Mark Trollinger's Staging Area

I picked this run because it was in Madison and a former high school friend of mine owns a food tour company called Madison Eats. Unfortunately, she was not in town this weekend and while the weather was 70 on Wednesday, it was 29 at the start of the run on Sunday.

The race starts and ends at the state capitol building, and the finish line comes down a street that frames the Capitol well in the background. Most of the course was flat, but there were a few hills. One that was a bit of a difficult one through some houses near the lake, and one closer to the finish. Other than those it was relatively easy difficulty level. There were plenty of aid stations along the way with water, Gatorade, and Guy. The thing that stood out the most was the crowd support. The town really came out to support and cheer on the runners. The final mile had streets lined with cheering people and it was a great experience. Even throughout the course there were people watching and cheering. The course ran through communities and those living there were outside to cheer us on. Really one of the best runs with a supportive crowd. Great community, some glimpses of water, and I think even the governor’s house. The t-shirt seemed to be larger and the goodie bag had a lot of discounts and advertisements for local businesses. The medal was nice as well. I would come back to Madison, although I would prefer summer.

This is the first time I ran the Wicked half in Tucson. I have completed the Phoenix one before. Similar to that one, this was at a community park that had a nice walking/bike path that ran alongside a river for a good part of the run. The course was flat and descent. There are some people wearing costumes, so that’s fun. This year I didn’t wear a costume. I would pick either the Tucson or the Phoenix, but not both. I have signed up for both, but the Phoenix one is obviously a different course, but it is the same shirt and medal. I don’t think I need two, so I likely won’t show up to the Phoenix one. But the medals are cool, so do one of them for sure.

I really enjoyed not only the race by the town of Corbin, KY. It exceeded my expectations. There was a large group of 50 Staters there, which made it even more enjoyable. A knew a couple of them, but most were new. Many wore costumes which made it even more of a fun feel. It was a little chilly on race morning but warmed up to a comfortable running temperature. The race starts just down from the train depot and wound its way through most of the town. There was excellent course support from volunteers and high school students along the route. Almost every turn had at least one person there to guide you on the right path. There was one tough hill around the middle school, but overall it was the infamous rolling hills. At the midpoint the course passes the starting line and turns out toward another part of town. I was a little confused there and out through mile 7. It was a long straight road so there weren’t people standing there and I thought I was lost until I finally reached the mile 7 sign. A lot of short turns around various streets in down, but then the final 2 miles was right through the downtown.
The swag was great – a pull over ¼ zipped shirt, a lot of coupons and small items from local shops, and the medal was wonderful. The train depot was nice with trains behind it, Sanders park right across from the finish line has a statue of the Colonel plus placards about the history, and nice murals across the street. Just down the road a short drive is the KFC restaurant and a museum (temporarily closed). A local resident pointed me to a white house on the corner that she said was not advertised well, but it was the Colonel’s house – and it had a mannequin of him standing in the front window.
If you need to complete a race in Kentucky, this is a fun one and a great small town to support.

I signed up for this run last year but due to covid it was canceled. I was excited to do it because the start is about 1 mile from my house. Another reason is this time of year is perfect weather in Arizona. And the third reason is the metal is large and impressive. The course was good running along city streets, not very scenic, but starting and finishing in downtown Chandler was great. Downtown Chandler has a lot of local restaurants and breweries right near the starting line so there’s plenty to do when you finish. Last week I ran in Kansas City where it was cold but I finished just under three and a half hours and I was happy because it had been 2 years since I finished under three and a half hours. Des Moines did not have a three and a half hour Pacer so I fell behind by about 7 minutes. Chandler also did not have pacers after 3 hours that I saw so I decided to stay with the 3-hour pace and see what happens most of my future runs have a 3:30 cut off so I needed to get some consistency below 3:30. The Pacer was a speed Walker and I was able to walk a little bit and then jog to keep up for the first 5 miles, then he left me in the desk. But it still was able to keep up a better than normal pace and although he was long gone when I finished, I managed to finish 11 minutes faster than last week. Coming to the finish line I decided to run a little bit and then increase speed across the finish line. I noticed that the watch was sending emergency notification to my contacts. I thought I did something wrong but as it turns out the watch works and my heart rate was 193 which apparently was outside of my zone that I set up and two minutes later my daughter called to see if I was okay. I felt fine actually so no problems there but I guess it’s good to know that the watch works. All in all it was a pretty decent run and I hope that it continues annually since it is so close and I do like to support the town that I live in. It was also nice to see a few 50 state members in attendance. If you need Arizona and your nearing the end of the 50 states, this would be a great one for number 48. The metal says AZ 48 since Arizona is the 48th state admitted into the country. Come enjoy the Arizona “fall” weather, interesting shops, excellent restaurants, and awesome breweries.

