The Northshore Half Marathon, 10 miler, and Jockamo 5K feature idyllic Louisiana scenery. All courses start and finish under mammoth, moss-covered oaks. The half marathon and 10 miler wind through spectator-lined historic homes of Old Mandeville, run along sparkling Lakeshore Drive and the Tammany Trace as the sun rises over …
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The Northshore Half Marathon, 10 miler, and Jockamo 5K feature idyllic Louisiana scenery. All courses start and finish under mammoth, moss-covered oaks. The half marathon and 10 miler wind through spectator-lined historic homes of Old Mandeville, run along sparkling Lakeshore Drive and the Tammany Trace as the sun rises over the crowd of runners.
The courses are notoriously flat and fast, and many runners claim this race as their favorite half marathon and as a PR race course. After months of sweltering heat and training in the South, temperatures typically start to cool around the time of the Northshore Half, and runners kick off Fall race schedules with a cooler, brisk race in South Louisiana.
Historic Old Mandeville and Fontainebleau State Park are just a quick drive from New Orleans or Baton Rouge, making them close enough in proximity to drive in the morning of and to enjoy either city following the race…but not before enjoying our post-race party. The Northshore Half post-race party means laying out a picnic blanket, grabbing some cold beers and grub from one of our delicious food vendors and listening to some great live music while taking in the Lake Pontchartrain waterfront.
The Northshore Half Marathon and 10 miler feature idyllic Louisiana scenery, starting and finishing under the mammoth moss covered oaks, winding through beautiful Fontainebleau State Park.
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Beautiful course, Southern Hospitality
We drove in the Saturday beforehand and ate some good cajun food. The race is across the lake from New Orleans, so it would be easy to fly in. There … MORE
We drove in the Saturday beforehand and ate some good cajun food. The race is across the lake from New Orleans, so it would be easy to fly in. There is not much in Mandeville, cute restaurants and shops. We brought our dogs and there were plenty of places with patio service and the town is very walkable.
The course is pancake flat with some minor inclines on the front half. As a back of the pack runner, the local Wednesday Run Club very much was a driving factor for my experience. They were very welcoming and encouraging. The back of the pack pacer was from the run club.
In terms of swag, I opted to have my bib mailed to me, so I only picked up a t-shirt at packet pick up. The race guide was digital and emailed ahead of time. Free professional race photos and finisher video.
Nice after party with smoked pork sliders, free coffee, a beer, and a chill band playing.
Gorgeous course through a state park and along the shoreline drive. The neighborhood sections had Southern Louisiana charm.
A Grand Location, Scenic Race
This is an annual special race through a beautiful area of the North Shore area. Get to the race one hour early to get a good parking spot, and then … MORE
This is an annual special race through a beautiful area of the North Shore area.
Get to the race one hour early to get a good parking spot, and then later relax on departure as it does jam up.
The race runs through the cross town wide trail system bringing the runners to town, to enjoy the lake and the business district. The race was a fun lead into Halloween decorations throughout the town with the community coming out in support of the running action.
Overall the race feels like a fall running celebration to enjoy the large Louisiana area participation.
Great race!
From start to finish this race was great! Traveled to Mandeville from Opelousas and forgot my sports bra!!! Really??!! LOL Found some wonderful ladies who were setting up the merchandise … MORE
From start to finish this race was great! Traveled to Mandeville from Opelousas and forgot my sports bra!!! Really??!! LOL Found some wonderful ladies who were setting up the merchandise tent (day before race) and they directed me to Varsity Sports. Found the exact bra I’d used for training and was set.
The race was well organized and very fun! The route was beautiful. The only negative thing I have to say is that the corral was very tight with all the runners. I’m sure they took that in to account, so I don’t know what could have been done differently.
Overall I really enjoyed the race and would return.
Beautiful Course, Great Race
The course was gorgeous and the time of year was perfect for great weather. It was a fast, easy course. The other runners were awesome - supportive and friendly. The … MORE
The course was gorgeous and the time of year was perfect for great weather. It was a fast, easy course. The other runners were awesome – supportive and friendly. The after party was great. The only thing I would change would be to add vegan/vegetarian options for the post-race food.
Jack / Local Runner's Review
A great, mostly flat course that beginners can run, thankfully the weather this year was cool and ideal for a fast time, it can easily be hot this time of … MORE
A great, mostly flat course that beginners can run, thankfully the weather this year was cool and ideal for a fast time, it can easily be hot this time of year down here still!
Fantastic Weather and Great Flat Course
This course runs through the park and out along old Mandeville along the water and running through the Natchez trace. The majority of the course is shaded. The race is … MORE
This course runs through the park and out along old Mandeville along the water and running through the Natchez trace. The majority of the course is shaded. The race is well organized and hosts a great after party.
Flat and fast fall race
The course is flat and had fantastic weather. The race begins in Fontainebleau State Park, goes along the bike path to the lakefront, and through some residential areas. There are … MORE
The course is flat and had fantastic weather. The race begins in Fontainebleau State Park, goes along the bike path to the lakefront, and through some residential areas. There are quite a few turns in the residential area just before the turnaround of the half marathon, but the course is nice overall. It was my first negative split. Water stations were plentiful and volunteers were great.
Note: Be sure to arrive early because they have to close the road before the race starts and all runners (1,400 across all events) arrive around the same time. It took us about 45 minutes to get from the entrance of the park to the parking lot (less than 2 miles)!
