Sarah Modlin's Staging Area

I liked this race since the timing was great for me! Plus I ran it for its 25th anniversary!
The expo was in an expo center, so there were plenty of free parking spaces! The only downside was that there were so many runners at once, so the lines for each corral to pick up the bib was crowded and disorganized. It would have been better if they had more space to do it, instead of in the back of the stadium.

The race itself was on the warm side, so I was sweating a lot by the time I was at mile 2. The only shaded portion of the marathon course was around Iroquois Park, but the major downside there was that it was extremely hilly! The fun part of the race was running through Churchill Downs (where the derby is held)!

The worst part of the race was along miles 22-26 because the marathoners run towards the finish of the race around 21 (half marathoners don’t have an additional out-and-back). Mentally it was tough to have a short out-and-back in the hot sun.

The family/friends meetup after the race was easy! I was happy to have my mom join me for the race! I could see myself running this again if the weather is better.

This was my second Revel race, so I knew it would be tough on my quads since the race is 99% downhill!

We had to get on one of the buses to the top of the mountain to start (between 3:15-4:15). Usually the top is freezing, so I packed a bunch of clothes just in case. But it was very warm (60s). The rest of the race was tough and hot since the weather was in the 90s and the sun blasted us in the eyes the entire time.

The course itself is gorgeous since we were running in the desert surrounded by the Red Rocks. Since the area is outside of Las Vegas, there were next-to-no spectators. Even towards the last miles of the race, there were hardly any spectators to cheer us on, which made me kinda lonely.

I love that the race made spectators not use confetti and not had them on the course when we are finishing (I hate when races casually allow non-runners “run-in” with their friends/family). I loved the finish line area since we had lots of snacks, a beer ticket, massages, and food truck options.

Overall this was a good race despite the weather! I could see myself do another Revel race

I ran the OKC marathon back in April and I had a blast! I had to run this one to see which is more popular.

This marathon is great for Marathon Maniacs, Half Fanatics, and 50 staters! We get our own tent, private bathrooms, individualized bib, and special medal! Plus we take a large group photo before the race, so it was great!

It was nice and cold throughout the race, so it was easier for me compared to OKC. The spectators really came out and made us feel welcomed! There were tons of alcohol stops, so I got wasted! The course itself wasn’t hilly, but it had a decent number of rolling hills. There weren’t many dead spots since it’s a popular race in Tulsa!

I definitely can see myself coming back to this race. I think I prefer this one over OKC because it wasn’t as hilly and humid.

I can see why this race and special and why people run this race multiple times. This is run by the USMC, so they assisted with check in at the expo, water stops, and handing out medals.

The course ran throughout the city and there were a million spectators! So it, was so hard to see everyone and get in between runners. We started at the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, continued through Rosslyn before journeying into the District to tour Georgetown and the National Mall. We ran back towards Arlington to pass the Pentagon, tour Crystal City and finished uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial.

The finish line was packed, so we shuffled outside of the finish line area, which was just for runners (yay!) We were given a blanket, jacket, a snack pack, and beer. Overall this is was a fun race! I definitely could see myself doing this one again, especially since the weather was perfect and the course is mostly flat!

I signed up for this race because this was voted as the best NY marathon.
The expo was great! We all received a nice tote bag with a glass and champagne. We also received a nice quarter zip, so that felt fancy!

The marathoners started at 8:15, so it was also relatively warm (50s) and the temperature gets warmer as time goes on. I finished when it was almost 80 degrees. We were in the sun most of the time, so I was uncomfortable a good portion of the race. I didn’t think the course was gorgeous, I considered it to be ok.

The race is advertised as downhill, but it felt more like rolling hills. I know the elevation loss is a bit over 600 feet, but it was still more on the flat/rolling hills side of things.

The finish line was phenomenal! We had could get pop, cookies, muffins, soup (chicken noodle and/or tomato), and pizza! After getting food, we could get ice and sit in the sitting area for as long as we wanted. It was hard to get up since I was comfortable.

I wouldn’t use this course as a PR and/or BQ attempt. But I could see myself running the half-marathon since they start at 7:45

It genuinely pains me to say this since 2025 was the inaugural race, but this is very brutal.

HOT + HUMID: I legitimately thought I would pass out and/or not finish. It was already in the 70s at 7 am and extremely humid. We were in direct sunlight for the majority of the course, so we also had to worry about hydration.

