Mainly Marathons New England Series Day 1 (CT)
Simsbury, CT
- 50K, Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Mainly Marathons New England Series Connecticut course will start at the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center, featuring a paved flat asphalt course on the Iron Horse Greenway with moderate shade. Tentative Course Laps: 12 laps for Marathon. Due to the unique multi-loop course setup, there is one giant “aid … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jun 08):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 78 | 78 | 78 | 65 | 80 |
| L (°F) | 55 | 57 | 57 | 54 | 65 |
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Love Mainly Marathons
Day 1 of 6 in The New England Series (just finished the Independence Series - doing the running ragged challenge) Connecticut - Flat course mostly shaded. Plenty of food, drink … MORE
Day 1 of 6 in The New England Series (just finished the Independence Series – doing the running ragged challenge) Connecticut – Flat course mostly shaded. Plenty of food, drink and snacks. Runners are great and the Directors are Amazing!!
New England Series Day 1
Mainly Marathons does an outstanding job putting on races! We are doing the Independence Series and New England Series - This was day 1 of 4 for us. And day … MORE
Mainly Marathons does an outstanding job putting on races! We are doing the Independence Series and New England Series – This was day 1 of 4 for us. And day 6 of running half marathons with them – Plenty of Food Snacks and Breakfast everyday. It’s a great way to complete 50 States
Great Production
This race was my very first experience with a Mainly Marathons. The thought of 6 loops for a half was not my idea of fun. However, seeing the chain of … MORE
This race was my very first experience with a Mainly Marathons. The thought of 6 loops for a half was not my idea of fun. However, seeing the chain of medals that I was working towards in person, I got me on board. Packet pickup was only that, pick up your bib and a t-shirt. Some people were still able register and race day registration was also offered. Several distances were offered and an early start time. There were plenty of port o potties. For your race, you complete a loop, grab a rubber band to count your completed loops, grab a snack from the large variety offered by the volunteers and hydration. Then, head back out for another loop. The course was mostly flat and mostly shaded on a paved path through a wooded park. It really wasn’t bad. We had perfect weather. Once you complete all the loops for your distance, you ring the completion bell. You get your finish time. Then it’s loaded into the computer. I suggest bringing bug spray for the mosquitoes. I recommend this race.
Amazing experience - highly recommend!
This course was a fairly flat out and back course. It was my very first Mainly Marathons race, so it was a new experience for me. You had to complete … MORE
This course was a fairly flat out and back course. It was my very first Mainly Marathons race, so it was a new experience for me. You had to complete a certain number of loops, based upon the distance you were running. There were runners doing 5k, 10k, halfs, full marathons, and even 50k. Each time you got back to the start you grabbed a rubber band off of a table and used the rubber bands to help keep track of how many you’ve completed. Lots of support and encouragement! They provide all kinds of food – cookies, granola bars, candy, pickles, olives, and even a hot food item (which changes daily), plus water, gatorade, cola, Mt. Dew, chocolate milk, and ice. I thought the out and back would not be enjoyable, but actually I really enjoyed getting to see all the faces of the other racers, with everyone cheering each other on. Definitely recommend a race with this company!
Love these guys/gals
Mainly Marathons have loop courses dialed in. Today's was the flattest of the series, along a very nice paved trail. The single aid station is well stocked, with places to … MORE
Mainly Marathons have loop courses dialed in. Today’s was the flattest of the series, along a very nice paved trail. The single aid station is well stocked, with places to keep your own food if you want. Rubber bands are a great reminder. Plenty of portapotties at this one. And they seriously don’t leave you behind, and are very encouraging.
Solid race for 50 staters
Well run race by Mainly Marathons. The out and back course was wide enough to handle the crowd of 240 in most places. At times there were walkers three wide, … MORE
Well run race by Mainly Marathons. The out and back course was wide enough to handle the crowd of 240 in most places. At times there were walkers three wide, which made it difficult to get around, especially with runners coming the other direction. One hand cyclist on the same paved path also added some issues as she passed most runners a number of times. The course was flat and paved. The turns at both ends slowed me down a bit for each of the 12 laps. Plenty of drinks and food for all the runners. Tables for personal bottles also helped smooth the rest breaks. Be aware that many of the participants in this race were walkers and that you will be constantly passing if you are running.
Great race for an out-n-back loop
The best thing about this race and the race series are the people. You see the same people on multiple days, the race organizers are super friendly, and the courses … MORE
The best thing about this race and the race series are the people. You see the same people on multiple days, the race organizers are super friendly, and the courses are not hard. And, of course, it’s great for people who want to run multiple states in consecutive days. There is nothing negative about these races at all. It’s all good. The aid station is well-stocked, the port-a-potties are there for you on every loop, and you get a state medal for each race in the series you complete. The ONLY thing I can think of that would improve this race is to offer some plant-based food options. I am plant-based and so that rules out the tater tots with eggs in a cup, and the pork BBQ sliders on the aid station table. But that’s a small complaint.
This specific course is flat. There may be a noticeable three to five foot elevation drop / rise on the out / back course around the half way point. Those looking for beautiful courses with lakes and covered bridges or Kentucky blue grass, or the Rehobeth ocean front won’t be satisfied here. You have to come into this series knowing you’ll be doing loops. And I’m not an enthusiastic loop runner, but I loved this course.
If you are an aspiring 50 races in 50 states person, then this is a great series. And they have 5k, 10k, half, full, and ultra. They’ve got it all.
Fast course on an urban greenway
Although this out and back course was in the middle of town, it was well shaded and lined with plenty of trees which kept the temperatures tolerable. There was only … MORE
Although this out and back course was in the middle of town, it was well shaded and lined with plenty of trees which kept the temperatures tolerable. There was only one sharp turn other than the turnaround, so one could stride out and get some speed. My only criticism was that the cones were laid out in kind of a zig zag near the finish, and I wasn’t sure whether to run on the outside of them or the inside. It might have been helpful to have some arrows.
Fell in love with Simsbury, Connecticut!
Took advantage of the early start in Simsbury, CT and was glad we did! The course was beautiful, flat and shady. The food was wonderful and even had a popsicle … MORE
Took advantage of the early start in Simsbury, CT and was glad we did! The course was beautiful, flat and shady. The food was wonderful and even had a popsicle as the day started heating up. We fell in love with this charming town and highly recommend this run!