Shelly Latsha's Staging Area

I can’t say enough good about the Flying Pig Marathon. This was my 6th year running the full. I’ve done the 3-way (5k, 10k + half) & 4-way (5k, 10k + full) challenges since the inception. The races are well organized. The expo is easy to get around. There are many options to stay near the start/finish line. Post race celebration is excellent with food vendors, music and things to entertain the whole family. It takes place along the riverfront, which is a lovely place to be.
The swag is excellent. Technical shirt for half and full marathon, soft brushed cotton for all other races. Medal is the best, with a flying pig front and back. There’s always a bonus item, usually a high quality bag of some sort, for half and full marathon participants.
The course is not flat. There’s a long climb up to Eden Park, around mile 6-7. From there on, it’s not bad at all, but not flat. You certainly could BQ or PR here, but you’re going to need to be prepared. I like this to be my “have a fun time” race every year.
There are water stops with entertainment at each mile. They have a contest for the best water stop, so the volunteers are usually very enthusiastic. Many charities participate and the Flying Pig donates to them for their efforts.
I highly recommend putting this race at the top of your bucket list. It keeps getting better year after year!

Bib pick up can be done the day before, when they have a vendor or two. You can also pick up the morning of the race. Easy in and out either way. The race starts at the Gettysburg Gateway complex, with ample parking and indoor bathrooms.

The wheeled racers start a few minutes before the other racers. Nice to see them on the out and back on the course. Half marathoners and marathoners start at the same time and then split off somewhere around mile 5.

The half marathon course is kind of a lollipop, with an extra mile or so off the loop as an out and back turn around. The roads are open to traffic, but the number of vehicles is few and far between. This is farm country and battlefields, so it’s wide open fields. There is always a breeze. If this race was any later in spring, it would be a scorcher because there are no trees for shade. These roads are the definition of rolling hills. Nothing terrible, but it seems like you’re always going up or down and since you run out and back on the first 4 ½ miles, you’ll be repeating those rolling hills.

Aid stations were sufficient, every few miles, with sports drink, water and porta-johns.

Race finish is in a parking lot area, but there is some grass to sit down. A little bit of food that includes sections of a giant hoagie, chips, pretzels, chocolate milk and donuts. You also get two free beers (cans of Michelob – yuck).

They also have a competition between those registered for the north vs south. You tell them which team you want and if that side “wins”, you get a nice pint glass. Hint: The North has won every year. The medal is always very nice, with a civil war theme (see my photo).

I do recommend this race if you like a small field, easy logistics and nice medal. If you need a lot of cheer support, want a completely flat race and like a big after race festival, this may not be the race for you.

Wineglass is known to be a great race to PR or BQ. I would recommend it for that reason.
The expo is located at Corning Glass. It’s a small expo with just a handful of vendors. You walk through the glass gift shop, so there’s obviously an attempt to get you to spend some time and money there. With your bib, you get a small Wineglass marathon glass and tiny bottle of champagne (for those over 21).
There was a lot of traffic on race morning. I stayed about 4 miles away from the finish area and it took a good 25 mins to get there. It is a point to point course, so you board a bus at the finish and they drive you to the start. We were huddled in a building that had small heaters and there was a big tent with heaters also. This was nice so you didn’t have to stay out in the cold.
The bag check trucks were right there, so you literally could wait until the last few minutes to check your bag. No need to toss your sweatshirt and lose it.
The course is good. I honestly didn’t think it was scenic (as advertised) but maybe other people saw things I didn’t. At times you run parallel to a highway, which is kind of boring and loud. There are a few “bumps” – not big enough to call them hills. It is generally flat. There are adequate aid stations with lots of volunteers. If you like big crowds during the whole race, this is not the case here. There are pockets of people, but many times you run along in silence.
The finish line is pretty cool. You turn left and come into town, running down the main street for about 3 block. There are a ton of people here and they are excited to cheer for your final stretch.
The medal is a big draw, as it is glass and very unique. The food at the end is plentiful: soda, water, sports drink, cookies, pizza, bagels, etc. They actually hand you a plastic bag so you don’t have to juggle your banana and lose it.
I would definitely do this race again. They limit the field size (which is great), so I’d plan ahead and register early.