HILLY: This race is advertised as your last chance to PR for Boston, and yet the elevation gain was nearly 1500 feet. The two major uphill climbs were around mile 10-15 and miles 23-26. Because of the hills and weather, I decided to just power walk most of the course because running would be way too difficult!

I do love the vibe of the citizens and volunteers! The volunteers staying outside to help us were wonderful and I’ll always be grateful for them! The citizens came out to cheer us on, which helped a lot! I felt like the production of the race (ex. communication emails, race website) were great! I got a lot of clear information and knew what to do!

Unfortunately this has become my least favorite race. I feel like it’s a major risk to have runners out in the sunlight this early in September. If it was held in October, then I feel like it would be more doable. There is no way I would be willing to do this race again. *Race director and volunteers were wonderful, and I know they had nothing to do with the weather conditions*

Even though this is my slowest marathon, I don’t have complaints about the race. It’s my slowest marathon since it was hot, humid, and hilly! Plus, I ran St. Louis Marathon the day before, so my feet were very sore.

The expo had a lot to offer! There were a ton of booths, speakers, and swag! Since it was the 25th anniversary, there was a section of previous shirts. The only bad part of the expo was the parking (ugh).

Before the race, the church nearby had free breakfast, like sausage, pancakes, coffee, and juice. There was a memorial session for the Oklahoma City Bombings that happened in 1995, which was nice. The course is hilly, so it was a major struggle for me to do!

The spectators were amazing since it felt like there were no dead spots! I had a ton of alcohol, and I was legitimately drunk by mile 5 since I stopped at each alcohol stop! I stopped many times along the way since I wanted to party! The finish line had tons of food, like Poptart’s, pringles, ice cream, chips, and beer! There was live music, and I was able to dance, despite my extremely sore feet!

I would definitely run this again!

My performance for this race was less than stellar because I had surgery 2 months prior, so I couldn’t properly train. However, I loved the course!

My only complaint is that there is a lake that we were supposed to run around, and volunteers sent us in the wrong direction. We were supposed to turn right, but the volunteers had us turn left (aka their right). I wish there were signs at that area to prevent that confusion.

The course was beautiful since it was along the Vernonia trail! the first half was flat/rolling hills. From miles 14-20, it was downhill and under the trees, so I felt fast and was able to cool off a bit. Miles 20 towards the end was flat, but it got hot since the sun was out.

We had coffee and hot water before the race start, which was great! The aid stations were amazing since they had foods like pickles, bananas, oranges, chips, etc! And we had amazing soups (chicken noodle and broccoli and cheddar) afterwards!

I would definitely run this race again!

This was my first race after surgery (about 6 weeks prior), so I was definitely out of shape! The weather was perfect since I wasn’t freezing and I wasn’t too hot. The course is run through the Prince William Forest Park, so the scenery was very nice.

The course is hilly and some parts of it was rocky, so I wouldn’t use it for a PR. Most of the race at least is one pavement, so I was able to run somewhat comfortably.

I participated as a pacer, and I completely regret it since I have multiple complaints about this race.
The course was approximately 0.25 miles short, so it’s clear to me that the race director didn’t bother to actually measure the course. I know the race was short since me and every runner all had our watches say the course was about 12.87 miles. Is GPS perfect? No, but there can’t be this many people having this same issue.

There were ZERO mile-markers. As a pacer, it is important to know where each mile is so we can determine if we are on pace or not. The turnarounds were poorly marked since runners were confused on where to actually turn. A simple cone would suffice.

Lastly, my results (and my pace partner’s results) aren’t in the results page. I’ve reached out multiple times to the race director about this and received no response. Race communication is just very poor.

I do appreciate the volunteers since it was freezing, so they get praise for their work!

This was the inaugural marathon, and I’m fortunate enough to participate in it! Usually, inaugural events are rocky and there are tons of ways for the organizers to improve, but I don’t have any major notes for this one.

The organizers were proactive with their news and information (ex. bib pickup, race day training tips). The expo was at the Trustees Garden and had tons of personal touches that made it seem like the organizers have been doing this for years! For example, runners could pick up their name tags on a wall that was alco color coded with the number of marathons someone ran (ex. first time, 11-30, 60+). The race swag was ok for me since the shirt and wind breaker jacket were bland. Additionally, Rabbit (the clothing partner) didn’t make nearly enough merch for people since they sold out early on in the day.

