Paula Edmonds's Staging Area

This is a gentle downhill course from point A to B with only 2 hills. The first is a very gentle incline after mile 7. The second is a decent hill in mile 12 but then the finish is literally right around the corner and down. I really liked the mimosas offered at the start lol. The course is pretty unremarkable. A paved bike path and about a mile on road for the turnaround. Nothing that sticks out as super scenic. The aid stations were well stocked. There were plenty of volunteers. You got to pick out what color shirt/tank/long sleeve/ (or sweatshirt for extra) you wanted for swag which was cool and then they screen printed the logo for you to pickup at the finish. The medals were cute. Overall a good Idaho race.

State #39. I liked the shirt. It’s good quality. It was a decent race but nothing particularly memorable along the course. Cute town. I did hike the “M” the day before because why not lol. Thankful for switchbacks, we go t have those back home. Ps. Take Lyft instead of Uber from the airport and it’s cheaper.

I had high hopes for this race. I am glad the race was able to still be produced even though the Director passed but it was a rough year for this race. Because of flooding events, the course had to be changed last minute. There was really nothing scenic about it. Parking for packet pickup was crazy. For a 20th anniversary race I thought the medal or swag would be better. Thru even ran out of the challenge race medals but I did end up getting one when I went back.

The terrain reminds me of the north. We even started at a crisp 26 degrees and with the wind it felt colder. At times it was hard to believe I was not just running in Vermont. Most of this course is gently rolling through the countryside. Looking at the elevation map usually does not compare well to reality; at least not when you’re from the northeast. I will admit that last hill to get up to the cave is a legitimate hill. The other three were moderate and short. That final behemoth was nasty though. Then you enter the cave and it’s a walk/jog for everyone because at first your eyes have to acclimate to the dark. Then you have to try and not slip on the occasionally wet stone path. Shortly after entering it went from a frigid outdoor temp to a very humid probably 50+ degree temp. The change seemed more sudden going back out to the cold but by then you’re dripping sweat and almost done. The caverns are really neat to look at and definitely made this a race to remember.

This was the hottest year they’ve had. Started around 60 and it was 78 by the time I finished. Thankfully I made friends with a random runner early on and it really helped those hot miles fly by. It is a relatively hilly course. There is not much shade along the route. The roads are pretty beat up in some areas but I only tripped once. The bands did not really stand out compared to other races with music. It was good for getting the state done but if I were local I probably would not run this one again.

Glad a brought along my trail shoes. The route was dirt road, crushed gravel, and pavement. There were a few bridges that were slick because of morning dew. Scenic. Peaceful. Very gradual downhill.