Julie Bullard's Staging Area

The benefits to running the Myrtle Beach Marathon:
1. There’s almost always something to see: glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean, the towering hotels that dominate Ocean Blvd…
2. You won’t go long between seeing spectators.
3. The race’s technical shirts are by the same group (Race 13.1) which Competitor Magazine named as having the best race shirts. (Sorry, I know that sounds repetitive!)
4. The finish line is in the Myrtle Beach Pelicans minor league baseball team parking lot, and the stadium is open to runners post-race. This made for a slightly more unique post-race party.
5. The starting line, which is right in front of the Pelicans stadium, is just across the street from Broadway at the Beach. This means there is PLENTY of parking for runners and one less thing to stress out about on race day.
6. The course is mostly flat, with only very gentle and very gradual changes in elevation.
7. If you have spectators traveling with you, Myrtle Beach is a fairly easy place in which to drive from one location to another.

I’ll run this race again, however I’ll likely run the half next year. 26.2 miles deserves a change of scenery for me!

For the bargain price of $50, runners at the 2017 Save the Light Half Marathon got two views of the iconic Morris Island Lighthouse, and four trips past “The Washout,” a local surfing haven. In addition to the long sleeve cotton t-shirt, runners at this race receive a different poster every year that features artwork of the Morris Island Lighthouse. In recent years, organizers have added a modest finisher medal to present to participants.

For a more detailed report of this race visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/save-the-light-half-marathon

Summerville’s Sweet Tea Half Marathon is in its third year. While the overall number of runners was down this year, this surely isn’t a result of organization on the race’s part. Likely the $90 price tag scared of the thriftier runners. For that price, runners received a long sleeved soft technical tee, and a course with pleasant scenery (not unlike what many of us see on training runs around town), a post-race beer, and a great shot at placing in one’s age group. The race begins and ends in scenic downtown Summerville, with the middle of the course running on the Sawmill Branch Trail and through some local subdivisions. Friendly and vocal volunteers manned every intersection, so there was no chance of anyone taking a wrong turn. For locals and for those who (like us) feel its worth it to spend some money even on a small, local race, there is no reason not to run the Summerville Sweet Tea Half Marathon. For photos and more detailed information on the race course, places to eat, packet pick-up, and more visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/sweet-tea-half-marathon

The Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon boasts of a course that is flat and fast with a mere seven turns. While we didn’t count the turns, we don’t doubt the truth of that claim. The race began at the Coastal Grand Mall, ensuring that there was plenty of parking for all runners, and that no one had to spend hours searching for a parking spot, In addition, the Hilton Garden Inn is a stone’s throw away. On a cool morning, runners can take advantage of the hotel lobby and indoor restrooms. We stayed at the Hilton for this year’s Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon and enjoyed being able to roll out of bed and onto the course. In previous years we’ve stayed near the finish line (right on the beach) where hotels are plentiful. This allowed us to change out of wet clothes and into dry ones before taking advantage of the Beer Garden. No matter where you stay, the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon will make for an easy race experience. Flat course and plenty of hotel rooms close to the finish line? What else is there? For more information and photos of the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon course, places to stay, places to eat, packet pickup, and more visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/myrtle-beach-mini-marathon

Running the Chateau Grand Traverse Half Marathon offered us the chance to escape the suffocating heat of South Carolina in the summer and experience one of the many alluring events in Traverse City, Michigan: the Cherry Festival. If you’re not from Michigan, you may be dismissing the state, however the combination of nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes and the exceptional experience of the Chateau Grand Traverse Half Marathon has turned us into Michiganers at heart (at least in the summer).

The course for this race was point to point, beginning at Chateau Grand Traverse on the Old Mission peninsula and ending in downtown Traverse City. School buses shuttled us from Eastern Elementary (site of packet pickup) to the Chateau. There was no line to board the shuttle at 6 am, and as a result, no stress. Upon arrival at the race start, Chateau Grand Traverse had its porch (and its heaters) open to runners prior to the 7 am start. A bag drop allowed runners to leave a drawstring backpack (provided by the race) of warm, dry clothes that would be shuttled to the finish line. Port-o-let lines were modest and manageable, and any runner that needed to was able to use the restroom before the race began.

The first few miles of the half marathon course took runners through the orchards at Chateau Grand Traverse via sandy, dirt paths. The course here consisted of small hills and some sharp turns. While mildly challenging, the Chateau Grand Traverse portion is part of what makes this race so unique. How often can you say you ran a half marathon through a cherry orchard?

