Robert Herschede's Staging Area

On paper, this is my worst finish ever. By a lot. But I was sheltered from a storm for a while and battled constant rain and storms. I am ecstatic that I finished. I am most proud of my performance on this race.

The swag is great. It feels uniquely Cincinnati and I love how the pig theme is woven into everything. Even the grunts and finish swine.

The course itself isn’t too bad. Except the climb to Eden Park, but there you are rewarded for your efforts with a great view at the overlook.

Course support is the real star of this race. I was amazed by how many cheerleaders braved the storms to encourage runners. And the aid and medical stations were plentiful and well supplied.

I definitely want to repeat this race… and hope Mother Nature is more considerate.

This is a unique run… and definitely one that you should try. It is a cool experience running down the strip at night with the neon lit up.

But this was a challenging run for me. The course itself is flat and fast. But the timing is what made it hard. Our corral didn’t start until 5:30 or so. This meant we were finishing up around 9PM. I was starving and tired. Neither contributed to me feeling great at the finish line. I understand why the run is at night… and wouldn’t want to change it. But just know this may throw you for a bit of a loop.

The expo was well organized. It was cool having Lululemon as a vendor, but their merchandise didn’t fit a lot of the participants.! The shirt for this race is ok. The medal is really cool.

Where it fell apart a bit for me was at the start. There was a bit of chaos at the starting party and then we had to walk a quarter mile to the starting line. They did have a DJ so at least the atmosphere was upbeat.

Race support was awesome. Probably one of the best I’ve seen. There were aid stations spread throughout the course and they appeared ready for anything. The spectators were upbeat and encouraging. They could have used more food items on course, particularly given the timing, but that is a minor detail.

Everything seemed wrapped up as we got to the finish line. I get that we’re slow… and there were a lot of runners (it took 1.5 hours to send everyone out), but I finished well within the course limit. I wish they’d celebrate us a bit more.

This is a smaller race, but it was really well done. Packet pick-up was at Ad Astra Running, which was really convenient for purchasing last-minute items. The shirt is comfortable and looks great. The medal is one of my favorites. It’s high-quality and well-designed.

Race day was organized. There were food trucks with pastries and hot beverages. There were a couple of other tents as well. For a smaller race, I was impressed.

There is a soft 3:30 limit. They say that they will keep the finish line open longer, but you may have to move to sidewalks if you fall behind that pace. They had pacers up to 3:00. The pacers, as always, were great. I followed the 3:00 pacer and she was able to help me push through my mental blocks and finish stronger than expected.

The course itself was nice. There were a couple of really pretty parts. There was one place where the course turned back on itself that was really confusing. I think it wouldn’t have been so bad if we had been at a faster pace. When we hit it the faster runners were crossing on their way back.

There were 7 aid stations each with water, Gatorade, and port-a-potties. The last aid station also had gu packs. The volunteers manning the aid stations were enthusiastic and helped push me forward.

The one thing I would change about this race is the mile markers. The markers were painted on the roads and sidewalks. This was OK, except it was easy to miss. Seeing the mile markers helps me mentally. I would have preferred if they were signs, but in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t that big of a deal. I am sure it made post-race clean-up a lot easier.

I was really excited about this race. But it felt like there were a lot of missed. The expo was a bit confusing. You had to check in upstairs and then go downstairs to get your shirt and tags and such. It wasn’t entirely clear where to go and it didn’t really make sense having it split up.

The expo was ok. I expected more considering how large this run was. It was a bit underwhelming to be honest. But at least the vendors were running related. At a lot of these expos it seems they fill them for the sake of filling them.

The morning of the race felt disjointed. We paid for a bus from millennium park. The driver got lost (I think) and it took us almost an hour to get there. Once we got to Jackson Park there wasn’t much direction to the corrals. The path was tight with the port a potties and the lines for them. It was hard to get through the lines to get where we needed to go.

It was a chilly morning and the race started late. We couldn’t hear anything in the back. They could have used more speakers to make it easier for everyone to hear.

The course itself was pretty, but not what I expected. It didn’t feel like Chicago. That may or may not be important to you, but personally I wish it had been downtown.

The on course support was great. There were a fair amount of spectators cheering us on. There were plenty of aid stations and port a potties along the course.

The medal is great and I really like the shirt.

This was my first trail run and I loved it. I’m always in my happy place in nature. This is a great course. Very flat and out and back. I got my PR on this course.

This is a smaller race, but has great support. It’s organized by runners for runners which makes a big difference I think. The only caution is that there is a soft 3 hour limit. But you’ll probably run it faster than other courses, so I’d give it a go.

I enjoy the atmosphere at this run. Everyone is having a good time. There are fun costumes. The after-party is excellent. There isn’t a much better way to end a race than with a cold root beer float. I enjoyed people-watching. It is fun seeing the kids enjoying themselves and people of all ages pushing themselves.

The race seemed better prepared this year. Registration was simple. The packet pickup was well-organized. There was excitement to start the race and great volunteers throughout the course. I missed the participation from the community. The last time I ran, many people were out watching the races, and snarky signs lined the trail. This time they were few and far between.

The course itself is not too bad. It is relatively flat. The shade trees lining Ward Parkway make for a slightly cooler run. But, this race is in the hottest month of the year. The heat this year made it challenging. There were two water stations on the course. Usually, I would say that is enough for a four-mile run, but given the heat, they could have used at least one more.