I love Marine Corps Marathon. I’ve run it every year since 2012. It is a popular race but there are several ways to get in. There is a lottery, which is how most people registered. If you are active military, you can get early registration. If you are a member of the MCM Runner’s Club (run 5 or more MCM), you can register before the general public. They have a race called the 17.75k and if you can get in (only a couple thousand people get in and it sells out in a couple minutes), finish the race and get a “golden ticket” for a guaranteed entry. You can also take the charity route. There are dozens of charities that have entries and fundraising may be as low as a few hundred dollars. The charities have their own finish line area, with tents and activities.
The expo has been in 3 different places in the last 3 years. 2016 was the first year at the National Harbor. There is only one way in and out, so traffic is an issue. MCM has buses for shuttling from a couple locations. I arrived very early on Friday and had no issues getting in but when I left later in the morning, the traffic was backed up waiting to get in.
The expo is moderately big. All the typical vendors, plus a lot of things geared toward military interests. If you want any MCM gear in your size, you really should go on Friday. The line for buying Brooks MCM apparel is always LONG and you will wait, so be prepared.
MCM continues to give a turtleneck as their official race shirt. In the last couple years they have made it a “technical” fabric. I like it because it is unusual, but a lot of people voice their displeasure of the nontraditional shirt.
Race morning can be hectic. Public transportation is full. There’s really no place to park at the finish or start area. If you can get a hotel near the start or finish (Crystal City, Arlington, Pentagon), it is best to walk to the start. There are security lines that take some time to get through, so plan on a very early start.
The race start is great with military aircraft flying overhead and a loud cannon to start the race. It will be a good walk to the actual start line, unless you are fast and start at the front. There are signs to tell you where to line up based on pace, but no corrals.
The course is fabulous. You run through DC and the surrounding areas. You will see monuments, historical sites, neighborhoods, wooded areas and tons of people. The Marines are everywhere. They provide direction, motivation, aid station support and give you your medal at the end. And that medal is one of the best ever!
The finish line is good. You can have your photo taken at the Iwo Jima memorial with your medal. They shuttle you through an area where you get post race fluids and a box of food. One box per person, no stuffing your pockets with 15 bags of chips or pretzels.
I highly recommend this race if you like big race day atmosphere. If you don’t like crowds, this is NOT your race. Logistics can be difficult, so plan ahead and ask someone who has done it before for recommendations.

This is a nice race. The expo is moderate in size with typical vendors. Packet pick up at the expo was easy. It was held in the Buffalo Niagra Convention Center, which is also where the start and finish line areas are located. Race shirt this year was a long sleeve 3/4 zip with an embroidered logo.
This is a marathon and a half marathon. Both start at the same time, in the same location. This year there were about 7,000 runners. There is also a 5k the day before, but I didn’t run that race.
The starting line festivities culminated with fireworks and we were off. The course is nice, running along the waterfront and through a marina, parks and numerous neighborhoods. There was a lot of support from the locals, who were cheering and had additional aid stations set up. The weather was hot and humid, more so than typical for this time of year in Buffalo. Many of the residents turned on hoses and sprinklers to allow the runners to cool down.
The roads were well controlled by police/sheriff and volunteers but they were not 100% closed to traffic. They would allow cars to go through at gaps.
Because most people run the half, once they split off, the amount of people around you diminishes. This is good because you have more room, but can feel rather lonely when you’re out there “all alone”. The most disheartening time was when you reach mile 12.5, the half marathoners peel off to the finish and marathoners take a right turn into the 2nd half. It was a harsh reality that they were done and we weren’t even half completed.
The finish line was sparse. Volunteers placed your medal and they handed out bottle openers in the shape of a buffalo. The only refueling items that were immediately available was water, Gatorade, orange slices and half bananas. I didn’t realize it, but there was beer and pizza inside the convention center. I would like to see more snacks offered immediately (chips, pretzels, snack bars, etc.).
Overall, a good race, nice course, good support. I could see where it would be a good place to PR, if the weather cooperates. Not sure I would go back because it is a long drive, but if I lived local to Buffalo, I would surely do it again.

