On your mark. Get set. Go! USA Endurance Events, a road race company offering luxury racing experiences in select cities throughout the U.S., has chosen Nashville for its upcoming USA Women’s Half Marathon this May from the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center to the Grand Ole Opry. Since 2013, …
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On your mark. Get set. Go! USA Endurance Events, a road race company offering luxury racing experiences in select cities throughout the U.S., has chosen Nashville for its upcoming USA Women’s Half Marathon this May from the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center to the Grand Ole Opry.
Since 2013, USA Endurance Events has hosted a series of luxury “race-cations” each year in cities including Dallas, Key West, Martha’s Vineyard, San Diego, Seattle, The Hamptons, and more. Participants receive a Kendra Scott sterling silver custom necklace and pendant presented by men in tuxedos, a Lululemon finisher’s shirt, professional race photos, a custom tote bag with an array of swag, champagne mimosas, and a continental breakfast at the finish line, as well as complimentary massages, and other perks.
To ensure runners receive the most quality experience possible, and to give high-end vendor partners, such as Kendra Scott and Lululemon, time to create custom swag, registrants must enter a lottery, which is currently open until Jan 14, followed by a second lottery that will be open Jan. 16-31. Men are welcome to register and will receive the same swag but have the option to select a men’s Lululemon finisher’s shirt. Owner and Race Director, Lee Ann Yarbor, designed the races this way to ensure runners enjoy every moment.
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Luxury Race Experience = Lack Luster
This race was advertised as a luxury race experience that included a lululemon shirt and Kendra Scott necklace, continental buffet breakfast, and more. It was not. 3 weeks before the … MORE
This race was advertised as a luxury race experience that included a lululemon shirt and Kendra Scott necklace, continental buffet breakfast, and more. It was not. 3 weeks before the race, they announced on their FB page the swag had changed from what was advertised to a generic shirt and hoodie, generic necklace, towel, and tote. Outside of social media, there were no other communications regarding this. Tons of swag but not what was advertised and we couldn’t change our shirt sizes. 5 days before the race we were notified the course had changed and moved from running on the greenway to running more than half of the race in a parking lot. The course was poorly marked and many girls ended up running the wrong way. I had only clocked 12.93 miles since what was marked was not what was mapped. They did not set up the number of water/restroom stations as promised and there were no medical service tents along the course – 2 girls collapsed that I was aware of. Security had also stopped racers to allow cars to go through. The continental breakfast was no more than race snacks but we did get mimosas. It had started raining when I crossed the finish line so I put the bag with my boxed necklace in the back compartment of my hydration vest to keep it from getting wet. When I got back to my hotel, I found the necklace was never placed in the box. I had to make another trip back to the race (luckily they were still there) to see if I could still get one. This was a very expensive race that I was excited to be a part of. Unfortunately it was one of the most disappointing race experiences I’ve had.
Not worth the money.
Honestly, just not impressed. The first 6 miles of the course were fine, hilly but through a nice park. The last 7 miles or so were loops around the back … MORE
Honestly, just not impressed.
The first 6 miles of the course were fine, hilly but through a nice park. The last 7 miles or so were loops around the back parking lots of the Opry Land Mall; basically, running by storage and service entrances.
I had to pay $25 to pick my bib up day of; I wasn’t aware it would be extra till we received an email the week before the event. I didn’t receive a t-shirt or ‘swag bag’. The necklace is so small, the charm is slightly over half inch wide.
The champagne mimosas at the end were good. The breakfast buffet was just a bunch of cold, individually wrapped snacks. For a $200 race I expected more.