I like the shirts this year. They do not have all of the advertising on the back. I could see myself wearing it out and about. The medal felt cheap. It was made of plastic and was already peeling a bit when I got home.

I got my personal best on a four-mile run today. Given the challenges with the heat, I was pleased with my performance.

This was an adventure… we drove out from Kansas City on Friday after work. We drove through tornadoes, crazy winds, dust storms all before we made it to Fort Collins. We earned this medal… and we’ll never forget it.

The expo was ok. It was well organized, but kind of small. There was a decent selection of race gear available for sale and a couple of running related vendors. We were in and out quickly, which isn’t a bad thing.

Race morning was smooth. We had to board buses by 5:15AM which made for a really early start to the day. But the transportation was comfortable and well organized. The bus ride for the half was about 25 minutes and then there was a staging area. It had water, coffee and hot chocolate… but the hot chocolate ran out before I could get any. It would have been welcome, because it was a chilly morning.

As the sun came up the absolute beauty of the area became apparent. This is what running in Colorado should be about. The race started at 6:30.

The beauty of this course is that it is almost entirely downhill… but that presents challenges too. Those muscles got a lot more work in today than they usually do. And I’ll definitely be feeling it.

The first half or so of the course is in the mountains alongside the river. It is beautiful. Then you get into town and are greeted by spectators and volunteers cheering you on to the end. Great atmosphere at the finish and good snacks to refuel.

The swag here is split. I love the medal. I hate the shirt. But this course is worth it for the scenery alone. Definitely one to check out for Colorado.

I primarily ran this race, because it was benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City. I am a Big and really appreciate the work done by the organization.

The race was a fun way to kick off the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. It was REALLY cold this year (around 15 degrees to start), but it’s not usually this cold mid-March, so a bit of an anomaly. The course was well laid out and course support was awesome. There seemed to be people at every turn – either volunteers or police officers – and everyone was cheering you on.

The scenery was OK. I got to run through some parts of town that I don’t often visit – and I found a few things that I want to go back and do. That is one of the cool things about the running hobby, I think.

I love the tee shirt for this event. I was able to get a long-sleeve tee. It looks sharp and doesn’t have a ton of advertisements on it. Definitely one I will wear when running and around town. The medal is pretty slick, but the label on the back makes me think they bulk ordered medals and just label them with whatever year it happens to be. Could be wrong about that… Just the impression I got.

One of the best parts is that this race is organizing by the Kansas City Running Club. You always know that their races are organized by runners for runners. I’ve been to a couple others that they’ve done and they’re all well done.

Definitely recommend this one… Just hope future runs are a little warmer ;).

This is a small race. The course is pretty easy, fairly flat. The organizers were very supportive and kind. The course was left open for the last finisher. The thing I struggled with on this race was the lack of people. We ran most of the course without seeing anyone else. It was pretty demotivating, although we’re slow and the experience may have been different if we were more with the pack.

This course was relatively easy, but there wasn’t much to look at really. The production was smooth, but it lacked some of the excitement at bigger races. The reason to do this course is for the swag. Every year the race is themed on a different character from the Wizard of Oz which is pretty cool. I’ll definitely do this again.

This was a new course for 2021. There were a lot of hills… but it took you through all of the highlights of the city. Pacers we’re awesome and had great tips to offer. Water was regularly available on the course. It would have been nice to have snacks at a few spots to boost energy. Great vendors at the finish line. All in all a great race.

It was HOT for the 2021 race. It is really cool having KC Wolf and the Chiefs cheerleaders to cheer you along the race. Running through the tunnel to the field is impressive. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t finish on the 50-yard line this year. That was really cool before. The swag leaves a lot to be desired – this year the tee shirt was a standard tee. And it was black – I was surprised by that considering how hot it was. But, there was good course support and water at every mile. All in all, this is a fun run that I highly recommend.

This course was death by a thousand paper cuts. Lots of hills. Individually they weren’t bad, but it was one after the other and we found it made it more challenging. There were no stations on the course with gu or bananas or other food which also made it more challenging. In past races that has really helped after about the 7th mile. I enjoyed running through the neighborhoods. They were beautiful and the residents were super supportive. The police along the route were also great about cheering us on. The medal and jacket from this event were awesome. Des Moines included some information about the area and a couple of snacks in the race packet. That would have been nice, although this race had an app with a lot of great information.

We ran the 2019 Kansas City Zoo Run (Run for the Tree Kangaroos). It was awesome to support our zoo – and it was really cool running through the zoo. The course was hilly at points which made it a little harder than most races we’ve run, but it was definitely worth it.

This was a really cool idea. A night run with foam and black lights that make everything glow brightly. It was really poorly executed though. There were a ton of people and they allowed a lot to go at a time. That made it hard to run and the foam stations got really backed up too. The swag wasn’t great, but the cost of the event was very low and most went to charity so it’s easy for me to overlook it. If you’re just looking to have a good time, go for it. Otherwise, I’d probably skip this one.

This was an amazing run. It was well themed and the theming extended to the course. There were things to discover all throughout. The swag was first rate. Awesome medal, decent shirts and a wand! If you’re a fan of Harry Potter this is a must hit race.

It was really awesome running out onto the field at Arrowhead Stadium. Unlike the other runs organized by professional sports team, the Chiefs allowed you onto the field and into the locker room. There was a great party on the field after the run which was pretty cool. There was no medal for this run, but the shirt was really nice. Much better quality than what you get at other runs. The Chiefs did a great job of supporting the run. Definitely one we’ll do again.