Emily Rude's Staging Area

Arriving at the race, traffic was a nightmare so give yourself plenty of time! The logistics of parking around the UNE campus were a mess. The race ended up starting late but was well supported along the course with plenty of water, snacks, and cheers. The route is gorgeous and most of it is right on the water. If you are looking for a scenic race in Maine, this one fits the bill!

The race production was really top notch, including an early start for walkers, plenty of runner facilities and staff support throughout the race, an easy packet pick up, and great post race set up. In fact, I have never seen so many snacks, drinks, and food offered after a race! The race course is flat, fast, and beautiful. Don’t miss this gem just outside of charming Portsmouth, NH.

I was very disappointed in many aspects of this race. First, there were no road closures, so be prepared to share the race path with significant traffic, including large trucks. While there are traffic cops at the major intersections, many of them start to pack up as the runners start to thin out. One of my family members was the last to cross the finish line (well under the time limit) and was nearly hit by several vehicles and yelled at by a few drivers as he was trying to navigate his way to the end of the race. Secondly, there was minimal community support. I counted around 20 spectators total, and only two or three had signs. I’m not sure if it is because people did not know about the race, or just that the city has not gotten behind the idea of having a half marathon at the start of its big tourist season. Third, the race organization was pretty minimal. There was very little at the start and finish of the race to make it feel like an event, no pacers, no photographers, no tracking except for at the finish, and no aid stations (there were water/gatorade tables). And fourth, it just wasn’t very fun. You would think that at least the mile markers would have a Halloween theme (it is called the Wicked Half) but everything was very straight forward and generic — boring even. There was no themed music, costumes, or decorations. The one exception was the shirt and medal, which were fun and spooky. I hope in the future, the race organizers will take a little more time to make the experience safe, special, and fun for its runners.

This is a great race that runs right through the heart of Portland. Gorgeous scenery throughout, getting to both west and east ends of the city. There was plenty of crowd and organizer support, but it would have been nice to see a few more community touches get involved with entertainment along the way. Nice post-race party and simple packet pickup process. Nice race!

It was unseasonably warm the day of this race, and partway through, to my great dismay, the race organizers ran out of water! Thank goodness for the kind people of Savannah who came out with their hoses and bottles of water to support the racers. Savannah is such a lovely city, but except for the end of the course, which ran through the historic downtown, the course was not very scenic. Overall, the race was crowded, poorly run, and generic.

This race is touted as the friendliest half marathon in the country and it just may be! The community support was tremendous. I have never seen so many locals come out to cheer on a race. From the start to the finish, there were people with signs, making noise, and handing out treats to the runners. The post-race celebration was amazing: great food, music, and they even gave out blankets, which were a welcome sight on such a cold day. Well organized and fun, I would definitely run this one again.

I don’t think I could have picked a better half marathon as my first! RunDisney puts on quite a production, but like the rest of the parks and resorts, they do it right! All the cast members were friendly and helpful, the course was filled with entertainment and inspiration, there were local community touches as well as plenty of Disney characters, and lots water/food stops. The only drawback was the 5:00 am race start time, but from the fireworks at the beginning to Donald Duck at the finish, this is a magical and enjoyable race.