The run was well organized and it was nice to run in some of the historical parts of town. There were more hills than I expected, especially 5-7 and 9-11, and coming from Phoenix the start was chillier than I would have liked (although most people around me said it was perfect weather). By the end it felt nice. The packet pickup was well organized and had a nice expo with it. I am not sure if the posted finish time is gun time or chip time. The official time is a little more than five minutes longer than what my Garmin said (posted time on review is the office posted time). I was pleased with the Garmin time as it was better than most of my runs within the past couple of years. That was mainly due to them having a 3:30 pacer, and I finished with him. I would have preferred a couple of extra bathroom stops. I only needed one, but there wasn’t one around when I wanted it.
Update: I contacted the race director and after reviewing the footage by time was updated. I appreciate the time it took to look into it.

This run was easily in the top five of most scenic races for me; perhaps even first. The night before the area had heavy rain and a tornado that touched down just a few miles away. I knew the course ran through the woods, and I was expected muddy trails and wind damage following the storms. Therefore I decided to just take it slow and see what happened. As it turned out the course was almost completely on a paved bike path through the rooms. An early start included a bit of fog, cooler temperatures, and several bird encounters (turkeys, cranes, geese, ducks, and swans). There were also several frogs that could be heard in the surrounding ponds.

The course was easy and nearly flat with the exception of a few slight inclines, especially on the back of the lake. None were large enough to call a hill. We began at the start, ran two and a half miles out, then turned around and went back to the start before completing one loop around the lake. The trees were and grasses were green the wildlife prowling about, and people in boats enjoying the lake (fishing, swan boats, and paddle boats). As the morning progressed, the temperature quickly increased. By the end it was very warm. They offered a 5K, 10K, half, full, and a 50K. They allowed early starts so you could start when you wanted and there were always people around on the course.

I highly recommend this course because it was well organized, excellent communication, and the amazing scenery. The shirt, medal and the coaster (with bottle opener) was very nice as well.

The entire series of races was well organized and had good support. The aid stations had water and snacks about every 1.5 miles. Good after-race snacks, drinks, and music.

Utah started out in the mid 40’s but ended in the 70’s. They said it was the hilliest of the courses. There was one monster hill that was very challenging and another big one toward the end before the turn around, but I felt the Idaho course was hillier overall. The Utah course went from street to trail, with some large loose rocks on the trail portion. After the run they had soda, chips, water, and pizza. This is the best race to get down and spend time along the lake after the run. Like prior review recommendations we stopped for the raspberry shakes at LeBeau’s – there are three other places right there that also have raspberry shakes, but we tried LeBeau’s and it was a great after-race treat.

I really enjoyed the race production and organization. The participants were all very friendly and seemed to have a good time. This was the first time I stayed with others during a race. Five of us completed all three days and getting to know them and spend time with them made the weekend an even better experience.

The entire series of races was well organized and had good support. The aid stations had water and snacks about every 1.5 miles. Good after-race snacks, drinks, and music.

The Idaho half marathon had some hills that were unexpectedly high, and the wind was strong on much of the course. Beautiful view of the lake on the out and back course. The elevation was over 6000 feet, but it didn’t seem to bother me.

I really enjoyed the race production and organization. The participants were all very friendly and seemed to have a good time. This was the first time I stayed with others during a race. Five of us completed all three days and getting to know them and spend time with them made the weekend an even better experience.

Ive lived in Phoenix 17 years and never knew this park was here. Like many other parks around town the canal runs through it, but unlike others there are waterfalls. It was cool walking around prior to the start and seeing photos from 1900 of people picnicking at the waterfall. The run itself is very smooth. An easy run along the packed dirt side off the canal, turn at the bridge, and come back on the paved side. Very flat and fairly easy. The race was well organized and nice swag for a 5K – a silicone bracelet, a chocolate bunny pin, and a nice chocolate bunny medal. Definitely recommended for a smooth 5K if you want an easter-themed race with good awards.

