Therese Jackson's Staging Area

A beautiful and challenging course on a mostly dirt path shaded by trees and with the scent of trees in the air. Vacation Races did not disappoint with this well-organized yet low-key event. Medals for the 5K and the half marathon looked great, and because I ran both races, I also received the very cool Sasquatch Double medal. A beautiful course with chocolate milk and snack boxes at the finish, I couldn’t ask for more. I will be back for this one again.

The Chicago Marathon featured excellent race organization, communication and event security. The expo was top notch and the participant shirt is my favorite out of all of the events that I’ve participated in. As noted in other reviews, the course itself is one of the flattest you’ll find and is a great way to tour 29 city neighborhoods. The spectator energy was awesome throughout most of the course but mile 22-24 is a little quiet, less visually interesting and mentally the most challenging part of the race (for me), so plan for that. Race day 2022 brought beautiful skies and perfect, perfect race weather. If you love a big city race with lots of energy, Chicago is not to be missed and may have been my favorite event to date,

This is a well organized and well supported event in beautiful San Diego! The marathon and half marathon start off together and there is a party atmosphere with runners and neighbors alike until the full and half marathon split at mile 8. While it is possible to achieve a PB here, the focus overall is more party than performance. The first 8 miles are congested and clusters of participants all over the course are walking, do not move to the side, etc. As a repeat participant, I have found it helpful to factor this in to the experience and just chill and enjoy it. After the split, the marathon course gets quieter and is not congested at all as you continue through the neighborhoods. My favorite part is mile 12-13, where you are treated to a nice little downhill stretch through the Presidio before hitting Morena where the work begins. This year, the course veered off of Morena on to the bike path near the river toward the coast before crossing a bridge and heading back on the other side. This was a huge improvement over prior years! More shade, better scenery. Although there are rolling hills throughout the course, the 163 from about miles 22 to 25 really is the most challenging part. Physically; an upward incline combined with a side to side slant. Mentally; pavement and more pavement. I recommend having a snack on this section. The good news is that by the time that segment is done, you’re almost to the finish. Actually, at that point, it is great news.

Vacation Races deserves a huge thank you for their dedication to the running community and their willingness to tackle the logistical challenges of safely hosting an in-person event during the time of COVID. This was my first time running this particular course but not my first half marathon or first Vacation Races event and, consistent with prior experience, the VR team did a fantastic job organizing and communicating the details around this event. They apologized for aspects of the bib pick up process that did not go as smoothly as planned, due to state/city COVID permitting requirements but, honestly, I was so thankful for the opportunity to participate that I didn’t mind the minor inconvenience of the wait time.
On race day, shuttle buses took runners to the starting area where there were warm and cold beverages, gear check, and plenty of porta-potties. To prevent crowding at the starting line, runners were pre-assigned a shuttle bus pick up time and a race start time based on anticipated finish time but, upon arrival at the start, runners had the option of starting and were not required to wait for their assigned time. This worked perfectly! There was no crowding and crossing the starting line by myself was like entering a gate to a running, tree-lined path paradise. Fresh mountain air, beautiful scenery, squirrels and birds, some uphill and lots of downhill. The last few miles near and around Bass Lake are rolling hills. I slowed down significantly at that point because my legs didn’t know what to do after having so much fun on the downhill stretches but a better trained runner could easily have achieved a PR on this course. The finishers medal is beautiful and is consistent with the overall design of other VR events. After taking a few photos, hopping a shuttle back to town was easy and convenient. Overall a great experience!