Tatum Burke's Staging Area

(I signed up for this one before being injured with a back injury that was definitely not ideal for climbing 10,000 feet that first 5 miles.) A huge shout out to the race directors that were friendly and supportive in making sure each runner had what they needed. The day before at the expo, while receiving a generous goodie bag full of surprises, it was nice to see them there presently answering any questions and sharing their experiences of the course. I personally love races where whomever is putting on the event, has run the course and can share true wisdom and experience. That first 5 miles was no joke, especially battling back injury, but just as they said after 5 miles, it’s a smooth sailing. I almost surrender on that climb, as my back was not having it, but walked my way and trusted that after 5 I would be okay, and thankfully that downhill gave me great relief.
The course was beautiful along the way and provided a sense of fresh air running beside the flowing water and greenest trees. So peaceful and serene, just spectacular beauty all around.
At the finish line, there was ample snacks and fresh Crumble cookies and it’s always nice to have ice cool water and refreshing drinks and free massages! I will definitely be back to give this one another go, when I’m all healed up! Great support, super organization, and awesome people!

Hands down one of the most beautiful marathon courses I have ever run! Running beside the Warm River with families camping cheering you on, and hearing the rushing water from the falls was spectacular. So much beauty and so serene! Running over continuous rolling hills through the potato fields was a bit of a challenge as I ran with a nagging back injury that I’ve been dealing with for a few weeks. This marathon is an absolutely hidden gem and the only thing I can say was a con is the lack of marathon runners, as I ran the entire thing alone. It was peaceful, but this marathon is so amazing and honestly deserves more runners to truly experience the beauty of it all! I witnessed the compassion and care of the race director first hand as I waited on my ride and he stood cheering each runner on through the last runner, greeting them and asking if they needed anything at all. Each participant was given a free voucher for a fresh huckleberry shake at the local restaurant which was so good! The stone pizza there is so delicious as well! Out of 84 marathons, this one rates in my top 10 and will definitely be back! It is a spectacular, truly incredible place to run!

I loved the convenience of this marathon, especially coming from another state. It was close to the airport, easy to find parking to get in and out of the expo and nice to be able to park free close to the start on race day! I love marathons that consider additional costs of the runner and make it easy to just get there and just run! Well supported course with great volunteers and plentiful aid stations! The announcer at the start, which is showcased with grand fireworks, was spectacular! We saw her again at the finish and she was so enthusiastic bringing the runners home! The long sleeve zip up we received was awesome and well appreciated! Loved the medal as well, it was super cool! Pizza, fruit, chips and cookies was easy to grab at the convention center right in the building next to the finish line making it easier for other family members to find their runner without everyone in the way in conversation. Great idea! Great event and loved how they catered to the runner, making the whole event just fun and stress free! Awesome organization!

First off, the bib pick up process is so simple, no expo just pull into the parking lot get the bib and go. That’s nice for out of towners that just want to get the bib and go without all the crowded expo stuff. The race itself is spectacular, fairly flat, and peaceful. Not a lot of crowd and hosts the typical aid stations with water and gel along the route. Unfortunately, noticed a few runners cutting the loop out to the neighborhood development, which to be honest only cheats themselves. The 2 runners in front of me seemed confused when they turned (meaning they would be cutting miles out) and I told them we had to go straight as the markings were misleading as the arrows in front of us indicated we were turning but really meant that was an arrow for the runners coming back to turn. I did bring this to the attention of the race crew so hopefully next race the course markings will be corrected or a volunteer will be stationed there to assist in directing runners that correct way. After crossing the finish line, and collecting a solid, awesome potato medal each runner was treated to the Potato bar which was fresh and delicious! Lots of runners feed their whole family the bagels and potatoes and they still had plenty left as the last runners were finishing. My family was unable to attend, but I did win a whole bag of Idaho potatoes from my performance that my family enjoyed for days after and carb loaded me for the Ogden Marathon the weekend after!

