Richard Dumas's Staging Area

Hardest marathon I’ve ever had the pleasure of running, and it was a pleasure. Great town, nice people, good but limited restaurants, and never ending hills. Had I not driven the course on Saturday I think I would have quit because of the relentless hills. Brutal was a word heard frequently at the finish. Expected the July heat and was not disappointed. Unmatched scenery if you’re a fan of cows.

Killer hill sucked the life out of my legs. Terrible potholes and uneven surfaces made it less than ideal. First and last Frozen Shamrock.

Not a bad way to start the New Year. I think you really need to do this double-loop 10K only if you’re going with others, as it isn’t a very cool event to do solo. The swag and post race food have gone down in quality quite a bit making it a below average experience.

I stayed less than a mile from the venue so logistics on race day were a breeze. The weather was ideal, and the city was awesome, with enthusiastic spectators just about everywhere. Nice enough expo, but the experience not to miss is the Reading Terminal market across the street. Cheesesteaks and pretzels galore.

Absolutely perfect conditions for this year’s event, and as usual the Air Force nailed it. Extremely well organized, from bib pickup at the Nutter Center to the improved post-race festival held this year at the finish line right after the race and not at some off base venue later in the afternoon. The corrals we also new (not hundreds like Disney but a very manageable three) and greatly reduced the congestion at the first few water stops. Opted again for the shuttles going from the Nutter Center in the (early morning). Cautionary note that you’ll be waiting about 2 hours for the Half and Full Marathons to start at 0730, but there are plenty of chairs available under the main pavilion tent and it’s worth getting through security screening before boarding the bus. A brisk morning near 50 degrees was handed by distributing space blankets. Ample port-a-potties at start/finish.

Loosely organized local run with a great downhill course. Hard not to PR this one. Offsite (free) parking and shuttle service was fine, but the walk from the finish seemed almost as long as the race.

Best. Marathon. Ever. Great course running the Monuments, US Capitol, National Mall and finishing at the Iwo Jima memorial. Stay in Crystal City and use the convenient free shuttle bus to and from start and finish.