Chad Simpson's Staging Area

You won’t notice the climbs by looking straight at the beautiful red rock formations!

This is a small race in a beautiful small town. The pre-race gathering was contested because they put everything info, bib pick up and shopping under one tent! It was cramped. There was great support on the course with the water stops just at the right place. Post-race… they ran out of bananas and other items and handed out cookies… not a bad option but needed milk.

Definitely a worthy race… just set your expectations to low on production.

It was a beautiful, chilly yet windy day. The first of a double half marathon over two days. The pre-race pick up was at a beautiful venue Firefly Distillery… great drinks! Easy and convenient though only one-way in and out… for pre-race activities… more on access in a bit!

I’m not sure what it is but these folks like to cram everyone into the start line areas. Although they’ll give you a link to reserve a spot for packet pick up… they don’t factor in the spectrum of runners… I’d rather they give you a corral assignment based on your expected finish time.

It was tight running the first 1/4 through a high school and then let out on the street… the first 6 miles were gorgeous with low country nature, canopy live oaks, the Citadel and running through downtown to the batter along the water, amazing homes and shops… then 7 miles of industrial/commercial zones.

Along the way, the water stations could have been better distributed.

At the finish, it was in a word MELEE!!!

It was a short throw from the finish, getting your medal then looking for a heat blanket. It was in the 40s at the finish. There were no volunteers to hand them out though I saw several runners donning them. From there it was into the masses… on the road and it was a chore to get into the entrance of the Firefly distillery and a long walk to get post-race nutrition and gear bag. Once you got to the area where the post-race festivities were… buses that would used for gear check were not properly marked. People were walking around for tens of minutes to figure out which bus had their gear… the best way to figure what line you needed to be in was to look at other racers’ bib numbers!

These same buses were used to ferry racers back to the start line…

Now back to the one way in / out… the distillery had two locked gates at the back of the property enough really for one car to go through… and behind the property, construction was happening. The race production team really should have considered the amount of runners… over 2000 and understood the venue could not support the runners… families… etc. navigating the property.

The buses had to back up into traffic on the back side of the property since they set up the finish line right at the main entrance!!! Doh!!! Because the property could not support the traffic people had to park a half mile away and walk thus creating a HUGE safety issue for families trying to meet up yet having to navigate the one way road and cars attempting to enter and exit. It took me 30 minutes to move a 1/4 mile… I skipped the post-race nutrition and beverage as the lines were ridiculously long and I could see the traffic fiasco hampering my exit.

I ran a capstone race in Raleigh in November’22. It was much of the same.. decent scenery but the production was not thought out and does not consider safety and focus on runners…

The production for the Indymini is amazing! If you want a certain wave to start from, you must send in a recent qualifying time. I immensely appreciate this because I’ve participated in many other 20,000+ runner races and (Rock n Roll) does not and it sucks to spend so much time weaving in and out of the crowds… However, because they validate runners, I truly felt like I was running in a smaller race… they evenly spread the starts out so you’re not crammed in by the masses!

The scenery was great and running on the Indianapolis Speedway was an experience of a lifetime crossing the brick finish line… many stop to kiss the bricks. The swag and pre/post race events were wonderfully organized. They give you a bag at the beginning of drink/food hand out after you cross the finish line… which I very much appreciate instead of trying to carry a drink and other items and then having to lay them down to stretch out.

Lastly, there were some outstanding bands along the course… more so than you’ll ever get at an RnR event (just sayin’)

This is definitely a must for a check in the box for 50 Staters or running your first half marathon in a big crowd!

The Racerise folks had a great production! First of several notes: this is a small, local(ish) race. A couple of hundred participants for both the half and full. If you’re looking for hoopla and big fan fare, this is not a race for you. The only timing was at the start / finish line. The swag (medal) was simple and the long sleeve was bright, beautiful, and soft.
2nd point: The course is a simple out and back with plenty of rolling hills (elevation gain +570 ft), but all of the course is in horse country. The scenery is breath taking; you’ll see a lot of horses and natural scenery.
3rd point: The weather guessers were 100% correct! It snowed the last 4 miles of my run. I have never run with a hat before. Although I was warm wearing silks, I had to use my hand as a visor so I could see ahead of me… again, the Lexington PD did a great job with holding and keeping cars off the 2 lane road… keeping us all safe! Wear a hat… keeps the sweat and snow out of your eyes…
There was plenty of water/power drinks and port a potties along the course. If I was a local, I’d run this again.

This was 15th running of the Mississippi Blues race series. I’ve been following them for a long time and they always have great production, swag, volunteer support! Thanks to Jackson State U and the local and Capital police for all the road closure support!

… so on Thursday it was 77 and 28 this morning at race time… then it warmed up to the high 40s. Layer, layer, layer your clothes. This is a small town race and the course full and half weave you around town. There are a ton of up and down micro hills and more than a handful of long climbs over this course. +600 overall elevation change. The Blues bands along the course are worth stopping for… but then there goes your PR. Thankfully, they are expanding the post race show to 5pm so highlight the fabulous blues bands from this home of the Blues!

The folks at Rock n’ Roll marathons put on a great production. The finisher medal is beautiful, they continue to use the wicking blue t-shirt with the logo for the specific location, but that’s not why I run.

The course starts you off on Constitution Avenue, with epic views of the Washington monument, glimpse of the White House and back side of the Lincoln Memorial… then the gentle rolling through Georgetown. I could not find a course elevation map… the course transitions to the parkway which is hilly. There is a 8% grade hill at 6.0-6.5 mile marker from the parkway exit up transitioning runners back into the neighborhoods.

Overall great fan support and volunteer support, plenty of water, energy drinks… There were several bands on the course… at mile marker 5, they had a DJ… BUT you could not hear the music because one of people on stage couldn’t help themselves in screaming support, woooo hoooing!!! It was beyond annoying! Take the mic from that lady! I appreciate support but yelling a volume 11 is a bit much…

This race is very much worth your while if you want to run a half marathon completely within the District of Columbia! I would run this again.

The race director put on a great race, thoughtful planning, and consideration for COVID 19 precautions. They had the biggest turnout for their event yet. The Upper Platte basin is gorgeous! You’ll run right through Monument National Park… up a steep graded hill for a few miles, I might add! The course is split 7 ish miles on paved road, the rest is on coarse dirt and crushed stone trails. You’ll be better off to run trail rather than road shoes if you’re looking to run fast.

This is one of the most challenging half’s in America due to the grade of the climbs… but the views of the Pacific and La Jolla Cove are worth it.