In 2021, I ran my first Boston Marathon ever. It surpassed all expectations, all dreams, and everything that I thought it could be. It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined it to be…magical and all surreal. 💙💛
My first miles were like out of a book or movie, I had to come to terms that I was actually there in the present and the reality set in quick! I will never forget the feeling of the start, the Athlete’s Village, the scream tunnels, the overwhelming crowds, the excitement, the love for every runner, and the race itself, but more important than all that…it was the PEOPLE & the atmosphere in Boston!!
The people on the streets of Boston make you feel like your FAMILY! The church service at Old Church down near the finish line on Sunday made me feel like I have attended that church every week. Just a stranger from the west that felt at home in the east. The outpouring of love, support, prayers, wishes, thoughts, and encouragement everywhere you turn in Boston is beyond fathomable.
I was truly blessed to experience it all and to run a BQ qualifier on the course and be welcomed again in 2023. Honestly, I was a bit concerned that returning this year it wouldn’t be like my first time and nothing would ever compare to my first amazing experience at the Boston Marathon. I was completely wrong!
Boston 2023….from meeting Des Linden to finding out #ADDYSTRONG was featured in the Boston Marathon program, to the Memorial of the tragedy 10 years ago, to running another Boston qualifying time to return in 2024 drenched from the downpouring rain…. But oh the PEOPLE! Witnessing their endless love standing in pouring rain for hours chanting names of runners passing, holding their signs high with pride, the families with children in the communities along the course handing out fresh cut oranges, candy, beers, etc. , and the amazing volunteers that poured their heart and soul into making sure each and every one of the 27,000 runners had what they needed! This, this is the Boston I will always know & remember! It’s not often that I cry crossing a finish line, as my heart is so full of joy after the accomplishment, but this year was different!
I left a piece of my heart at that finish this year, as we honored the victims of the tragedy 10 years ago. I felt and saw the outpouring love in a magnitude of ways. ONE BOSTON. A city of courage, hope, joy, compassion, beauty, and pure strength!
For those of you I ran the streets with, as we were truly honored to be a part of this: May the love always be engraved in your heart & mind.
For those who wish to someday be there running the Boston Marathon: FOLLOW the DREAM because it is every bit worth it!!! Wish you all the best and always remember LOVE WINS!! Let your love carry you there! ❤️

I ran this race in the series of my quest of tackling all 50 states. Overall it was a nice course, nothing to stand out, but a gentle course in warming up for the year. However, living in NC for 12 years may be the reflection of seeing the same scenery over and over, but coming from living in the west now, the warm weather this time of the year is an awesome option. The delicious BBQ at the end was much appreciated and everyone has that southern hospitality, so friendly and welcoming… love that! Also, you are presented this huge medal (bigger than your hand) that is well designed and beautiful. Great choice for NC!

Maui Oceanfront Marathon was fantastic, I mean it’s Hawaii and Maui is remarkably beautiful, but the island of Maui itself is extremely expensive! There’s no cheap way around it and I was there for 8 days and the food was outrageous and little portions for the money, bring lots of snacks, or save up for this one! I ran it as my 50th state on the quest of running a marathon in all 50 states and it was great, besides the humidity! Coming from Utah, training in record breaking snowfall I was not prepared for the heat wave at mile 2. I was grateful they started the race at 5 am as I wouldn’t have been ok, as I was roasting! As the sunrise began I was blessed to see whales on the horizon breaching along the way. It was breathtaking, with the sunrise and whales in sight! Not many runners in the marathon and I ran the entire race alone until we merged with the half marathons the last 10k back, which was too narrow to have that many runners headed to a finish. I did lots of weaving in and out of beach traffic zooming to manage to get around those walking. Overall, great marathon, awesome memories, and loved Maui!

