Alyssa Cary's Staging Area

I ran this race solo, as I always do, but this was a race unlike most others and I wished I’d had some girlfriends at my side! The energy and excitement surrounding this race was palpable before, during, and after race day. This is a GREAT first marathon experience for anyone looking to run their first.

PROS: Great location for the race, expo, and finish festival; free race photos by FinisherPix; Awesome high quality swag, smooth start, lots of lady-focused amenities and activities. I wish I’d taken advantage of the hair braiding bar, shakeout runs, and panels with the running legends present at the expo but I didn’t arrive in time. I was, however, VERY thankful for all the clean, well-stocked portapotties (this has been a recurring theme for me this year) – I NEVER waited in line! Finally, the recovery focus at the finish festival was really great. Stretching and normatec boots and plenty of milk/chocolate milk!

CONS: This was the first year so there were bound to be some kinks in the execution. Bib pickup was a little slow and chaotic. The space was very small and crowded and made the expo less than enjoyable. The race itself started with a bang but quickly fizzled out into a quiet, run-down part of town that really killed the vibe for a while. Back in downtown Savannah it was better but there are a LOT of turns, so if you’re not paying attention to your tangents, you’re definitely running closer to 27 miles. It would’ve been nice to run by the river and spend more time in the more scenic parts of the city.

I’d run it again if I had a group to run with.

If you thrive in an environment where spectators line the streets, cheering stations and race posters and counting dogs keeps you going, then this is NOT your race. But if you enjoy a peaceful run through the trees by the river that feels more like a long run with the benefits of aid stations and a fully loaded finish, I highly recommend this race! For someone who trains adequately this could absolutely be a PR and/or BQ course; for me, some personal things and poor weather got in the way of summer training so I was just looking for a finish to check Vermont off my list. I was pleasantly surprised to find that relying solely on the on-course fuel and hydration options and running at a comfortable pace gave me a pretty average finish without needing to walk during the race. It was a great experience and my accommodations (Green River Bridge Inn) made this a racecation I’d repeat in a heartbeat.

Notes:
-Skip the pre-race day bib pickup. It’s literally JUST a bib and the field isn’t big enough to need to worry about having enough time to get it race morning without a long wait.
-Finisher shirts are at a table post-race. I made the mistake of going to my car to change into dry clothes and leaving my bib behind – they need to mark it to give you your shirt.
-Post-race fuel was some of the best I’ve seen: you get bib tear away coupons for ice cream, food, and beer. They had multiple local food trucks to choose from and of course the staples were available right at the finish (bagels, water, bananas, and also watermelon and some other options).
-Port a potties on course are scarce! Make note of what miles they’re at ahead of time.
-Free race photos included!
-Very convenient bag drop, parking, transportation, and waiting area at the start.

I’ll start by saying that this race was one of my worst personally because of some personal things going on that negatively impacted my training, and thus my experience, but overall this is a pretty well-run event. I have family in Pittsburgh and they did all the heavy lifting for me when it came to getting to and from the expo and the race, but even if I had been solo I would’ve managed just fine. Expo was decent, well-organized, and quick. The race course was as nice as you can expect in a large city; I enjoyed the bridges and river views but prefer more naturally scenic courses. Pittsburgh is a hilly city and there are some minor hills along the way, plus one my uncle called “the m**f**er” and he was not joking! But overall not a difficult course. Fireworks at the start were cool but not super visible to those not in the very front of the pack. Can’t comment much on the finish line area because it was pouring rain when I finished so we booked it back to the car and headed home. I did manage to grab handfuls of food and some extra Eat n Park smile cookies to take home to my kids. All in all I might consider running it again in the future because my family is there and the race production was great, but it wasn’t a particularly memorable race for me.

Feedback from pre- to post-race:
EXPO: No expo, just packet pickup and race swag store. Poorly organized in a room much too small. Runners receive a bib and t-shirt and reusable tote/shopping bag. No extras but some nice gear for purchase.
RACE SHUTTLE: This part stressed me out the most in the planning process but ended up being smooth. Plenty of shuttles available and I could’ve slept an extra 30-45 minutes if it weren’t for my anxiety!
START: 5am start was great for those of us used to running in the cold winter months but dark and unable to appreciate any of the scenery until the sun started to rise an hour later
RACE: Coming around a bend to see the coast and the sunrise was probably the most epic part of the course and made the dark first hour worthwhile. Running the curvy coastline was my favorite part. Cons: Spectators are practically nonexistent so it’s a very quiet race for those who feed off the excitement of the crowd. The course is almost entirely along a highway so there is constant traffic driving alongside of you (except briefly through Lahaina). It is hot in Maui 🥵 but it was also very windy on race day so that gave some reprieve, although adding difficulty at times.
POST: Minimal photography which is kind of unfortunate for such a beautiful course. Tiny bag of snacks (banana, granola bar, goldfish) and cups of water at finish. Post-race party required extra $$ and pre-purchase of ticket for entry. This was not a cheap entry fee so definitely felt like they could’ve provided more for finishers.

I’ve run Richmond twice and had a great experience both times. I’ve run NYC, Chicago, and the Rock N Roll DC Marathon and I can easily say Richmond’s spectators, organization, swag, and scenery are just about on par with NYC and Chicago. (Rock N Roll DC was my least favorite and I’d never run it again). I’d argue the scenery is better in RVA because you get a variety – city, suburbs, riverside. My ONLY complaint is that the post-race party was super crowded this year.

I ran this race over a decade ago, it was my first marathon and I had no idea what I was doing, but it was an awesome experience. There are positives and negatives I’ll never forget: the sheer size and incredible production of the entire event, pre-race amenities, rush of adrenaline from the crowds, feeling of soot in my lungs (not a city girl!) from sucking wind in a big city, insanely long finisher corral (literally a mile), high-quality fleece-lined poncho to warm up post-race. I might’ve struggled physically but I knew this would be the start of a new running addiction.