Andrea Herrmann's Staging Area

I went to the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon as a part of a reunion with a charity I work with. I really enjoyed the entire weekend.

Expo: nice-sized expo for the race. Free poster with the names of all participants on it in small print. Limited samples at the expo booths. Nice assortment of vendors and race booths with discounts for registration.

The race has a pasta dinner. I did not go. It was in heated tents outdoors. Friends that went said it got chilly, and they ran out of some food and plasticware.

Swag: Loved the race shirt. Excellent design and fit. Great medal. Nice finisher’s hat (perfect for cold weather running). The race also provides a discount booklet for discounts in the area for race participants.

Pre-race: if it is cold outside, you can keep warm (and go to the bathroom) inside the convention center. The race corrals are organized by pace. I started back further than I normally would because I wanted to take the race slower and enjoy the neighborhoods.

Course: very flat and fast. A little congested at the beginning but that’s to be expected with the sheer size of the race. Race thins out as the miles go on and the half and full marathon split. The course went through some night neighborhoods, went past the historic war monuments of Indy (hence the race name), took us by the Children’s Museum, and some of the cool hip urban business areas of Indy. Watch the road surfaces- there are a lot of potholes in certain areas, and the brick section by the monuments is uneven and possibly slippery if it rains (we saw a couple of people trip on loose/uneven bricks). Aide stations and on-course support is excellent. Family/friends have several opportunities to see you and cheer you on throughout the race. Traffic/car control was excellent.

Post-race: great finish line, amazing immediate support and food from volunteers, finisher’s hat. Post-race food had bananas, cookies, chocolate milk, electrolytes, and a heated tent with chili.

Parking: can be tricky- the race was on the same weekend as an Indianapolis Colt home game, so hotels and parking spots filled up quickly. If you are not staying in a walking-distance hotel, use one of the local paid parking spot services.

Overall a fantastic race and I a glad I did it for my Indiana state race. You can tell this is a race that the whole community rallies behind, especially as it is a nonprofit event that supports many local charities. I definitely recommend this event. If you are visiting the area- make a weekend out of it. Do a tour, visit the Indy 500 Speedway, the Indianapolis Zoo, and enjoy all the great restaurants there.

The Monster Mash is a great locally run event that shows off Dover. The course is almost entirely flat, and starts with a loop around the famous Dover Speedway. Participants gather together in front of the Miles the Monster statue for the national anthem and then are walked down to the track to line up for the start. After the loop around the track, we head out into Dover, passing historic and government buildings, by a college campus, and out into farm/field areas. There are ample water stops and great police presence on the course. The half and full marathon are together until around mile six and then they join back together around the half’s mile 12. Roads are not closed to traffic. The course takes you back to the raceway at the end and you finish in front of the Miles the Monster statue. Parking and packet pickup at the speedway is extremely easy, and there are lots of hotels very close by. The medal is amazing. I would recommend this race to new runners, to those who need Delaware for a state, and for race car enthusiasts.

If you are doing 50 states, if you want a great half PR course, and if you want to participate in a well-run, great event that supports its local community- this is the race for you.

I have done both the half and the full marathon twice. The full and half share part of the same course (the half turns around at about the halfway point).

This race always has one of the biggest and best swag bags. Participants get a great tote bag full of samples and goodies, many from local Maine companies (what other race will give you a can of B&M baked beans). The race shirts are excellent. The medals are also gorgeous. Post-race food is plentiful- bananas, snack bars, chips, water, pizza. Parking is quite convenient with the nearby university garage.

The local community is excellent for this race as well. Residents come out and cheer from their houses/yards. The volunteers are excellent. You get the sense that the areas *wants* you there as an athlete versus other races where you feel like a traffic inconvenience.

In 2015 the race added pace group leaders, and had them again in 2016.

Advice- if you see a bathroom and you need it- use it. They are spaced out a little.

For those doing 50 states- if you want to do two races in one weekend, do the Bristol Half Marathon in New Hampshire the day before.

I have done the Mad Half Marathon five times. The race is held in Waitsfield, Vermont, home of the Sugarbush ski resort.

This is only one of two half marathons I would recommend in Vermont for people who need a walker-friendly time limit. The half and full marathon share the same start and share parts of the course, but the full has some more hills than the half does. If you enjoy courses and take photos, definitely bring a camera (especially for the farm animal photo stop). This is a well-run, well-organized and well-supported event. With the out and backs, you’ll get a chance to see your friends in the half and full marathon.

The course: this will probably be the hilliest and toughest course most people will do in their lives. It is challenging, with long uphill and downhill sections (what do you expect, we’re in the Green Mountains of Vermont). The weather is usually perfect- nice sun, little to no humidity, and occasional nice breezes. Make no mistake- prepare for hills. Also, there are sections on dirt roads. The roads are fine (no issues with big rocks or stones) but your shoes will get dirty, so I usually wear an older pair.

Made your lodging plans early as local hotels and B&Bs fill up fast.

There are plenty of activities in the area for family members not participating in the race. There is a farmer’s market the day before the event. Ben & Jerry’s is a quick 20 minute drive away. There is biking, cayak rentals, fishing, national parks, and sightseeing galore nearby. Other close trips include the King Arthur Bakery, Champlain Chocolates, and Cabot Cheese to name a few.