There is no race fee, but the director asks that you support local businesses in some way, giving back to the community. Absolutely loved this mindset and seeing the town work together, we need more of this in today’s world! I loved the expo where community members were selling their homemade products and runners were purchasing to help their families/local businesses! I bought so many cool things, from delicious honey, jams, and the best maple syrup ever! There were no “official” aid stations but pop up aid stations all along the course with community members aiding the runners!
It was my 13th consecutive marathon weekend in 13 different states. Crossed the finish line soaking wet and purple, shaking uncontrollably. That last 6 miles was miserable, but I fought to the end through that cold rain and the fog covered lots of the scenery. It was so heartwarming to see the local businesses allowing runners to come in and warm up, many served free hot chocolate! There was a warm fire in one right across from the finish line. It was truly amazing to see such a heartfelt community come together and help each other out! Be sure to purchase your handcrafted finisher’s medal from the wood craftsman as well. Would love to run this one again! Highly recommend!

This was my 11th consecutive marathon weekend in 11 different states.
Philly Marathon, state #46, 69th marathon, 23 degrees and extreme gale alert in place! It was so cold but those warming tents at the start and finish were amazing life savers! Finish time 3:37 and another Boston Qualifying Time!
20+ mph winds that made it extremely difficult to run straight and not trip over your own feet. Loved running through the city with the energetic crowd! I felt strong, pushing pace through that wind, but made the rookie mistake of forgetting my training fuel at home. Tried taking one of their provide Gatorade gels only to throw it completely up a few miles later, knowing this was not good as my body would be depleted from the needed nutrients to power to the finish! 20 miles in and it was a crash and burn and suffer-fest and I relied heavily on my mind to just keep pushing. The crowd support truly carried me, as they were so excited!! The course was beautiful and the fans were spectacular braving those conditions to cheer us on! Also the medal we received was amongst one of my ultimate favorites! Definitely will be back to run Philly again! ❤️
The only con: the hotel that was recommended on their site did not have a shuttle and several runners, including me, had to pay for transportation to the start line, on the website it had information that the shuttle would pick us up, but the one we stayed in said no upon our check in. Be sure to check with the front desk and not be caught waiting for a shuttle that will not come.

I signed up for this one late in registration, in an attempt to get all the states completed so I could run my 50th state in Hawaii. Due to this, I was not one of the lucky ones that was gifted the nice Columbia Jacket that was included in early registration. To me no big deal, but some were bummed about that, as they missed out too, yet they were selling them at the race so had plenty. Sign up early if you want the perks. It was my 9th consecutive marathon weekend in 9 different states traveling from the west. It was my first one of those to not break the 4 hour mark, but I attribute that to lack of sleep and not the course itself, as I was working graveyards and was just extremely tired. The course itself is flat, but I’m not a big fan of loops as there is monotony in seeing the same thing, and is just not my cup of tea to run loops. There was ample aid stations and plenty of food at the finish. The coolest part was definitely the epic finish line where they give you a ball upon entering the stadium and you run to the finish line with the football. Also loved the last part before the stadium finish, running through the University grounds, where you are given a rose to place on the memorial fountain in honor of the football team who lost their lives in a plane crash. I thought that was a very touching tribute and loved they included runners, just a beautiful tradition. Overall great organization, plenty of parking for runners before the race, smooth process in obtaining bib, but just not a big fan of the looped course.

Definitely explored my soul after 7 marathons in 6 weeks and this one was my 2nd marathon in one weekend (Baltimore the day before). The spectators were incredible but the Canada fans were absolutely spectacular (so loud and enthusiastic) and watching the sunrise running over the Ambassador Bridge was INCREDIBLE! I was suppose to start in Corral A, but decided to go with Corral G the back of the pack in order to see the sunrise knowing darn well I would be trapped behind thousands of runners/walkers at a slower pace but it was worth it to see that sunrise! It’s not always about the clock but the journey! Truly enjoyed this experience and I will definitely be back to do this one again!
The race bib pickup, especially being an international event, was so smooth! I was able to get off a flight, grab the bib and board 1.5 hours later for a flight to run Baltimore Marathon the day before and then return and run Detroit! Loved this experience!
Also, one of my favorite medals of all time! I love the combination of Canada/America flags displayed on the medal!

