Stefani Turso's Staging Area

I am a road racer, but I wanted a new challenge. I got one with the Dunes Heavy Half (14.4 miles). There is also a 50K. It is run in beautiful Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The production is very well organized and there is a very chill vibe. There was ample food and water/hydration at every aid station and at the start/finish line. The race did start late, but it was not the race director’s fault, as the timers (who also had the bibs) were in an accident on the way over. It was about a 30 minute delay, but no one seemed to mind. The race is on grass roads, single tracks, boardwalk, and sand! Lots of sand! The half went over the “Dunes from Heaven” and the 50K goes over even more. The trail is more technical than I would have thought, lots of roots to watch out for. I did trip, so be careful. People on the trail were super nice and supportive of every racer. Most of the race (I was the back of the pack) I was alone on the trail or with just 2-3 other people. The trail doesn’t offer much shade and the race being at the end of April gets warm. The volunteers were super awesome and they took care of you and made sure you were drinking enough. The metal was a nice wood metal and you got a shirt. The top finishers got hand made trophies. Not sure trail racing is for me, but I am glad I did it and it was a fun challenge. I would suggest it to anyone who wants to do a trail run.

I had higher hopes for this race. I was running the half as a practice run for an upcoming marathon. I went to the “expo” on Friday and it was terrible. There was only 2 venders that had anything to do with running, the rest (which there was only a few) were selling windows, door, a/c’s, and pavers. Strange for a running race. The packet pickup was easy. I got a long sleeve t-shirt (that was nice) and a sweatband thing. So swag was so pitiful. The Polo Association was the sponsor this year, not Garden of Life, so no more $100 swag bags. That was disappointing. Parking the morning of the race was easy, but I was there at 4:15am before the crowds. The race started on time, but NO national anthem?? The race course was set up well and the WPB police did a great job of traffic control. The race pacers also did a good job. No real scenery expect for the start/finish area along the water. The biggest issue was the course was on a 2 lane road, one lane for each direction, so it got very crowded at times. Some water stations were well run, but others were literally pour your own cup!! December weather can be hot or cool, we got hot and humid. The race did offer a relay team marathon which seemed life a fun time for people who were doing it. The metal was pretty! The after party was ok, there was pancakes and bacon (and it was tasty), a beer garden, and an area to take photos. I feel the Polo Association wanted to put their name on something in WPB, but they didn’t do anything to make the race special, so I will not be doing it again.

The Half & Marathon of the Treasure Coast was an amazing race! I was pleasantly surprised! Packet pick up was simple and easy. Some venders selling running related things. The swag bag is very simple, I wish there was more in the bag from sponsors, even if it’s coupons. The morning of the race: Parking was a breeze (easy, free, and close), plenty of bathrooms with no lines, race started on time, very well run. You are on the road with cars, but I never felt nervous, cars were pelite to runners. Stuart police department did a great job! Aid stations were well stocked! It’s a small race of around 800 people. The weather was amazing! Lucked out, start was 58 and finish was 65. The race is mostly in neighborhoods and there is one big bridge. The view on the bridge was beautiful. One of the neighborhoods had lots of old growth trees and huge homes, very pretty. The bridge hill was no joke and the marathoners got a second bridge, but the marathoners had more of an ocean view on their course. When you come across the finish line, your name is called (that was neat). There is a PR bell to ring and get a photo. The after party was very nice, small home town feel. Local Boy Scout troop made pancakes and Publix had fruit, drinks, snacks, and subs for you. There is also a local band playing music. Great race and I would do this one again!

This was my first Full Marathon and it did not disappoint! I’ll start with the Expo. I paid for the VIP experience, so I bypassed the line to get my bib and swag bag. The lines were very long and seemed confusing to the Non-VIP. The Expo was good. Got some freebies. The race! I took the Brightline train from Fort Lauderdale (special early train) and it got me into downtown at 5am. Perfect! I walked .5 miles to the race area where I found my corral. Since I did the VIP, I was placed in corral B. I am slow and I would have been almost at the end, but I wanted the early start because I wanted to enjoy the after race festivities before they started to clean up and that would have happened if I started later. The race started exactly on time and I believe it took almost a full hour to get all the corrals over the start line. The half had over 15,000 people and the full had only 3,000, so the first half of the race was crowed. Since I was slow and in a fast corral, I got over to the right so others could pass me on the left. I was always about 6” to 18” from the right side and people still had to pass me on the right. I did not understand that at all. There was 20 feet or more to my left. Once the half and full split, it got very nice. People were spread out and no one was trying to pass me on the right anymore. The course is amazing! Water views, city views, bridges, beautiful homes, the list goes on. The water stations were every mile and well stocked. There was also bathrooms and medical every mile. The course is super easy to follow and the city does an amazing job. Even the police were cheering on the runners. The crowed support was great in some areas and not existent in others, but over all good crowd support. Watch that hill (bridge) at mile 25! LOL. I loved when I crossed the finish line, my name was announced. I’m not sure if that was because I was a marathoner or because I did VIP, but that was great. Overall Miami does it right and it was a great race and a great production. I not sure I would do it again because I like smaller races and it was very hot and humid, but I still loved every minute.