This was my first ever trail marathon and I really enjoyed it. Communication by the race directors leading up to the race was very clear. Packet pickup was in the … MORE
This was my first ever trail marathon and I really enjoyed it. Communication by the race directors leading up to the race was very clear. Packet pickup was in the city of Charlotte, which was sort of a pain, BUT it was easy to get to with a parking garage nearby (it was either free or cheap to use). The hoodie they gave me for registering was really nice!
The race location itself (US National WhiteWater Center) was really cool. I thought being close to Charlotte it would not be very scenic, but it takes place in a large park right by the Catawba River. Parking was plentiful for the race start time of 8 a.m. I stayed in a hotel 10-15 minutes from the park and had no problem getting there.
Now the course itself is TOUGH. For the marathon it is two loops around a mountain bike trail that winds and weaves its way all through the park. You run across fields, into the woods, by the rivers, up a very large dirt hill, and YES you are likely to fall quite a few times.
I carried my own hydration and fuel, which I would highly recommend as the aide stations are spaced out pretty far apart. I can’t speak for what they offered as I did not pay much attention. Upon finishing they had lots of food and goodies from your typical granola bars, power bars, and bean hummus wraps which I particularly enjoyed. Also the finishers medal was nice too!
I would NOT recommend this race for a first time marathon, but I would DEFINITELY recommend this race if you love running on trails, being in the woods, and are seeking a new challenge to add to your list of marathon accomplishments. Your time will be much slower, you will fall, get dirty, and maybe even cut up a bit…but you will enjoy your accomplishment of finishing that much more!
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Tough and Challenging Trail Marathon
This was my first ever trail marathon and I really enjoyed it. Communication by the race directors leading up to the race was very clear. Packet pickup was in the … MORE
This was my first ever trail marathon and I really enjoyed it. Communication by the race directors leading up to the race was very clear. Packet pickup was in the city of Charlotte, which was sort of a pain, BUT it was easy to get to with a parking garage nearby (it was either free or cheap to use). The hoodie they gave me for registering was really nice!
The race location itself (US National WhiteWater Center) was really cool. I thought being close to Charlotte it would not be very scenic, but it takes place in a large park right by the Catawba River. Parking was plentiful for the race start time of 8 a.m. I stayed in a hotel 10-15 minutes from the park and had no problem getting there.
Now the course itself is TOUGH. For the marathon it is two loops around a mountain bike trail that winds and weaves its way all through the park. You run across fields, into the woods, by the rivers, up a very large dirt hill, and YES you are likely to fall quite a few times.
I carried my own hydration and fuel, which I would highly recommend as the aide stations are spaced out pretty far apart. I can’t speak for what they offered as I did not pay much attention. Upon finishing they had lots of food and goodies from your typical granola bars, power bars, and bean hummus wraps which I particularly enjoyed. Also the finishers medal was nice too!
I would NOT recommend this race for a first time marathon, but I would DEFINITELY recommend this race if you love running on trails, being in the woods, and are seeking a new challenge to add to your list of marathon accomplishments. Your time will be much slower, you will fall, get dirty, and maybe even cut up a bit…but you will enjoy your accomplishment of finishing that much more!
Tough race but worth the hoodie
This was my first trail marathon (BIG MISTAKE)... I ran a marathon 3 weeks ago and trained a little since (also a mistake). HOWEVER, the mile markers weren't always clearly … MORE
This was my first trail marathon (BIG MISTAKE)… I ran a marathon 3 weeks ago and trained a little since (also a mistake). HOWEVER, the mile markers weren’t always clearly indicated despite the trail being well marked and volunteers being awesome. Another complaint I told them in a survey is my fitbit had me running 29.2 miles which could have been due to running in the woods but I would not expect it to be that far off. The hoodie for the marathon is amazing and super comfy. I love it. If you like trail runs and want a marathon, this one could be for you.