In the 17 years I have lived in Arizona, I have only driven through Lake Havasu once. However, I will be back. The running route allows you to run along the Colorado River for most of the run, as well as across the London Bridge as well as under it. The weather was great and it was a nice small town to visit and explore on foot. The medal was fantastic and we received a shirt and face mask as well. They did a great job of capping the number in the run, spacing everyone out, and setting off in waves. Most of the course is flat – a couple of hills: one at the beginning and another around mile 8.5-9. Otherwise it was smooth. My performance was not good (as usual). I actually felt good through 9 miles and I thought my time was better than it had been in the past few runs – but entering the final 4 miles I ran out of energy. Most of that four miles was around a paved loop running path around a green space. Should be fairly easy, but entering it I anticipated it to be maybe a mile loop. Turned out to be three and a half miles and I think the seemingly endless journey threw me off. I ended up slowly walking the final leg of the run. The good news is I haven’t really ran at all over this past year so hopefully this finish is the worst to come and I can use it as a baseline. For this race I would highly recommend it and I am considering doing it each year. I took my wife and she loved the town. Such a relaxing weekend if you have time. They are going to move it back a little next year due to Lake Havasu being a spring break destination and difficulty getting hotel rooms. Book early.

Overall I thought it was descent and would do it again. It was running through the mostly the downtown and some outer areas, and yes there were potholes in the street. Nothing really different than any other big town. Running through campus was nice and I did hear the band playing as I approached, but by the time I got to campus they were gone. It would have been nice to see them as we ran by. I enjoyed the Tots & Shots aid station. That gave me a little added boost at that point in the run. As some other reviwers said there were only a couple of bands playing along the course. For me the packet pickup wasn’t bad, once I found the right building. I went into the convention center instead of the planetarium. Once I knew where to go pickup was very easy. I don’t typically stay long at expos anyway – just in to grab the shirt and number, then back out. But I did purchase some stingers and compression socks – which I really liked and they were cheap, but I already managed to lose them after the run. Parking was easy, as the start and finish were the same place and I was able to park just across the street. The medal I also liked. The blue guitar-shaped medal has been a trademark of the run in the past. This year it was a little different, and I really liked it. I would have liked to see the date on the ribbon since it was leap day. There is the museum of art right there and there are so many blues legends and I think having a local artist design a medal each year with a different blues performer would be awesome. They could have artist playing the guitar and make it blue to keep connection to the prior style. There isn’t much the race can do with the course. A large portion of it will be through the city streets and there will always be potholes, especially in older towns. Overall I think it was good. Just a few minor tweaks and it will be a go-to race once again.

The slogan says if the hills don’t take your breathe away, the scenery will. Both are accurate. I live in Phoenix so a weekend trip Sedona is fairly common as a nice getaway. I have hiked a few trails, but never attempted to run there. The hills are definitely challenging. The course is out and back so you get to see the scenery twice, but the nice downward hill around mile one returns as a difficult uphill beast at the end. But the course time limit is long enough that you can make it. I ended up walking more than I planned on the way back because the hills zapped what energy I did have. The medal is very nice and currently it is a portion of what will be a larger item once assembled after four years. The course support was excellent with many aid stations that were well staffed and supportive. The police officers along the course were very nice and encouraging as runners passed. Although challenging, I highly recommend this one.

I’ve been very lazy for a long time. My last half marathon was June 2018. This is a “local” race for me, even though it’s an hour a way. The half marathon started and finished at the airport. Lots of vendors there and good pre and post race activities. The run is mostly flat. Slight incline going out, but the back is mostly down hill and pretty solid decline the final 4 miles. It’s from the airport out through the desert and turns around in a subdivision. One lane was blocked but there were cars on the road so be aware. Every station has water and Gatorade. One of the girls when filled up my water bottle. Police had the roads well controlled and turns were well marked. Not very scenic but you should finish in a good time. I had an idea in mind having not ran a half in a long time and I did better than expected. I didn’t buy the shirt but the swag bag was nice – including a cow bell. It was nice seeing some other 50 staters out there.

The Arizona Brewery series is a good opportunity to get out and train. This was the second event in the series and again ran mostly along the canals. The beginning and end of the run are through a parking lot so there may be some minimal traffic there, but the rest is up and back on the canal. A good, fun event where there is frozen yogurt samples after the run, a raffle with some additional swag ,and a free beer included. It is a fun atmosphere and a good opportunity to get out and run as well as try some of the great Arizona breweries.

I haven’t ran any distance in the past 18 months. This was a good opportunity to get back out in the streets and to support a great cause. One of my coworkers ran this race last year and earlier this year passed away from the disease. A few of his friends put a team together and I joined up to honor him. This was the first time I have ran this event, but I have ran multiple 5Ks and 10Ks at this same location and course. It is all city streets and flat. No traffic as the roads are all closed off. Fairly simple course to follow. Not the most scenic because it is downtown around the state capital. You will see some homeless people along the way. The streets are not too damaged and the park where it starts and ends is a great monument/park to fallen officers and first responder. That’s worth checking out after the race if you haven’t spent time there. This race raises money for colon cancer research and it well supported with volunteers.

