Valerie Barker's Staging Area

I recommend this race. The support along the course is great. Every time I wondered when there would be another aid station, one was there. I’d guess roughly every mile. Also several people were out cheering, which was great. The course is mostly flat, but with a few mild hills to change things up for your legs. The course goes through LSU and some pretty neighborhoods. My only complaint is that some of the roads were a bit uneven and I almost rolled my ankle a few times. Watching the road gave me something to think about besides being tired, so maybe that shouldn’t be a complaint!

Super nice medal and T-shirt and not a bunch of other stuff that I don’t want in the packet, so that’s a thumbs up from me.

Perfect weather for 2024. In the 40s and not much wind. Great race, thanks to the organizers!

This was a smaller race, but was well organized with enthusiastic volunteers. Packet pickup was a breeze. I was in and out of the store in under 5 minutes. Several port-a-Johns at the start line. I was a little worried about the race being on a trail because in some places it was narrow, but there were few enough runners that I felt like I could settle into my pace right from the start and I never had problems with crowding. The race has great views and it was especially lovely running through the state park. Some hills in the course, but not too bad.

For swag, we received a long-sleeve tech shirt and medal. At the end of the race, they had pizza, beer, bananas, etc. Great race if you’re looking for something small.

This race was well organized. Packet pickup was quick and easy. The start line organization was also good. I did the back half marathon. I didn’t use the shuttle service to the start line as my husband dropped me off. A plus was that there were real bathrooms at the start, not just port-a-potties. The course was nice with a few rolling hills. I enjoyed running through the Space and Rocket Center, though I didn’t like the short trail run leaving the center as my shoes picked up some rocks that I had to stop and deal with. The botanical gardens were also nice to run through. The rest of the race was mostly through neighborhoods or town. Shoutout to the local police who did a great job closing the streets and dealing with some impatient drivers.

There were regular water stops (I liked that they use reusable cups) that were well spaced and organized to make it clear where to get water and Gatorade. Great food at the end and photos are included!

The race organizers were out and about and super friendly. Highly recommend this race.