Sarah Mearon's Staging Area

This race had a great vibe from the organizers. The scenery was beautiful – about half along the coastline and half through neighborhoods with classic Cape Cod homes. A great area to visit too!

My own performance notwithstanding (lol), this was a great race. I usually do larger races, but this was a very nice, well-organized smaller race put on by a local running store. The cider at the finish line (and the take-home glassware) were a nice touch. The paved trail was in good condition and the scenery was beautiful. I even appreciated going past the airport at the turnaround.

This is one of the most popular races and for good reason. The half start line is outside of Duluth along Lake Superior. It’s very quiet and peaceful along the first portion of the race. Crowds increase once you get inside the city limits and people are very supportive and enthusiastic. Lots of water stations too. A huge race expo and tons of merch available. Book your accommodation early!

Running around the Indianapolis speedway is one of the coolest things I have done in over 40 different half marathons. There were bands and cheerleaders and spectators along most of the course so I never felt unsupported. Kudos to the race organizers for putting up highly visible water station signs ahead of where the stations were so runners could prepare and move to the side (and also motivate to keep going!).

They changed the course this year to start and end at the State Capitol, which was a nice setting. The course went over the Missouri River and through city trails among the trees, as well as through some neighborhoods and downtown. There were so many water stations, which was much appreciated!

This was a fun race that went by a lot of waterways and had great scenery. The course was well-marked and there were enough aid stations. The finish line area had pizza, ice cream, and beer for runners. The medal is cute but I would appreciate having the year on it. A good amount of supporters along the course. A few unexpected and challenging hills but overall a fast course.

This is a beautiful part of the country. This was one of the smaller races I have completed but it was definitely well done. I liked the option to have a tree planted in place of getting a race shirt. I have too many shirts as it is. There were some hills but they were mild and manageable.

This was my first Vacation Races half and I was very impressed with their organization and enthusiasm for the landscape where their races are. The medal is beautiful and is one of my most treasured race mementos. You can’t beat the scenery at this race.