Latest reviews by Sarah

(2017)
"Favorite Spring Race!!!"
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This was my second year running this race, however last year I ran the half marathon and this year I ran the 10K. I was really excited to be coming back as I had so much fun last year. The race did NOT disappoint.

I drove down from Seattle the morning of the race, so it made for a very early morning but it is doable. I had a friend pick up my packet for me, otherwise to pick it up on race morning you pay a small fee. Access to the start line is so easy at this race. There is a huge field available for parking and lots of people directing cars and getting people parked.

Each race has a separate start with the 10K starting last. The course is flat and gorgeous. There is one small hill, but the rest is flat and an easy run. The 10K has the most views of flowers, at least it has more than the half marathon. The flowers were late blooming this year, but there were still plenty to see. I loved the peacefulness and greenery along this course.

Post race party is a BLAST at this race. The race director is at the finish line giving out huge hugs, which is the icing on the cake after laying it all out on the finish line. The medals are always gorgeous, and there is lots of water and REAL FOOD. They have BBQ waiting for you along with a beer. You can buy tickets for more beers to keep the party going too!

Another cool thing about this race is that they have a really nice awards ceremony for people who placed not only overall but also in age group. If you place in your age group, you get an additional medal!!

I highly recommend this race, very well organized, great time of year to run weather wise, it's flat and its a TON OF FUN.

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(2017)
"Sweet Race Every Year! "
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This was my 3rd year running this race & it doesn't get old.

The course is pretty hilly and somewhat challenging, but still fun. Sometimes I wish this race was a month or two later so it was a little bit warmer :) My favorite parts about this race are the finish area and the swag! This year the sweatshirts were the best they have been yet. The finish makes the 9 miles worth it. Chocolate has NEVER tasted better. I also love that they change the medals from year to year, so you can run this race every year and it always feels new.

The organization and aid stations are great. It's easy to park and get to the finish/start line and get out when the race is over. Grateful that I got to run this race again, it's always a lot of fun. Despite the hills, I highly recommend.

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(2016)
"Our First Dog Friendly Race!"
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If you love dogs, this race is for you! Whether you have a dog to run with or not, this race is a blast! You can walk or run it and I highly recommend doing it. This was our first race with a dog and I was so excited. I don't have my own dog, yet, so I borrowed my parents dog haha. This race was super dog friendly, they thought of everything! It was also fun to see all the different dog breeds and a great time for dogs to socialize as well.

The course was an out and back course. It is on a paved trail that is really beautiful. Since it was my first dog race, I didn't know what to expect as far as dog behavior, so I was ready for anything. All the dogs were well behaved, I think it was peer pressure!

Once we made it to the finish line, they had water for us humans and water bowls for the dogs. There was an indoor area where they were posting the results and had post race snacks. They had ample food for us and also had tons of dog treats which all the dogs loved! They raffled off prizes from sponsors which was fun, and they also had pictures with Santa for the dogs! It was a pet photographer and they were so patient with all the dogs. The pic turned out great and was a super cool memory of the race! You also received a nice sweat shirt which I liked instead of the traditional t-shirt.

This race was a total blast and I would definitely run it again!!! The swag was awesome and it was well organized. Also a fun and unique opportunity to run with your dog!

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(2016)
"Flat & Great Views"
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I was excited about this race because of the flat and slightly downhill course that it boasted. This was the first year of this half marathon and it was amazing! It was not organized or run like it was the 'inaugural' race if you know what I mean. There no were major issues, everything was awesome!

The course is a point to point course, along a beautiful trail. You were encouraged to park at the finish and take a shuttle to the start line. You could have someone drop you off at the start line, but there was no parking there. There were plenty of shuttles and it was a very easy process. I picked up my bib and shirt on race morning, took a shuttle to the start line and checked a gear bag. It was VERY smooth and easy.

Course was beautiful with lost of nice views. You can see some of the pics in my blog post. It was a mostly shaded trail which was nice. The weather was slightly overcast, which was perfect for running especially in August. The course was downhill or flat, but it wasn't that downhill that is hard to run, it was a very slight downgrade, it was very pleasant to run!

I got stung by a bee about half a mile away from the finish - I was so thankful they had a medical tent and help at the finish line. I am not allergic but boy did it hurt!

The finish line area was great - they had a full on BBQ with hotdogs after the race. YUM! I would run this race again. Very scenic, flat, well organized and lots of fun! Oh, and FREE RACE PHOTOS!

Read full blog post recap: http://sweetblondesfitlife.com/inaugural-iron-horse-half-marathon-recap/

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(2016)
"Beautiful Course & Best Aid Stations!!"
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I drove over to Port Angeles from Seattle on race morning. Originally we had planned to spend the night, but we ended up with an extremely busy weekend, so we decided to drive over race morning. We had ZERO traffic and made it in 2 hours.

I got dropped off at the half marathon start. Since this is a point to point race, you either have to park at the finish and take a shuttle to the start, or park at start and shuttle back at the end. Thankfully the race makes this part very easy. I got dropped off and that was easy too. The race was very well organized.

Since I drove over race morning, I missed the expo so I cannot comment on that. Bib pick up on race day was at your starting line. It was very easy & they gave you your shirt at the finish which was also really great. There were plenty of port-a-potties at the half marathon start, they also had water and gatorade if you wanted. They even brought in a huge flag for the national anthem.

The course is as beautiful as they promise. You get mountain views, views of fields, woods, and even 3 miles along the water. It was GORGEOUS! The scenery, aid stations and the finish line buffet were the highlights of the race for me.

There were 5 pretty intense hills on the course. The good news is they are short and steep, so they don't last long, but they are very steep. Leg burners for sure! It was a very hot day (not normal for this time of year) so I did a lot more walking than I normally would. Thankfully this course had plentiful aid stations. They were every few miles and they all had themes with very enthusiastic volunteers. It added such a fun element to the race. There were star wars themed stations, one wizard and the oz, along with lots of other fun themes. They had wet rags at the stations as well as squirt bottles so you could cool off. All had COLD water (which I appreciated), gatorade and some snacks. It was a VERY well supported course.

The finish line was amazing. It is right on the water, and every race participant gets their own personal volunteer to escort them across the finish. Such a kind and personal touch. The finish area is amazing, lots of water, medical aid, massages if you want one and a foam rolling section. They also had a FULL ON BUFFET of food as well as plenty of beverages.

You can see more pics of all of this in my blog post about the race --> http://sweetblondesfitlife.com/north-olympic-discovery-marathon-recap/

I HIGHLY recommend this race, and would definitely run it again.

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