I am a big Star Wars geek. I was excited to run a Star Wars-themed race in Florida as I had done the Disneyland Star Wars race the year before. I have to say I always find RunDisney California races are better than the Florida ones- I find there is more park time, less congested roads, and less crowding. This race was still fun and great, and the 10K was better than the half marathon. The half marathon unfortunately had long boring stretches and no real Disney character presence outside of the parks. Still it is always fun to run on Disney property. The shirts and medals were great- the course just needs improvement.

Our 100 Half Marathons Club members had voted this race one of the best in the nation. The half marathon sells out in one day. Friends swear by this race. So, I registered and participated in 2015, and had a great time.

The race is in Cocoa Beach, FL. The best airport is Orlando. The host hotel offers clean, affordable rooms. The expo was mid-sized and had a lot of great booths. Packet pickup was fast and easy. The race provides great information before the race about lodging, transportation, participant information, etc.

The race shirt is amazing, and the medal is wonderful. Definitely among my all-time favorites. The medals change every year to honor a different shuttle.

Race participants get a discount to visit the Kennedy Space Center. If you’ve never been (or haven’t been in years) and you are interested in NASA, it is a great side-trip. It was amazing to see all the Apollo rockets, to go on the tour of NASA property, see the Space X work area, see the actual Atlantis space shuttle, and see the memories they set up for the astronauts who died.

The race course: the course is an out and back, flat and fast. Marathoners start at a different time and spot than the half marathoners, but the leaders will catch half marathon race walkers on the course. The course is very narrow and crowded at the start and will thin out around mile 6. The out and back gives you a great opportunity to see friends on the course. The volunteers were great- many dressed up in space outfits. The post-race food area has tons to offer- eggs and pancakes, pizza, soda, water, seating areas (room to sit on the grassy area), the chance to watch your friends run in to finish, and photo ops with statues of astronauts and the space shuttle. The finisher’s towel is great too- perfect for sitting on the grass area to relax after your race.

The course is a hard cement surface that many people (especially from the north) may not be used to. You may feel this on your joints/feet.

Weather- you may need a throwaway layer to keep warm before the sun comes up. Also, when the sun comes up, it’s going to get WARM. Keep hydrated.

Shuttles from the hotel: this was the only iffy part. The shuttles have a few times leaving from the hotels. I went with the earlier shuttles to be safe. The post-race lines for the shuttles were quite long and confusing (no signage to tell you which line was what). Not the race’s fault: the shuttles were delayed from an accident on a nearby road, so I am sure that contributed to the long lines/delays.

Overall a great experience and an enjoyable race, with beautiful views of the ocean front, palm trees, and gorgeous Florida houses.

If you are planning on this race in the next few years, you need to be on your computer (or have someone do it for you) when registration opens. Since there is a special mulit-year medal challenge going on, people in the challenge have pre-registration, so general public registration fills immediately.

The Providence Half Marathon is the largest half marathon in Rhode Island, and it showcases the downtown area. Parking is easy in either the convention center parking lot or in the Providence Place Mall lot (just walk downhill). The race is very spectator friendly. Train for hills, as there are long stretches of up and down hill, and a couple of steep quick hills. With all the hills, the course is actually a very fast one, and many people come here for their half or full PR. The full marathon is also a popular local BQ race. The race organizers are a class act organization. If people are coming here for their 50 state quest, I would definitely recommend this event.

The Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon is held in conjunction with a full marathon which share the same start and finish but split on the course. Held in December in the off-season, the race gives you a chance to see the scenic area without the tourist traffic, with plenty of options for nearby hotels and race-day parking. The course is almost entirely flat, and has an out and back section that goes in a trail area- think small rocks/stones and dirt roads. The race has a nice after-party, which unfortunately can be quite packed after the half ends.

The weather can change from year to year, but most participants find that they are comfortable in shorts and a short sleeve or long sleeve tech shirt.
To save money on this race- go to their website and join the Facebook group. Look for a special announcement on a 12/31 registration sale for the following year’s race. Also, if you are traveling in the area, there are plenty of things for non-runners (aka family members) to do while you are at the race. There is tax-free retail outlet shopping within five minutes of the race site.

The course is mostly flat until you head to the Watch hill area, and then you head for some rolling hills (and one steep uphill around mile 9.5-10). The parking can back up (there are really only two major roads in and out of the area) so definitely get there early. The course is scenic and beautiful, showing off the beaches of Westerly and part of the Watch Hill area. The race typically has a beautiful surfboard medal. You start on a flat section for the first part of the course, and then head on the right of the finish line out to the second part of the course. The first four miles can be pretty crowded and then it spreads out more. Beware of lots of potholes and cracks in the roads. The race is organized by the Hartford Marathon Foundation and they are an excellent group. Watch for a sellout as this race is very popular.

This race was formerly named the Westchester Medical Center Running Festival. Genesis Adventures, the race organizer, changed the name to better reflect that the race is held to benefit the West Chester Medical Center Foundation.

This is a pretty, easy, out-and-back course on the Bronx River Parkway. The parkway is closed to traffic for the race so runners have the full road. The course goes out 6.5 miles and then turns around to come back on the other side of the parkway. This is a great opportunity to race on a road that would otherwise not be open to pedestrians. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and unique experience! It’s amazing to see the stone arch bridges you drive under and have a chance to really look at them and be amazed by the construction and design.

The volunteers and aide stations are great. There are little to no spectators due to the nature of the course but the race crew is very enthusiastic and encouraging.

Race walkers have an early start option (no runners allowed and no eligibility for awards).

There are a few nearby parking options (bring money to pay for parking). I parked at the County Center parking lot.