Allison Hardwick's Staging Area

I used this race as a workout opposed to racing all out. It was perfect because I signed up really early for a super affordable price and it was a fun way to get in a long run. The race definitely has a small town feel and there isn’t a ton to look at it. You can see the lake some of the race but you also see a lot of corn fields and country roads. However, it is extremely well organized, the swag rocked and for 2018 the weather was extraordinarily nice. They also do the post race beers at a nearby bar/restaurant. The finisher area is on a beautiful part of the lake by a lighthouse which makes for awesome pictures. I would definitely do this race again especially for the price I paid ($30) but I did sign up almost a year in advance.

The logistics of this race were easy and smooth. The parking directions were clear and the start line was organized (with plenty of porta potties). The course was mainly flat, a few small hills but nothing strenuous. The Glacier park that you run through is pretty but I would say that the course scenery is a bit more on the boring side. The after party is at a Mexican restaurant and includes a free margarita, chips/salsa/queso which was a great touch.

This was my first time in the twin cities and I really liked the views of the city skyline the race offered. You make a loop passing through downtown twice. There were more participants than I expected and the post race snacks were great!

I ran a PR at this race in 2017 and then returned this year and ended up running my worst half marathon ever. A lot of the factors were personal but I will say that the humidity killed me, it was very tough! The wine festival after the race though is amazing and tons of fun!!

This is the best race I have run so far. It was only my second full marathon but I’ve also run 17 half marathons. It was so well executed and the crowd/spectator support is phenomenal. I was never bored along the course. The areas that didn’t have as many people were augmented with personalized signs and there was even a mile full of inspirational quotes (I honestly really loved that and didn’t find it cheesy at all). People were handing out everything on the course including candy, girl scout cookies, beer, mimosas, bacon, vaseline, etc. It really was a party! The start line was pretty well organized and having porta potties in every corral was brilliant. I didn’t have to wait in a super long line to use the porta potty before the race and that really helped ease my anxiety starting the race. I hate worrying that I will have to stop along the course. The uphill is challenging but you get it out of the way early and the second half of the race feels like a breeze in comparison. I LOVED this race and would highly recommend it to anyone.