Communication and directions were good. My husband said packet pick up went smoothly. I will skip the plain t-shirt in the future, but appreciate that they offer that option.
Our only real complaint was the post-race food. I definitely don’t want seafood or pork bbq before 9 am. I would be happy with a banana, but they had zero bananas (I heard there may have been some earlier for the 5k folks). Overall: great race, just add bananas!
Great race, will do again!
I had an amazing time and will definitely be back for another one. Don't forget chapstick and pickle juice lol. Make sure your shoes are tied well. Have fun and … MORE
I had an amazing time and will definitely be back for another one. Don’t forget chapstick and pickle juice lol. Make sure your shoes are tied well. Have fun and enjoy the view!!
Just Incredible!
What an incredible event! It was an incredibly well run event.Perfect weather and great people, I trained so hard to be there in my first ever event just years after … MORE
What an incredible event! It was an incredibly well run event.Perfect weather and great people, I trained so hard to be there in my first ever event just years after a heart attack inspired me to quit smoking, lose weight, eat healthy and start training. I will never forget the feeling of crossing that line for the first of what will be many more half marathon’s to come!
Great event, I loved the course
Fast course, no hills, great scenery. Everyone was gracious as well. I really enjoyed myself, will definitely be there next year to start my Marathon season MORE
Fast course, no hills, great scenery. Everyone was gracious as well. I really enjoyed myself, will definitely be there next year to start my Marathon season
Absolutely amazing!
This is one of the best half marathons to run in the state! It's flat, the weather is usually amazing, if you're looking to PR, this is the one you … MORE
This is one of the best half marathons to run in the state! It’s flat, the weather is usually amazing, if you’re looking to PR, this is the one you want to run!
Perfect course. Perfect
Scenery, scenery. Did I mention scenery?? Flat, very well organized event. Several races to choose from. Post race activities are excellent, from music to good local cuisine. MORE
Scenery, scenery. Did I mention scenery?? Flat, very well organized event. Several races to choose from. Post race activities are excellent, from music to good local cuisine.
Great post-race party
This event had half marathon, 5 mile and 5k options. Packet pickup was available Friday, Saturday and race morning (Sunday). We flew into New Orleans on Saturday and went to … MORE
This event had half marathon, 5 mile and 5k options.
Packet pickup was available Friday, Saturday and race morning (Sunday). We flew into New Orleans on Saturday and went to packet pickup that day. We stayed at a hotel in nearby Slidell, which was a small town.
The race start/finish was at the Fontainebleau State Park. While there was ample parking, it’s best to arrive early. It was a single lane entry to the park, and it seemed everyone got there at the same time. It took close to 20 minutes to get parked. There was a restroom near where we parked, but also portapotties near the start/finish line.
The first ~4.5 miles were regular road, then we turned onto a road that ran along the shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain. The 5-milers ran just over a half mile along this road before getting to their turnaround. The turnaround for the half marathon was around mile 6.75 and went most of the way back along the course out. The course did turn onto a greenway around mile 9.6 (instead of going out to the main road), which led back into Fontainebleau Park.
After crossing the finish line, runners received their medal and had access to the post race party. The bibs had 3 food/drink tickets so runners could choose what they wanted to consume. There was a variety of Abita beers, pork sliders, veggie burgers, and crawfish! A band was also playing.
My friend received an age group award, which was an extra medal plus an engraved piece of slate. Very nice!
Runners also received a t-shirt.
Favorite race
Our hometown race! Love racing in the area we train in! Beautiful course! Everything went smoothly race day morning and there was a great after party! MORE
Our hometown race! Love racing in the area we train in! Beautiful course! Everything went smoothly race day morning and there was a great after party!
Must-do race every year
The scenery is beautiful-- I run these roads often and love them as part of a race. The aid stations are well-placed and always very supportive! The post-race party is … MORE
The scenery is beautiful– I run these roads often and love them as part of a race. The aid stations are well-placed and always very supportive! The post-race party is not to be missed; I always hang out almost to the end!!!
Great weather and great race.
Awesome race through Mandeville. Food options after we’re lacking, boiled shrimp and pulled pork is not that appetizing at 9 am after a 1/2. Race shirt color was an awful … MORE
Awesome race through Mandeville. Food options after we’re lacking, boiled shrimp and pulled pork is not that appetizing at 9 am after a 1/2. Race shirt color was an awful lime green that I’ll probably never wear.
Course was well marked and event was well run overall.
Awesome Race from Start to Finish!
Communication was excellent and clear. The course was well marked with frequent water/Powerade and portalet stops. The route goes through a beautiful park, along Lake Pontchartrain, through neighborhoods and then … MORE
Communication was excellent and clear. The course was well marked with frequent water/Powerade and portalet stops. The route goes through a beautiful park, along Lake Pontchartrain, through neighborhoods and then returns to park with a fabulous after party. The shrimp and pulled pork sliders along with a great assortment of beer really hit the spot. The band was terrific. Lots of room to hang out and plenty of signage to take fun pictures. Free race photo arrived the day after the race: nice bonus!
Beautiful Course
Excellent weather!!! Our first cool front after a very hot summer! Course is gorgeous running in Mandeville, La along St Tammany Trace around Lake Pontrachain Beautiful homes along the course. … MORE
Excellent weather!!! Our first cool front after a very hot summer! Course is gorgeous running in Mandeville, La along St Tammany Trace around Lake Pontrachain Beautiful homes along the course. Great Crowd support