Once exiting the trail portion of the course, runners were treated to views of Grand Traverse Bay on the right as they ran down Peninsula Drive. While the 15K (also part of the Meijer Festival of Races, much like a 5K and 10K) had runners tackle the monster hill, Mt. McKinley at about the halfway point in their race) the half marathon consisted of small, gently rolling hills. In combination with the magnificent views, this was an easy course to run and one of the most beautiful. To us, the weather at this time of year was exceptional. With temperatures in the low 60’s and a light breeze blowing off the bay, the race had ideal summer running conditions.

Northern Michigan in the summer is perfection. Fortunately, the Meijer Festival of races and its Chateau Grand Traverse Half Marathon allow runners to experience that perfection via a beautiful course and well managed race experience. This is definitely a race to add to your bucket list.

For photos of the race and more details about the experience visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/meijer-cherry-festival-of-races-chateau-grand-traverse-half-marathon or follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @runnullardsrun.

Unfortunately for the state of New Jersey, it has a reputation nationally, and it’s not a good one. You don’t hear of anyone going on a dream vacation to the Garden State. Sadly, many will never know the delightful pockets of interest in the state, Asbury Park being one of them. Runapalooza, an event that hosts a marathon, half marathon, and relay, showcases one of the most magnificent destinations in the area. Runners get a 13.1 (or longer) tour of the decaying glory and current revitalization of Asbury Park, the crown jewel of the Jersey Shore in the early 1900’s. Devastated by Hurricane Sandy and years of neglect, this scrappy beach town is fighting it’s way back, and runners get a chance to witness it’s progress on foot. This race will likely look very different in 10 years, and the race will without a doubt continue for many years thanks to the event’s magnificent scenery, stellar organization, and easy course. For more information about race swag, finisher medals, post-race party, accommodations, places to eat, and photos of it all, visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/asbury-park-half-marathon.

The Celebration course was flat, fast and pretty. In addition to a killer post-race party, the race has a generous bib transfer policy. This policy allows those unable to run to get their money back, and those who want to run the opportunity to do so. Celebration is a modestly sized race that provides runners with a big race experience (or even better than a big race, truth be told). There’s no reason not to sign up and a zillion reasons to. For more info on the race, course, post-race party, lodging, and pictures of it all visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/celebration-half-marathon

For more details about packet pick up, race shirts, finisher medals, post race party, accommodations, places to eat, and photos of the race, visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/rock-n-roll-las-vegas.

For more details about packet pick up, race shirts, finisher medals, post race party, accommodations, places to eat, and photos of the race, visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/race-131-little-rock.

We bundled the Idaho Falls M.A.D. Half Marathon into a summer vacation that included Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Salt Lake City. For anyone vacationing in the area, if you fly into Salt Lake City, Idaho Falls is a perfect stopover on the way to the Parks. With that being said, know this. The Idaho Falls M.A.D. Half Marathon course drops 1400 feet in elevation during the first five miles. As a result, the first five miles of the race were both scenic and easy to run. Once runners were out of the foothills, they were running through flat, suburban Idaho Falls. Mentally, this was hard. After five miles of descent, flat road felt like an uphill for the next 8 miles. Additionally, running through the suburbs for the next 8 miles wasn’t quite as picturesque as running the foothills. If you run this race, be aware of the effect it will have on you mentally and physically. Though our brains recovered once we crossed the finish line, we had to revise some of our vacation itinerary simply because our legs were not capable of walking us downhill or down stairs (or even up and down curbs for that matter) for two days following this race.

Something else to consider about the Idaho Falls M.A.D Half Marathon: Because this course is point to point, you will be boarding a shuttle that takes you to the top of one of the Idaho foothills. At the top of that foothill, for the 2015 race, there were only four port-o-lets. Though the race consisted of a modest 300 runners, 300 runners sharing four portable toilets made for some long lines. Our recommendation: if you know you will need to use one of the aforementioned port-o-lets, arrive at the shuttle stop early so you can board the first bus and be first in line to use the restroom.

With all that being said, if we could do this race all over again…we would; we would just come into the event better prepared. We’d make an effort to do more hill training and arrive early at the shuttle, ensuring we could enjoy the excellent post-race party at the Idaho Falls M.A.D Half Marathon.

For even more detailed information about this event, visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/idaho-falls-mad-half-marathon. There you will find recommendations for accommodations, places to eat, information about packet pickup and the post-race party, and pictures of it all.

For more details about race shirts, finisher medals, post-race party, accommodations, places to eat, and photos of it all, visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/lincoln-presidential-half-marathon.

We actually ran the Michelob Ultra Challenge, which means we ran the 15K, 5k, half marathon, and 8K all in one weekend. For more details about race shirts, finisher medals, post-race part, accommodations, places to eat, and photos of it all visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/gasparilla-distance-classic.

For more details about race shirts, finisher medals, post-race party, accommodations, places to eat, and photos of it all, visit https://www.serialrunner.com/half-marathon-race-recaps/kiawah-island-half-marathon.