for hiking with poles. Unless you use your hands to practically pull yourself up the trail. A nice wide and flat rail trail with a couple wooden bridges was the reward for completing that ascent.

The last mile and a half or so was paved and I once again wished for a more cushioned shoe. This section is also the namesake of this race, being that you could “highball” it into the town of Thurmond. Crossing the finish line, you were given your medal, which had an enclosed train that slid back and forth, and doubles as a drink coaster. There were refreshments waiting along with our third and final drop bag. I had a change of clothes in my bag, but purposefully did not include another pair of shoes. I might have enjoyed a pair of recovery sandals, but knew I would be afraid to see what my feet looked like after 50 miles.

Since I finished within the time limit, I was able to grab a sloppy joe and some chocolate milk after changing my clothes. Those of us that purchased a train ticket then went to the Amtrak station to catch the 6:59 train. Since the train didn’t actually show up until 7:30, the race organizers popped the champagne bottles early, on the station platform. The train ride took about 50 minutes and was a nice way to chat with other people with the same interests and had also just completed the same awesome achievement. Champagne continued to flow. Race director Rich spent time talking to every runner in the train car, once again proving how much he cares about the runners.

The entire course was very well marked and easy to follow. There were 8 aid stations, stocked with a variety of foods, tailwind, and water. I did wear my hydration vest, which was a very wise choice. The volunteers at the aid stations were very helpful and supportive, and seemed more like your own personal crew. There were so many beautiful sections of trail that I ended up taking over 100 pictures during the run. I could not resist photo-documenting this achievement.

A couple of notes about the 55k: this route was an out and back that started at 7 am in Thurmond, where the 50 mile runners finished. The 55k runners had the dubious pleasure of both descending and ascending the 300 feet rocky trail on the side of the mountain. They also would have to contend with two way traffic on the section of trail that had the big drop off and was barely wide enough for single file. Taking the train after finishing wasn’t really an option for them either.

Pre-race stuff: there was TONS of communications prior to the race. Personalized coaching including a custom training plan was available for $20. I did this and credit the Coach Becki and the plan for helping me be prepared for this run. There were two virtual meetings with Rich, Jen and Becki so that runners could ask questions and get advice. A nice tech shirt was included but a jacket was available for purchase. I had preordered the jacket and was pleased with my purchase. There was a mandatory meeting the night before (or you could join the virtual meeting a couple days before). There was an optional pasta dinner following the meeting. Packet pick-up, the preface meeting and pasta dinner were held at the Historic Glen Ferris Inn, which is also where I chose to lodge for this race. The athlete guide detailed the course section by section and included all the details one might need. It even listed what foods and flavors of tailwind would be at each aid station. I took a screenshot of the page with the time cutoffs, so I could reference it during the run to be sure I would make the cutoffs in time.

While parts of the trails were quite difficult for me, I am immensely happy that I chose this 50 mile race. Trivium Racing is easily my favorite race organizer.

This was a great race, with over 15,000 marathoners, half marathoners and marathon relay teams on Sunday.

There were other events held on Saturday.

I would describe the course as starting with flats and rolling hills, a HUGE climb miles 6-7, some more flats and rolling hills and then a downhill finish for the last 3 miles.

Since this year was a lot of pouring rain with thunder & lightning, I didn’t get to see much as far as scenery goes, at least for the first several miles.

Despite the rain, there were many people along the course, cheering on the runners. Mile 5 seems to be a famous part of the course for crowd support.

The aid stations were plentiful, offering gatorade and water. Random people were also handing out cookies, candy, and even samples of beer.

I enjoyed this race even though we were drenched and I got massive amounts of chafing from running in soaked clothes. I would run this one again.

I entered the 50k distance. There was an 8 hour time limit. What they did not tell you was that you had to be at the halfway turnaround in 4 hours. I missed this cutoff by less than 10 minutes. If I had known of this cutoff, I would have pushed harder. Being a 50k, I was trying to reserve energy for later in the race. They gave me the choice of catching a car ride back to the start or removing my bib and return on foot (the course was out-and-back). I chose to remove my bib and finish the distance that I paid for. Since I was no longer under a time constraint, I walked a lot of the second half and took pictures of the scenery and wildlife. The race director still gave me a finisher’s medal even though officially I was listed as DNF.

The trail itself was muddy in spots and filled with rocks and roots for the entire distance, with the exception of a few spots where you had to go along a road to reach the next trail section.

Trail markings were almost exclusively those for the Mountains to Sea Trail itself and easy to follow.

Most of the race is along the American Tobacco Trail, a converted rail-trail. It’s also mostly flat. There was a nice tech shirt and finisher’s medal.

