I was impressed with the whole thing; the organizers took the race very seriously. The check-in was totally fine. From start to finish, it went off smoothly while the course … MORE
I was impressed with the whole thing; the organizers took the race very seriously. The check-in was totally fine. From start to finish, it went off smoothly while the course was a bit challenging (not complaining about it). Two areas of improvement: 1) The tumblers for awards are way too cheap; hence, give out trophies instead; and 2) Train the volunteers to pass out water properly; after 10th mile or so, one dropped the cup on purpose, and it cost me badly for the final 5K, and I didn’t appreciate it. I might come back again in 2024 if I see a better overall setup.
Well-Done.
I was impressed with the whole thing; the organizers took the race very seriously. The check-in was totally fine. From start to finish, it went off smoothly while the course … MORE
I was impressed with the whole thing; the organizers took the race very seriously. The check-in was totally fine. From start to finish, it went off smoothly while the course was a bit challenging (not complaining about it). Two areas of improvement: 1) The tumblers for awards are way too cheap; hence, give out trophies instead; and 2) Train the volunteers to pass out water properly; after 10th mile or so, one dropped the cup on purpose, and it cost me badly for the final 5K, and I didn’t appreciate it. I might come back again in 2024 if I see a better overall setup.
Great Small City Race
Lots of aid stations and awesome course support. Well produced - great swag. I traveled from out of state to escape ice and snow - great weather for a half. … MORE
Lots of aid stations and awesome course support. Well produced – great swag. I traveled from out of state to escape ice and snow – great weather for a half. Both Shreveport and Texarkana airports are convenient.
My hometown race
Great pre race communication Expo and packet pick up was overall good at a local shoe store Course overall was awesome with paved trails, nice neighborhood areas, a couple of … MORE
Great pre race communication
Expo and packet pick up was overall good at a local shoe store
Course overall was awesome with paved trails, nice neighborhood areas, a couple of miles in a park, last mile was down state line which separates Texas and Arkansas.
Crowd support was phenomenal along with staff and volunteers
Aid stations were plentiful, I believe 7 total with restrooms at each.
Swag was a dri fit long sleeve shirt and medal was nice and heavy with both states in glitter
Post race had burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, cookies, and fruit
Free parking at starting line
Smaller races with 500 runners, they do offer a half marathon relay in 2 or 4 person teams
I most definitely recommend this race and I will run again
Tour of Texarkana USA
Race day arrival was very simple. I parked 40 minutes before the race started and was able to get a spot within a block of the start line. The temperatures … MORE
Race day arrival was very simple. I parked 40 minutes before the race started and was able to get a spot within a block of the start line.
The temperatures were in the high 30s to start the race and peaked somewhere in the high 50s. The weather was clear and it was a lovely day for a run. The course started in Texas and shortly crossed into Arkansas. It meandered through some city trails and some roads that were blocked off. The course headed back into Arkansas at about the halfway point and followed a similar out until it once again crossed into Arkansas for the finish line approach. I would assume the race is a pretty even split between distance in Arkansas and in Texas.
The police officers and volunteers that helped with the road crossings and the eight aid stations were fantastic for this race.
The overall course only had a few hundred feet of elevation gain and consisted of long gentle rolling train.
The finisher’s shirt did not mention the name of the race prominently on the front so this was a bit disappointing. The medal was nice for a race of this size. The food and snacks offered after the course were adequate. Several local restaurants were offering discounts for hardier meals.
I think this was a nice race and would run it again if I was near the Texarkana area.
Interesting town!
The weather ended up being great for this race. Better than I expected for February. It had a slight mist but it stopped after the race started. They have two … MORE
The weather ended up being great for this race. Better than I expected for February. It had a slight mist but it stopped after the race started. They have two starts-one for the people who could complete the race in under 2:15:00 and a second wave for the rest of the pack. There were runners/walkers in record attendance this year for the race. The tech long sleeve t shirt and medal were high quality. Not really a race expo as you pick your packet up at Racquet & Jog which is a sporting good store. They were having a shoe sale that Saturday which was nice. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this race but I truly enjoyed every minute of it. The mile markers would indicate which state you were in. There were plenty of aide stations along the course. Plenty of food for those who were in the back of the pack. The fireball/bacon/mimosa station was an interesting touch. I would come back to do this race again. I walked it as I was recovering from a nasty cold. Next time I am running the line! The fun part was trying to figure out what state you were in 🙂
Great Smaller Race
Well organized small race. I did not go to the Expo b/c I picked up the packet the day of the race. Things I liked, Fireballs at 11.5 and free … MORE
Well organized small race. I did not go to the Expo b/c I picked up the packet the day of the race. Things I liked, Fireballs at 11.5 and free beer after the course. The race was in two states Texas and Arkansas. This allowed me an Arkansas half this year b/c I already had Texas. I thought the course was really flat. I would have gone faster if my legs hadn’t been so tired after a week of racing. Cheers and happy running.