What a time I had with this race – starting the week prior. For some reason I had it in my head the race was 5/12 and after a night of short sleep I arrived to the start but was unable to find the run. After attempting different locations I was about to give up when I rechecked the event details and noticed it was actually 5/19. That should have been a sign to just give up and stay in bed.
The morning of 5/19 I again went to the race site and it was packed. The run had sold out, they added a few more spots, and those sold out as well. It was a nice atmosphere with many people there eager to begin the run. Every day I drive by this area and think how I would like to explore those big rocks and trails. That sounds great from the car.
As I lined up the runners were broken into three waves to allow for crowd control. We started up a small incline, through the parking lot, down the street, and into a canal path that led to the trails. By the first half mile I was already feeling it. I have completed the PF Chang half marathon five times, and in that race the entire thing is flat except when the run enters Tempe around Curry Street and suddenly there are hills that kick my butt near the end of the race. This trail run was entirely in that area and it was working its magic on me right from the start. It wasn’t too hot yet, so that wasn’t an issue, but I was definitely way out of shape for those hills. I made it around the two mile mark when I started thinking about how hard I was breathing, how my legs and butt were already sore, and how after finishing the course of 6.5 miles I would have to do a second lap. By mile 3 I decided there was no way I could pull that off, so I stopped and walked back to the parking lot where my car was. At least I got a nice shirt out of it. I definitely need to get in better shape before trying a trail run again.
But if you are in shape, I would recommend the run. The race staff I have run with before and they are great, the shirt was nice, and the medal was fantastic – if only I would have finished and received one. Plus the area is beautiful so it would give a fit person and enjoyable view.

This was an easy course in one of the local parks. The course was a 1.47 mile loop around a nature preserve with a one little jog down a side path for the extra distance. The course was paved sidewalk around a dune-like area. Lots of rabbits along the path. Run from start to finish, then back again for one loop. Repeat 4 times.

The challenge of the course was it felt a little warmer than expected and it made it more difficult that I thought. One aid station on each side of the start/finish line and a volunteer to direct runners on the side path. Overall a nice run.

The t-shirt was awesome – a blue long sleeved tech shirt that read “Once in a Double Blue Moon”. The back had the blue moon design depicted in the medal. I do like the medal, although I was a little surprised that it didn’t say double blue moon. The Blue Moon run is an annual race, but the double blue moon is only 3-4 times every 100 years. The shirt was different so I thought the medal would be too. But it was still nice.

I went to see a fellow runner in our 50 state group reach half #100, and I had not yet run Kansas. The run was well staffed and the activities around the race were excellent. The day was more humid than I expected and the course a little more rolling hills than I expected. I also saw less cows than I thought – but it was nice to be there, nice to see all of the 50 state runners out there, and my wife and I had a nice few days in the area. The medal was fantastic.

I would have likely done very well on this course in 2012 when I was in good running shape. The course was mostly flat – a few small inclines, but nothing strenuous. It was a very scenic run along Mission Bay and Fiesta Island. The course was the road that went out to the island and later sidewalks along the walking trails. It was overcast and sprinkling at the beginning, but never amounted to a steady rain. Temperatures were pleasant and made for good running.

I felt like I was running well – better than my previous two weekends – through mile 9. Then we passed the finish line and kept going about 2 miles, then turned around. A combination of passing the finish line and some mile makers that I thought were off caused me to slow down and not finish as strong in that final 4 miles. The distance between the mile 7 and 8 marker definitely felt short, but 8 to 9 was very long. I think the distance between mile 10 and 11 was also short. In the end I finished and talked to a couple of ladies afterward. One said according to her device it was 13.4 miles. I cannot confirm that as I did not use anything to track progress. But even still, it was enjoyable.

The medal was very nice – a mardi gras mask that was very colorful. A volunteer gave me a couple of beads and I kept with the medal. I would definitely do it again and hopefully in better shape and faster running times.

The course was fairly straight-forward: exit the casino, turn left, run for 6.5 miles, and return. The casino sits on top of a hill so going out it wasn’t too noticeable. The first two miles were fairly quick and either downhill or flat. The mile 3 marker started an uphill climb that lasted until the turn around. Coming back it was mostly downhill until around mile 11-12 when the climb up to the casino began. It was noticeable that time. Not too much to see along the way: a small town of Somerton and a lot of agricultural fields with people working. The Yuma Valley is one of the largest producers of vegetables in the country, and at the end of the race a small cup of raw broccoli with a dribble of ranch was awaiting. It was quite good and different. The medal was nice, the shirt was a nice quality tech shirt. The expo was small and easy to navigate. Easy to get in, get the stuff, and head out.