Dry weather leading up to the race makes a big difference in the trail conditions. This year, the trail had just one small spot of mud. The first 3 or so miles is mostly flat greenway. Then the trail starts with a lot of wooden steps, a serious hill climb in the middle on a utility road. After coming back down the mountain utility road, you get back on single track trail that runs along thew Eno river. This was my favorite part of the race, as it was peaceful, running along the river and through a grove of mountain laurel. There were some more wooden steps to climb before the end of the trail section and heading back to the greenway for the return to the finish line.

The race started and finished on the historic Occoneechee Speedway, which I thought supercool. Chili and hot coffee was provided at the finish.

Registered runners got a winter hat that featured the race logo and had reflective properties.

I think the best aspect of this event was the handcrafted ceramic coaster for all finishers. There was a different design for the 25k & 50k.

The race was a ~7.75 loop around Lake Salem. 25k runners ran 2 loops, 4 loops for 50k. The trail was mostly crushed gravel with a section of pavement.

Parking was ample. T-shirt was long sleeved blend. I heard there was beer afterward.

Rock n Roll knows how to put on an event.

The expo was quite large, in the convention center. We went 3 times: our initial bib pick-up, then to go back to exchange a shirt, then a 3rd time when our friends arrived. There was different merchandise added each time, so we ended buying something on each visit.

The start was very crowded…imagine 9000+ runners plus their family friends, in a two-block area. The corrals were doubled, meaning 1 & 11 were supposed to be in the same area, 2 & 12, 3 & 13. etc. The higher number corrals were supposed to wait until the lower number corrals started, but there was no attempt to enforce this. The gear drop was at the finish line, which was a couple blocks from the start line. I’d recommend not utilizing the bag drop unless you really need to. Since we stayed at a hotel, we ended up walking almost two miles before the race even started!

Rock n Roll races are always fun, with lots of entertainment and cheering crowds along the course. This one was mostly flat, with the most elevation gain during the 3 or so miles on the military base, Fort Sam Houston. This was also the prettiest section of the course.

We did not stick around for the after-party as it was chilly and our friends had to check out of their hotel.

San Antonio is one of the better host cities for RnR, with lots to see & do in the area, including the Alamo, Riverwalk, zoo, parks and Tower of the Americas. It’s definitely worth going for a couple extra days.

The course for this race starts at a sports complex and winds through a couple of parks, through town, around a lake, and up and down hills. It’s run on roads, greenways and a mulch trail around a lake. The shirt was a decent long sleeve triblend tee.

Packets cannot be picked up on race morning, unless you pay for it. They also offer a VIP package, which includes race morning packet pickup, special parking, shower facility and special access to the post-race beer and pancake breakfast.

The course was a little hilly but it was well marked and had great support. The shirt was an awesome long-sleeve tech. The medal was cool, with a spinning middle. There was an after party, but I didn’t attend due to another obligation. Overall, it was a well-run race with 4 distances to choose from. My only complaint was the parking. Parking was basically “find a local neighborhood to park in”, so with around 6000 runners, we had a nearly mile walk to the start/finish area.

I was unable to run this event in person, but I wanted the super cool medal. This was the final race of 4 trail races where the medals connect to form a larger medal, in the shape of a spider’s web. Rich, Lib and the entire Trivium Racing team are the greatest and I highly recommend their races.

The half marathon course had some hills, long gradual ups and downs that tested the calves and quads. It was mostly road with some greenway/riverwalk. The cool part was running around an old NASCAR dirt track. The medal was decent as was the t-shirt. The 3 1/2 time limit meant there were few walkers.

The course was mostly rolling hills with a couple of steep hills (but thankfully short). There was no finisher medal but they did award top 3 overall male and female as well as the top finisher in 10-year age groups. All runners did get a nice t-shirt. The race was very small with only 21 finishers, but it was still enjoyable. The small participation was likely due to this being the first year of the race and small town location. I do applaud the Harnett Area Running Club for trying to expand running in the area.

This is Carolina Animal Rescue & Adoption’s (CARA) largest fundraising event of the year. I ran the challenge, which was running both the 5k & the 10k. The 5k started at 7:30, the 10k at 8:00. Like all previous years, only the challenge runners received a finisher’s medal and age group awards were given to the top finisher of each age group. Cotton/poly blend shirts were available to purchase. Starting at Kiwanis Park, both races ran along the greenway and into residential areas, with the 10k following an additional 3 miles worth of greenway.

This was a small race put on by a local running club. The 8 am start time made for a hot race, especially with the hills. Registrants got a t-shirt. Medals were awarded for the top 3 in the age groups (mostly 10-year groups).