Oak Ridge, a bustling city created virtually overnight in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, was shrouded in secrecy for most of the 20th century; only appearing on maps in the mid-1960’s. Today, Oak Ridge is on the map as a thriving city rich in cultural and recreational opportunities …
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Oak Ridge, a bustling city created virtually overnight in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, was shrouded in secrecy for most of the 20th century; only appearing on maps in the mid-1960’s. Today, Oak Ridge is on the map as a thriving city rich in cultural and recreational opportunities not to mention the cutting edge science and technology research for which the city is internationally known!
The Secret City Half Marathon route starts at the scenic Melton Lake Peninsula. Enjoy 13.1 miles of mostly flat terrain. Course runs by the beautiful Melton Lake then down by an operational quarry for a change of scenery. Continue along a serene tree-lined private road then wind through Oak Ridge. Finish your race right back at peninsula. Course is USATF certified.
The 5K race route starts and finishes at the Melton Lake Park peninsula. The course follows the water’s edge along Melton Lake to Elza Gate Park then double back down the walking trail to the peninsula. A very scenic, easy, and enjoyable 5K run.
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Not a PR, not pretty, unsafe, don't run.
I've run more than 50 half marathons and I don't often give a negative review. But this is perhaps the worst race I have run, and it is solely because … MORE
I’ve run more than 50 half marathons and I don’t often give a negative review. But this is perhaps the worst race I have run, and it is solely because of a) the course, and b) how the race is marketed on their website. From the website:
“The half marathon route starts at the scenic Melton Lake Park peninsula. Considered a great PR course! Course runs along the beautiful Melton Lake then down by an operational quarry for a change of scenery. Continue along a serene tree-lined private road then wind through Oak Ridge. Finish your race along the water’s edge right back to the peninsula.”
I registered for this race after reading this description. I knew I wouldn’t PR because I’m not in PR running condition at the moment, but was looking forward to at least an easy and scenic course, and it was only 90 minutes drive from where I live, so not a terrible drive.
It wasn’t fast. It’s a slow course. The only people who will PR on this course are those whose first race is this race. There is no way people are getting a PR here. Here is some context: Of my 30 half marathons this year, 10 of them have been sub-two hour times. My best time this year was 1:50. My worst time this year was on a trail and I finished at 2:40. Across 30 races I have averaged 2:08, and that includes a handful of slow trail races. My time for the Secret City race was 2:09. Not a PR course. Nineteen minutes slower than my PR from earlier this year. It’s got a couple of lengthy hills, one of which is about three-quarters of a mile.
It’s not scenic. Like… except for the first two miles and the last half mile. The course itself was promising for the first couple of miles, but then turned onto a separated four lane highway, and it continued on busy roads until maybe the last half mile to mile. While the police presence was pretty good in most places, the orange cones keeping the speeding cars from hitting the runners were spaced at probably a quarter mile apart in some places. At one point on the four lane highway I crossed an exit ramp and there was no cone and no police to slow or stop traffic. The runners just had to turn around and make sure no speeding cars were going to run us down while taking the exit ramp.
I would absolutely not recommend running this race. If the entire course could be like the first few miles and the last half mile it would be great. But as is it is both unsafe and not a fast course. It is not an enjoyable course. Unless you are local and just absolutely must get a race out of the way, then look elsewhere.
The race organization itself, at the start/finish, was fine. Easy packet pickup, port-a-potties, water and snacks at the finish line, pint glasses with the swag (if you pay extra), and all the standard things. It was the course that was the problem, the rest of the race production was up to snuff.
Enjoyable with a few caveats
Local weather on Race Raves was not accurate. The race started in the mid 20s and warmed to the mid 30's. It was fine once you began running but be … MORE
Local weather on Race Raves was not accurate. The race started in the mid 20s and warmed to the mid 30’s. It was fine once you began running but be prepared for a cold snap. VIP parking is reasonable and was worth the five dollars. Race day packet pickup for out-of-towners was appreciated as most races no longer offer that option. The start was a single corral for everyone with most people guessing their times and standing in the proper spot. The one-loop course was well marked with orange cones directing runners throughout the course. Half of the course is run on a road with no traffic. There wasn’t a lot to look at as fall has ended. Two miles of the course were industrial, one mile in a residential neighborhood and thirty percent on a fairly busy road. I encountered one hill at just over four miles with most of the course flat or at a moderate incline. There were some rolling hills and a few short declines. The single color shirt is on the thinner side with not much standing out design-wise. Previous year medals looked great with the atomic symbol but this year’s medal was a bit lack-luster ceramic type that looked like plastic with some holes punched in the top. The actual feel of the medal is nice but I hope that they return to a snazzy metal design in the future. There were plenty of snacks at the finish and the lake provided a nice backdrop in which to cool down. Overall, it was an enjoyable race for locals or runners who are within one and a half hours of Knoxville.
A half marathon worth repeating
Well organized and supported race in Oak Ridge. Scenery was great along the water, otherwise pretty typical residential/small city views. The course was well marked and it felt like all … MORE
Well organized and supported race in Oak Ridge. Scenery was great along the water, otherwise pretty typical residential/small city views. The course was well marked and it felt like all turns and intersections were manned with helpful volunteers/police. Not a lot of spectator support, but aid stations were full of enthusiastic and helpful people. The race started a few minutes late, which is a pet peeve of mine, but otherwise seemed very well directed. I wouldn’t have called this course “almost flat” but the hills were pretty gentle, especially for East TN. Loved how quickly they had results up and the finishers medals were fun.