I chose this half for my Alabama race and am glad I did. The course was hillier than I expected but running the last 1.2 miles inside Cathedral Caverns made … MORE
I chose this half for my Alabama race and am glad I did. The course was hillier than I expected but running the last 1.2 miles inside Cathedral Caverns made the hills worth it.
There was a nice finisher’s medal with a stained-glass effect and a long sleeve tech shirt.
Packet pickup was at a local Fleet Feet, or you could pick up the morning of the race.
We stayed at a hotel that was about 30 miles away.
Please login to reply to this review.
Run this for the cave
I chose this half for my Alabama race and am glad I did. The course was hillier than I expected but running the last 1.2 miles inside Cathedral Caverns made … MORE
I chose this half for my Alabama race and am glad I did. The course was hillier than I expected but running the last 1.2 miles inside Cathedral Caverns made the hills worth it.
There was a nice finisher’s medal with a stained-glass effect and a long sleeve tech shirt.
Packet pickup was at a local Fleet Feet, or you could pick up the morning of the race.
We stayed at a hotel that was about 30 miles away.
Beautiful course, smooth production
This course is awesome, I signed up for the cave but the rest of the course was the better part. The cave is cool but after running 12 miles it’s … MORE
This course is awesome, I signed up for the cave but the rest of the course was the better part. The cave is cool but after running 12 miles it’s just ehh. You can’t really run in the cave, at least not full speed, so this isn’t a PR course by any means. The rest of the course is gorgeous, and the hills are over blown by other reviewers other than the ones at mile 8, and 11.
Shirt and medal are cool. Would recommend for your Alabama half if you are a 50 stater.
The cave is super cool but would be better enjoyed on its own.
Gorgeous views
The terrain reminds me of the north. We even started at a crisp 26 degrees and with the wind it felt colder. At times it was hard to believe I … MORE
The terrain reminds me of the north. We even started at a crisp 26 degrees and with the wind it felt colder. At times it was hard to believe I was not just running in Vermont. Most of this course is gently rolling through the countryside. Looking at the elevation map usually does not compare well to reality; at least not when you’re from the northeast. I will admit that last hill to get up to the cave is a legitimate hill. The other three were moderate and short. That final behemoth was nasty though. Then you enter the cave and it’s a walk/jog for everyone because at first your eyes have to acclimate to the dark. Then you have to try and not slip on the occasionally wet stone path. Shortly after entering it went from a frigid outdoor temp to a very humid probably 50+ degree temp. The change seemed more sudden going back out to the cold but by then you’re dripping sweat and almost done. The caverns are really neat to look at and definitely made this a race to remember.
Unique Race Finish
This was my Alabama race, and I definitely recommend it to other runners/walkers. I loved the medal, shirt, free photos, and unique cave finish. With over 700 feet of elevation … MORE
This was my Alabama race, and I definitely recommend it to other runners/walkers. I loved the medal, shirt, free photos, and unique cave finish. With over 700 feet of elevation gain, it was challenging. It’s mostly rolling hills, but the hills at mile 8 and 11.8 were steep and awful. We walked the Cave section, since it was hard to see and wet in areas. Definitely not a race for a PR, but do it for the experience. One more thing…I expected Alabama to be warmer. It was 27 degrees at the start 🥶
Oh my god the hills
THE HILLS. So many hills. So steep. So abundant. The downhills will have you looking like a cartoon character flailing forward. The cave is dark and if it’s sunny out… … MORE
THE HILLS. So many hills. So steep. So abundant. The downhills will have you looking like a cartoon character flailing forward. The cave is dark and if it’s sunny out… it takes a long time to acclimate to, so be prepared. It was in the 20s outside the cave and in the 60s outside, which was also wild. Despite the difficulty and insistence at miles 5-8 that I absolutely hated this race as I slowly made my way up the hills, hours later, I’ve come around on it and can say I loved it.
That cave is dark!
This is a great course with a 1.2 mile cave finish. It probably won't be a PR due to a few hills in the second half of the course, one … MORE
This is a great course with a 1.2 mile cave finish. It probably won’t be a PR due to a few hills in the second half of the course, one of which is short but steep. This short, steep hill is at about mile 11.5, just before you head into the cavern. But boy, after running in the bright sunshine for 12 miles going into that cave is dark. And it is wet. And it’s hilly. And curvy. And there is two-way runner traffic, and it’s not super wide. But it’s all good, although the cavern part of the run is likely to be your slowest mile by a couple of minutes. Or it was for me anyway.
So there is a lot to like about this race. The aid stations are well-stocked and spaced. The course is rural, pretty, and not too hilly. The one thing they could have more of is port-a-potties at the registration area. There was a long line waiting for the six or seven jons at about five minutes before the start time. That’s really about the only thing I can suggest to make this better.
The post-race was good, maybe the coolest post-race location I’ve seen for a race – right outside the entrance to the cavern. It would have been nice to have a vegetarian option for the health-aware runner, instead of the pulled pork sandwich. And a few more food trucks offering food for sale would have been welcome. I would have bought a veggie meal if one had been on offer.
Lastly, there wasn’t much in the way of post-race gatorade or other snacks or beverages. Chocolate milk would have been great, or some orange slices or granola bars, bananas, etc.
