This race gets an A+. I have participated in 26 marathons/ultras and this was one of the best! Here's what's great: -The course runs almost entirely in a National Park, … MORE
This race gets an A+. I have participated in 26 marathons/ultras and this was one of the best! Here’s what’s great:
-The course runs almost entirely in a National Park, the only race in the US!
-Running the race in late October means fall foliage is in full effect. The scenery is amazing. I would run for long stretches and not even notice I was running because I was so focused on the gorgeous surroundings.
-The race director, Kevin Mays is hyper-organized. I received enough information ahead of time that I felt prepared, not so much that I felt inundated. Follow the race on Facebook as Kevin posts some helpful tips there like a video of where the sharpest turn is and how to navigate a small stretch of construction.
-The course is great for a PR (I got one!). It’s mostly flat, but enough variation to keep it interesting. The course is an 8 mile out and back so the 50K people run the same route twice. This is cool for lots of reasons. One, you know what place you’re in because you see all the leaders when hit the turnaround point. Two, it allows for a logical breakdown of the distance. There is an aid station at mile 4 so I broke down the run into eight 4-mile increments. Three, because you run the same out-and-back-twice, you know where to pace yourself and where to go faster the second time around. Four, you could run the race with a 25K runner and do the entire 25K with them. Same start time, same course, you’d just do a second lap.
-There are things for families to do while they wait for you. The start/finish is in a park with multiple playgrounds and huge grassy fields. There are bathrooms, food, drinks, 3 giant bouncy castles, music, etc. Kiddos would have lots of fun passing time.
-The medals and t-shirts are solid. Some ultras don’t give out medals which I strongly dislike since I display mine at home.
-If you’re considering running this race, you can stop deliberating and just sign up! The entire experience was amazing!
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I'll save you time, JUST DO THIS RACE!
This race gets an A+. I have participated in 26 marathons/ultras and this was one of the best! Here's what's great: -The course runs almost entirely in a National Park, … MORE
This race gets an A+. I have participated in 26 marathons/ultras and this was one of the best! Here’s what’s great:
-The course runs almost entirely in a National Park, the only race in the US!
-Running the race in late October means fall foliage is in full effect. The scenery is amazing. I would run for long stretches and not even notice I was running because I was so focused on the gorgeous surroundings.
-The race director, Kevin Mays is hyper-organized. I received enough information ahead of time that I felt prepared, not so much that I felt inundated. Follow the race on Facebook as Kevin posts some helpful tips there like a video of where the sharpest turn is and how to navigate a small stretch of construction.
-The course is great for a PR (I got one!). It’s mostly flat, but enough variation to keep it interesting. The course is an 8 mile out and back so the 50K people run the same route twice. This is cool for lots of reasons. One, you know what place you’re in because you see all the leaders when hit the turnaround point. Two, it allows for a logical breakdown of the distance. There is an aid station at mile 4 so I broke down the run into eight 4-mile increments. Three, because you run the same out-and-back-twice, you know where to pace yourself and where to go faster the second time around. Four, you could run the race with a 25K runner and do the entire 25K with them. Same start time, same course, you’d just do a second lap.
-There are things for families to do while they wait for you. The start/finish is in a park with multiple playgrounds and huge grassy fields. There are bathrooms, food, drinks, 3 giant bouncy castles, music, etc. Kiddos would have lots of fun passing time.
-The medals and t-shirts are solid. Some ultras don’t give out medals which I strongly dislike since I display mine at home.
-If you’re considering running this race, you can stop deliberating and just sign up! The entire experience was amazing!