TJ Smith's Staging Area

Nice, smaller (my preference) local race. Working on my 50 states, and I’m trying to stay away from the huge crowds which for me aren’t as enjoyable. Packet pickup was quick and easy, race day staging adequate. Course wasn’t overly challenging as far as hills, but did have some “ups and downs” for a good bit of the first half. Course itself runs mostly through neighborhoods and the residents couldn’t have been more supportive of the runners (several even set up their own aid stations for the runners.) If you like smaller races, I’d definitely recommend this one!

Nice small race on mostly narrow country roads. Organizer did a great job with aid stations, well stocked and staffed as well as nicely spaced. With it being on country roads there’s not a huge amount of crowd support, but there were quite a few residents out by the road offering support. Race starts very early to beat the heat, so plan for some dark stretches until the sun rises.

Good race for the themed series. Fairly flat course, mostly on a paved walking path so if crowd support is your thing you won’t have much of that here. Great finisher swag and awards.

If you’re looking to get off the pavement and onto the trail, this was quite a challenging half to run. While not overly technical, it did offer some challenges (and an almost waist-deep water crossing.) Actual course distance seemed to be a bit longer than a half, which is a mental challenge at the end!