Rusty Moore's Staging Area

This was the inaugural St Joseph Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, & 5K. This isn’t to be confused with the old Pony Express Marathon as I don’t think that particular race exist any longer.
This particular event was a top notch run from the race organizers to the volunteers manning water stations, traffic intersections, packet pick-up, and everything & everyone else involved. The course was very well laid out with plenty of scenery regardless of which distance one chose. I ran the Half Marathon, and hills were plentiful. In this case, what goes down must come up. I would highly suggest hill training a few weeks before race day. You won’t regret it. Thank goodness there were plenty of water & Gatorade available. St. Joe has some beautiful neighborhoods which remain hidden unless you get to run through them. Weather can be iffy in September, but this day was semi-cool, sunny & very humid. Runners taking 2 or more hours into the run I’m sure endured the rain that moved in. This was a fun run, and more than likely, I shall do it again. It is a challenge, but that’s half the reason to run….isn’t it? LOL!!

This was my first time running the Hometown Half Marathon Kansas City and it was a very fun run. Course was relatively flat, with slight inclines and only one short, but steep hill. The course also consisted of mostly chat with a few asphalt and cement portions. Start & finish of the 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon are in English Landing Park which abuts up to the Missouri River in the little town of Parkville, MO. The town offers shops and a few fun places to grab a bite after a well earned appetite from running. The weather today was off to 70° and was very humid. This is typical weather for the part of the state & country. Just hydrate a few days ahead and all should be fine. There were plenty of aid stations passing out water & Powerade, which I availed myself of each passing. The course is an out-n-back course with the outer most portion seemingly being in a desolate area void of much scenery. Out in the open and all sun. All in all, this is an easy run and more than likely you can gain a PR for yourself.

The Mighty Missouri Relay was an inaugural running event consisting of 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, 45 mile solo, and 45 mile relay. Organizers & follow through were top notch as the courses & distances were so widely varied. Kudos to the race director and his Team for an outstanding effort.
Now on to the course itself: I participated in the half marathon and this course was indicative of the more extended distances. Gravel roads, asphalt roads, the Katy Trail with chat, and towards the very end, a dirt road followed by grass to the finish line. Hills (and some were steep) were plentiful and tested one’s stamina. Scenery was second to none. Beautiful farmland, country estates, scenic Missouri River complete with towering bluffs above, wooded areas, and of course the quaint town of Rocheport, MO. The 45 mile course also went through the larger town of Booneville. Swag was a bit different this race. Each runner received a pair of donut socks, a truckers cap, stickers and a myriad of other fun stuff. What I liked was the finisher’s ‘medals’ which were cut from a local cedar tree and had a leather string attached. If you’re used to running in half or full marathons, I highly recommend this event. If this may be a first long distance run, then some hill training should be on order well before the actual day of this run. I’ve been running for 25+ years and I put in a couple of days worth of hill training beforehand. I am so glad I signed up for this. It was so much fun, and reminded me of when I first started out running many years ago.

If you’re looking for a first time Half Marathon, this would be a good fit. Course is relatively flat with a few minor hills tossed in for good measure. The biggest hill was up to the finish line. Scenery was wonderful through downtown Topeka and several beautiful residential. This half marathon could easily provide you with your personal best. The start & finish line was at Evergy Plaza which provided plenty, plenty of space to gather with friends, stretch , and cool down after the run.

The entire course, 5K-Full Marathon, was beautiful as it goes through the Corporate Woods Business Park and then starts on the asphalt trails throughout the community of Overland Park. Beautiful woods, fields, and neighborhoods. At least for the Half Marathon, no streets had to be crossed except inside the Corporate Woods vicinity, but all streets there were blocked & monitored. Plenty of aid/water stations and quite a few spectators to cheer everyone. This particular race has very few hills, but lots of turns & creeks to cross. Gobbler Grind (Half) Marathon is one of my favorites.

Spooky Sprint Half Marathon is a great training run for any upcoming marathons. Challenging right off the bat as it’s uphill from the start line to about 1+ mile. From there it’s basically flat with a few inclines. At about mile 11-12.5 is a very challenging uphill climb, but always worth it. Scenery is beautiful as this run usually involves Longview Lake and trails through wooded areas. I will say that a portion of the course is along side a divided Parkway with runners using the designated bike lanes. Not really an issue, but does require runners to keep alert for vehicle traffic. Temperatures are varied at this time of year from very mild to very cold and sometimes involves fall rain.

One of my favorite half marathons! This particular race involves most everything one could want; scenery of all types-parks, residential, business; plenty of hills to challenge, and plenty of flat areas to just enjoy the pace. Fellow runners are always pumped for this particular run, so this definitely adds to the excitement & fun. Just be prepared for any given weather. It’s early spring in the Midwest.

I was looking for something away from my city and stumbled upon the Fayetteville Half Marathon. This community seems to have nothing but hills, and steep ones at that, so I was sure this half marathon would be mostly hills throughout the historical town and university. However, the course was two loops, relatively flat, and through a much newer section of town. Overall, the race was very well executed and the fellow runners were an absolute blast to be around.

I have been running marathons & half marathons for 21 years and have found the IMT Des Moines Marathon/Half Marathon of 2019 to be one of the most & best organized races of my years running. From registration to finish time, the entire process and course was very substantial to promote, support, encourage, and exemplified overall professionalism of this major athletic event. This a great challenge for newcomers and seasoned runners alike. And this was a fun & awesome run to do.