As for race day, the weather was perfect in the beginning since it was in the 50s. As the day went on, it warmed up and there was next-to-no shade, so the sun was blasting me in the eyes (I know the organizers can’t control that). It was mostly flat since there were a few elevation changes, but it is possible to PR (my performance was meh since I had hip pain sadly).

*EDIT: My major complaint about this race is that tons of runners were routed to the front for being slow (swag wagon) and their “results” were still on the page. Therefore, the rankings aren’t accurate*

The city really came out to support us! I felt like there weren’t many dead spots, so I didn’t feel alone or bored. This is great for first-timers and 6+ hour runners.

Connecticut is a small state and there aren’t many options for marathons, so everyone does Hartford. Lots of spectators came out to see us and it made me feel welcomed! I stopped a lot to take photos of the scenery, the signs, and decorations.

I started to feel a bit more alone when the half marathoners separated from the marathoners, but at least we still had a nice course to run on. The course is rolling hills, but they didn’t feel terrible! The weather was perfect since it was cold in the beginning, and gradually warmed up!

We finished the run by running through the arch! Afterwards there were tons of vendors that sold food if runners wanted to buy some. The free food we received were soup, bread, bananas, popcorn, and monster cookie granola. Additionally, we received beer in the beer garden!

I will definitely run this again if I do another round of the USA.

I can see why tons of people run here in order to PR, BQ, and/or have their Washington marathon! The course is beautiful since I stopped over a dozen times to take pictures! There were plenty of water and fluids at the aid stations, and the volunteers were great!

There were a couple of difficult parts to this race. The course starts in the tunnel for about 2 miles, so it’s hard to watch where you are stepping. Afterwards the rest of the course is on gravel, so it was sometimes hard to have steady footing. The next difficult part was that the trail is used by the public, so we had to dodge bikers, other runners, and dog walkers.

The expo was nonexistent since it was just the bib pickup. I was there for about 3 minutes since there weren’t vendors or anything to look at. The end of the race was great since there was a water tank, LOTS of food (ex. chips, cookies, chili), and the opportunity for a massage. Lastly, there were shuttle busses to take runners back to the start where cars are parked.

I signed up for this race kinda last minute, and I have zero regrets! Parkersburg isn’t that pretty of a town/city, so I was underwhelmed when I drove and ran through it.

The reason why I give this race a higher rating is because the volunteers really loved us! They really showed their love for us at the expo, the pasta dinner, along the course, and the post race lunch! I have run a million other races, and the volunteers here were top-notch! I definitely want to come back to run again (despite the annoying hills).

I thought that the 50th anniversary of this race would be huge and spectacular, but I was kinda let down. Despite Helena being the state capital of MT, I was surprised that there weren’t many runners.

We started at 6:00 am in Jefferson City (middle of nowhere), and that’s main the downhill portion of the race. At mile 3, we ran out-and-back until mile 7. There is elevation gain going out (about 2 miles). Around mile 15.5, the rolling hills really kick in. So we would go uphill for a bit, then back downhill. This continued until around mile 20.

We ran into the city, where we finally had a decent number of spectators. We ran into the runners doing the 5K/10K course, so we clashed a bit. The last portion of the race was through the walking mall then we finished at the library. I wished we had real food that was free (not snacks). There were food trucks, but you had to pay to eat. At least there was a free concert in the park for us!

I thought the course was beautiful since we ran by the woods along the highway. I did see a black bear around mile 10, so that was unique! At least the weather was perfect! Not humid and not freezing! I just wish the production of the race was better.

I have run marathons easier than this half-marathons! There is a long 2-mile elevation gain (over 500 ft) from miles 3-5, so I was tired at the beginning of the race! It was also HOT, so I went slower and stayed hydrated as much as possible! Wheeling isn’t that pretty of a city since it was filled with roads and buildings (not like we ran in the suburbs or parks).

Surprisingly lots of the townspeople came out to see and support us, so I felt welcomed! And some of them at alcohol!

You will not PR for this race! I did it just as a challenge!

This was my first Revel race, and I was not disappointed! I truly didn’t think it was possible for me to PR since I run marathons back-to-back, so I can’t properly train.

Since the course is very downhill, we need to take the shuttle to the start between 3:15-4:15 (EARLY) to begin at 6:00. It is FREEZING! I wasn’t prepared for the cold since I thought I could handle the weather. I didn’t bring an emergency heat blanket. Fortunately, there was a good Samaritan who brought an extra blanket and offered it to me. Additionally, someone had an extra-long sleeve jacket to donate, and he gave it to me so I can be extra warm (thank you kind strangers)!