I’d give this race four shoes out of five. I’ll be back next year, with or without chocolate milk and veggie food options.
Great Small Town Race!
Great race that I'd do again. Scenery was great and cave finish was unique and well organized. Finish line food, snacks, cave gift shop were all awesome. Only improvement I'd … MORE
Great race that I’d do again. Scenery was great and cave finish was unique and well organized. Finish line food, snacks, cave gift shop were all awesome.
Only improvement I’d recommend is more port-a-potties at the start. Lines were way too long to wait.
It's all about the last mile!
Normally Woodville, AL would not be at the top of my destinations list but when I saw that the last mile plus of the race would be inside a cave, … MORE
Normally Woodville, AL would not be at the top of my destinations list but when I saw that the last mile plus of the race would be inside a cave, I had to check it out.
Most of the course was rolling hills with killer around mile 11 that you have to climb before you get to go into the cave. The start was very well organized with about 50 runners released every 15 minutes. I hope they keep this because it helped spread everyone out going into the cave.
The Cave was by far the best part of this race. It was dark and a little slippery so it definitely slowed me down but then again, I wanted to enjoy the view a little bit so I’m not complaining. You aren’t going to set a PR here but you will really enjoy the race. NOTE: my camera made the cave look much brighter than it really is!
I can honesty see them adding a great post-race party once life returns back to normal after Covid. I definitely recommend giving this race a go.
Inaugural Race to the Cave: Awesome!
Half #175 in now in the books!! After a fun flat race in Greenwood MS at the Viking Half Saturday, we headed to Huntsville AL and Race to the Cave … MORE
Half #175 in now in the books!!
After a fun flat race in Greenwood MS at the Viking Half Saturday, we headed to Huntsville AL and Race to the Cave at the Cathedral Caverns in Woodville. And it was NOT flat!!
Sunday morning came early as a number of us met for pictures before the race began. The race was practicing Covid-19 protocols with a staggered start, runners in groups starting in 5 minute intervals.
At first, we ran on a gravel road that immediately went up a hill for a quarter of a mile and then onto a paved road that went down. We were on the road that had us exit the Cathedral Caverns State Park and out to the highway.
For about the next 2 1/2 or 3 miles it was nice and flat… you thought “this won’t be so bad!” But it was deceptively flat. You turned a corner and ran about half a mile and then came the hills… lots of them!!
The run through the countryside was quite nice, with beautiful pastures, woods, and interesting homesteads. The aid stations had plenty of goodies and the volunteers were awesome. The county deputies and State Park officers, we great, very friendly and helpful. Only one problem with the stations that I will cover later!
Hills are created for one thing… to give you something to moan about, cuss a bit and make primitive guttural sounds. Right as you come to Mile 11, it flattens out just a tad bit and until you turn the corner back into the park and there is another hill. You think, this one is not too bad until you get close and you see The Hill! I swear it was 45 degrees up!! It looked like the banking at a NASCAR Super Speedway like Talledaga! The only thing you could do was lean forward and hope for the best!
Finally you are at the Caverns!
Let me stop here to make this point!If you came to this race the set a PR, maintain a sub 2:00, sub 3:00 or sub whatever, you are missing the point of this event! You need to enter the Caverns ready to walk, to stop, to take pictures, to enjoy one of Earth’s natural beauties!
This is what I did! I probably could have finished with a much better time but I would have missed a great opportunity to just relax and enjoy the moment. It was beautiful! I finished the race with Terry Bourg and as we came out of the cavern, David and his cowbell was there to greet us.
This race wasn’t conducive to him being able to cheer on the course so he pretty much stayed near the finish! Myself and a number of others missed the sound of the cowbell!!
The Medal is awesome! They had a sack lunch for everyone with a delicious BBQ pork sandwich!
This was an inaugural 1/2 Marathon. The had held 5Ks and 15Ks there before. For a first time Half, they did very well. There are three areas that they can improve on for next year:
1. They only had three aid stations on the course at Mile 3, Mile 8 and Mile 11.They had locations that they could have used. They just need to plan to add a couple more.
2. There were no Porta Potties out on the course. Only at the beginning and restrooms at the end. They need at least two more on the course!
3. This is a hard one… the Cavern was lit for tour groups, not runners. However too much light takes away from the beauty! But they need to look at solutions to light the actual path just a little more, but only use a temporary lighting.
When we first heard about this race we thought how cool it sounded and began to try to create some FOMO in the groups we belong to! It exceeded our expectation and it was awesome to see so many old friends and meet new ones! Interesting statistic: David heard from one of the Park Supervisors… only 35% of the runners were from Alabama!!
Would I come back on my own to run it again? Maybe not… but would I come back again if more of you put it on your calendar? Absolutely and hopefully I will see a bunch of y’all next year!!
Beautiful Course and Great Staff
Rolling hills and the cave at the end was perfect. The scenery throughout the entire run kept my mind off the actual race. The organizers did a fantastic job and … MORE
Rolling hills and the cave at the end was perfect. The scenery throughout the entire run kept my mind off the actual race. The organizers did a fantastic job and there was plenty of water and other goodies on the course. This is definitely a “run again” race. Highly recommended.