To be clear, I’ve only done this race as a relay participant, but I live near Harrisburg and run the entire course frequently.
This was the first time I’ve participated in a relay and it was a lot of fun.
You can pick up your packet the day before or the morning of the race. Parking is ample on City Island and this the where the race begins and is a short walk from where it ends. You get a nice sweatshirt, which I like. I have enough polyester running shirts.
The course was changed in 2015 for the better. It used to run through Wildwood Park, which has many short, steep hill that came at mile 20+. This has been eliminated. Now the entire course is basically flat. It runs along the riverfront, through the city and a short section on crushed gravel. Overall support is great, adequate aid stations and traffic control (although not all roads are completely closed). Relay exchange points are easy to navigate and there is an ankle bracelet that is transferred. The finish line was also moved to 2nd street within the city, which provided a more festive atmosphere. There was enough food, with bagels, fruit, sandwiches, drinks, cookies.
The medal is nice. Relay participants get the same medal only a smaller version, which I think is proper.
If you are looking for a flat course, well run race (they’ve been doing it for 40+ years), small in size (about 1,000 runners), with easy logistics, this is a great race to consider.
UPDATE: 2018 I ran the full marathon this year. Still highly recommend it. Flat, easy course. There are some lonely spots where there are very few spectators, but that’s not a big deal for me. The finish line is now in the city (not on the island) and it is really nice. Lots of spectators now. Businesses are open so on a nice day, there are people milling around. Food is provided to runners by Panera: bagels, sandwiches, chips, mac n cheese. The finisher medal is really nice. They’ve done a great job incorporating city scenes and buildings into the medal. Great job to the race officials!

I really like Steamtown and will run it again this year. The expo is VERY small. It’s held at a local college. There are only two vendors, one of which is the race selling a few additional pieces of Steamtown merchandise via a local running shop. The other vendor is the “big name” vendor that’s at every expo selling stuff at deep discount prices. I think I spent 10 minutes total during packet pick up and the expo.
There aren’t a lot of big chain hotels in Scranton proper, so I stayed outside of town, but only about 5 miles away. They do not have a “host” hotel and there aren’t any special group discounts either. If you want to run and stay overnight, make reservations early.
On race morning, you park in the city, board a bus that takes you on a 45 minute ride to the start. It is a point to point race. They drop you off at a school, so you can go inside and stay warm, relax. They had coffee, hot chocolate, donuts and pastries inside.
The course winds its way through many of the communities in this northeastern part of PA. There is generally good support, but there are also times when there is no crowd at all. You spend some time on a trail, which I like. It is a paved rails to trails, so no worries about mud. It is a net downhill race, but there are several hills. None of the hills would make you blink an eye if it were a training day. However, they come at the end of the race, when your legs can be tired. Respect them, plan for them and run hills on fatigued legs during your training.
The medal was simple, nice, with a train on it. The finish line area was nice. A few snacks and drinks. You can hang out in a grassy area in the center of town. They do the awards right there too.
They do it right in Steamtown and they have been doing it for 21 years. I would recommend this race for anyone looking for a smaller-ish race (I think registration caps at 3,000 or 4,000) with a PR in mind.

I’ve run this race 3 times, including the inaugural. It is very well run. It is growing but still a smaller sized field. Parking is in a field, so if it has been raining, prepare for muddy feet.
At the start, you literally line up beside the Amish. They are an integral part of this race. They cheer, they run with you in the race, they man the water stations (even the littlest of kids), they ride their bikes on the roads and you’re guaranteed to see at least one horse and buggy. Watch out for the “road apples” though.
The course is not easy. This is the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania. The temperature can be hot in September, so prepare for it. There were a lot of runners needing medical treatment at the finish line due to the heat. There were ambulances stacked up, taking people to the hospital.
The finish line area is nice. They have a few vendors, including Amish selling baked goods. There is one lady who will make a quilt out of your race t-shirts and she does outstanding work. There is food to purchase, but they have a picnic with hot dogs, burgers, sides, snacks for everyone, including your family. They only ask for a head count prior to the race so they can plan accordingly.
I have to say the medal is one of my all time favorites. It is an actual, used horseshoe forged by Amish blacksmiths. If you do their “sister race” (Garden Spot Village), you get a “Road Apple” award. Look it up, if you don’t know what road apples are.
I would recommend this race, but do it for the scenery, fun atmosphere and medal. Don’t expect a PR. Slow down and look around.

This race is one of the best organized series of events. I’ve run the 5k, 10k, half, marathon and the challenges. The swag is great, Asics brand shirts, always some sort of very nice bag, yearly poster and the medal – seriously one of the best – features a flying pig! The crowd support is great, even when the weather has been *not ideal*. The aid stations are plentiful, enthusiastic, and feature a different theme. There is a competition among the aid stations, so they always go above and beyond just handing out drinks. The finish line features a lot of snacks and there’s always enough. The after race festival features free food, a band, many vendors, immediate results print out and a merchandise tent. I can’t say enough positive about this race and the organizers. The race director is always at the expo and races and she’s friendly and always talks with participants. Highly recommend!