The Revel races are known for being very downhill. It sounds easy, but your quads still get very sore! The first 5 miles were the steep miles, and it kinda evens out the rest of the way (still downhill). The only part that was uphill was between miles 10-12, but it was minimal. The course scenery is absolutely gorgeous, I wish I stopped more often to take pictures.

Since this is along the highway, there are no spectators. The only time we had spectators were starting at mile 25. As for aid stations, there were GU gels, water, Nuun, oranges (a couple of stations), and muscle rub cream (3 stations).

We had a donut from Dunkin Donuts (they had extra so I also took a dozen), Siggis milk yogurt, and beer! People could also buy kettle corn as an extra treat!

Overall, my experience was wonderful and expectations were more than met! Definitely want to do another Revel race!

This was a good race, considering the location and the size of DE. I thought that this would be a really popular marathon, but there weren’t many spectators out to cheer us on, so I felt kinda lonely for most of the race.

I was also hoping that it would be cool (since it’s advertised as the “coolest race in DE”). But the weather started to get really hot (high 60s-70s). To make things worse, there’s next to no shade along the course, minus the few parts when we are on the trails. I know the race directors can’t control the weather, so I can’t hold it against them. The course was run through some suburbs/roads, boardwalks, wooden bridges, and lots of dirt trails. I thought the scenery was pretty at least!

As for production, I felt like the expo was small, but it was very organized. Again, I was hoping for a larger venue and more swag, but we only received our race shirts and a glass (which was nice).

Grotto pizza is the big sponsor of this race, and they definitely nailed it! I LOVE their pizza and I wish I lived in the area! After the 5K on Saturday, runners got 2 beers and pizza. After the races on Sunday, we had a buffet at Grottos (ex. chicken, salad, pizza) and 3 beers!

Overall, this was a good race! It’s not difficult, but can be boring and HOT. At least we had a solid after party!

I really wish I didn’t get injured during this race (around mile 10, I experienced a sharp pain at my groin/adductor muscles). This was the smoothest and well-planned expo and race I have ever been to!
Expo: You check in with your ID and code, then head to the table(s) for your bag. When you go to the table, they already have your stuff made and confirm it’s you by greeting you with your name. There were tons of vendors to buy from and I felt so welcomed here!
Race: Weather was a tad cold in the morning, but it warms up. There is TONS of corral control (security to check corral assignment). The course is flat! There were tons of alcohol stops (I think I stopped 6 times). The weather was 10/10!
Post Race: You get your medal, food, and t-shirt when you finish!
I would love to do Houston again as a redo!

I’m surprised the Charlotte Marathon isn’t as popular as the other North Carolina marathons. I felt like tons of people came out to support us, the course scenery was nice, and I had a great time at the expo.

The first half we run through the suburbs, which were also the hilliest part of the course. The second half has us run through a park for a brief period of time, to get to another section of the city + suburbs. I felt like this part was flatter. The most memorable thing for me was around mile 18 when someone in a Batman costume gave out beer!

The finishers received BBQ sandwiches, bananas, snacks, and beer! I would honestly say my least favorite part was that it was in the 30s when the race started, so it was cold.

Don Kern really knows how to put on a race! The expo was at the YMCA, and it was smaller than I hoped. BUT…. you get a huge bag of swag such as protein mix, biofreeze, and coffee! I was worried the weather wouldn’t hold up since it rained the day before, but it did, and I wasn’t cold or hot (just a bit gloomy). The course is mostly flat, as there are small patches of hills/higher elevation. I don’t think this would be a course that someone would get a PR, but it’s definitely well supported with aid stations and spectators (one spot had pickle juice). Runners received Gogurt, ice cream, water, beer, and other goodies at the finish line.

If I do another round of the US, I’ll definitely run this again!

I did this half marathon following another half marathon the day before. The course is mostly downhill (very few uphill portions), so it felt easy for me. We run through the Metroparks of Cleveland, so the scenery was pretty. There weren’t many goodies to take home, but the medal and shirt were nice. The weather was on the colder side in the beginning, but I got warmed up when I started running.

This was a very beautiful and scenic race! The weather was absolutely PERFECT! I wish I had a better performance because everything was there for me to PR (I had bad stomach issues in the beginning sadly). This is a small town race, so there are zero spectators and the expo was tiny (it was just 2 tables in a hotel conference room). At least there was a free drink token for a nearby bar.

I would recommend this course if you want to PR and have a relaxing race!