Excellent course, but Imagine running a BQ race time, and then never being able to use that due to the negligence of communication, because you’re listed as an unknown runner, bib #630. You reach out to the race for months, over a dozen times and get ignored in emails and then finally have luck in Facebook messenger where they assure you if you contact the timers via their website, it would be corrected immediately. You submit proof by pictures, gps, Garmin splits, and still no response. You submit several times, reach out multiple times by messenger to which they say it will be fixed and here we are 10 months later, it’s still not fixed. I was unable to make the expo when my flight was delayed and reached out to members of the 50 state club, to which a member graciously was able to pick up my bib with my consent and proof of my ID, to which I later retrieved at the hotel lobby. I never imagined being shown in the results as unknown, but I reached out immediately and the fact that they cannot make this right in 10 months time is unsettling. I paid a lot of money coming from the west…entry, flight, rental car, but most importantly I earned that time and understand mistakes happen, but for them to ignore or promise it will be fixed and yet it isn’t…just unacceptable. Many runners work hard for BQ times and pay lots of money to travel to your race, a simple courtesy to make a mistake right shows care, compassion, support of runners and goes a long way. I would love to give this race 5 stars, as it was awesome, but the 2 star rave is due to their negligence in fixing their mistake after wasting my time and promising it would be quickly fixed. (attaching my finisher pic of me as runner #630)

It’s not often you will find a marathon with a beautiful course, a great director whose communication is superb, a supportive community who cherishes runners, well stocked aid stations, great swag, and every single detail spot on! If you are looking for a well organized event that loves running…this one is for you! I definitely would love to run this one again!

I chose this race because my high school coach always showed us clips and used quotes of the famous PreFontaine. It brought back so many memories. The race actual goes right down a trail he used to run and ends at Hayward stadium. The whole town comes out to support you and those last miles are truly epic! The medal they gave at the end was created from the old Stadium and it was truly unique to have a souvenir of history! I highly recommend this one!

Rhode Island didn’t disappoint! It’s a beautiful course with stunning views and well organized! After finishing the marathon, I set off to explore. ❤️ 6 miles of Rock Jumping, Cliff Walking and then a fabulous Beach Walk of seashell hunting followed by mansion exploring and a visit to Fort Adams. Loved it all!

CHICAGO MARATHON: Absolutely Unforgettable! The first World Major Marathon I had the opportunity to be a part of! Hands down in my top 5 of the best marathons one must do! For me: From a 100 miler days before leading to a painful Achilles injury to running the street in Chicago with immense crowds that were the loudest! I have never witnessed a crowd like that before, it was unreal how many people lined that course! Chicago Marathon will always hold a special place in my heart! ❤️ Though I was injured, I loved the entire experience and still am baffled how they managed to organize that mass amount of runners so incredibly perfectly! Security top notch and just everything planned out so precisely! The expo was huge and had anything any runner could ever need and more, the whole event was well executed and I plan on doing this one many times as it was absolutely INCREDIBLE! Truly epic every step of the journey!

As a marathon runner, many times I feel if it not a big city race the course lacks support in the second half, often forgetting about the marathon runners for awhile. However, Lincoln Marathon did not disappoint and spectators were there throughout the entire race. Awesome organization, which is always appreciated and an abundant number of aid stations, with a great finisher’s medal with a safety light up attached for using on night runs! Highlight was finishing inside Cornhusker stadium at the 50 yard line, pretty cool! Good selection of food at the finish as well.

The views were absolutely stunning the entire course and I loved running down Silverado Trail past all the Vineyards and Wineries! It rained almost the entire way, with strong head winds, but we finally got sunshine with 2 miles to go! Great support the entire way! Will definitely run this one again!