As my first marathon ever, I couldn't have picked a better one. Of course I'm bias regarding all things space-related, but this one was one well organized and an spectacular event. You could tell by the expo that this event was going to be top notch. The morning started off with me looking for parking. I stayed at a family friend's house instead of renting a room at the nearby hotel and getting shuttled over.

I didn't really see any signs for parking, so I followed some people who I knew were going to the run(due to all the stickers on the back of their car) and followed them to a parking lot behind a raw oyster bar, finding this bar would prove to be troublesome at the end of the run.

Made my way over to the event in time for the half-marathoners to run. What was nice was the countdown was displayed on a screen where they showed a video of a shuttle launch and once the shuttle launched on the screen the runners were launched out of the starting line. The event put up special lights and a fog machine near the starting line for dramatic effect which I thought was a nice touch.

Our start as the marathoners went much of the same way 30 minutes later. The course was beyond gorgeous and 25 out of the 26 miles is located right by the river. In the first 10 miles you could see the NASA spacecraft vehicle assembly building just across the water. I'm not going to lie, this had me geeking out.

The aid stations which were quite frequent, had volunteers in space type costumes such as astronauts, aliens, video game characters, star trek characters and so on. The aid stations consisted of Gatorade and water for the first 13 miles, and then after that they added GU of assorted flavors. One thing I was craving that I should have brought with me or would have liked to see at the aid station was any sort of solid food. When I finally happened at someone's personal aid station with pretzel's I devoured as many as I could. Pretzels never tasted so good...

The crowd was pretty amazing throughout and since my first name is on my bib I heard many people shouting it throughout the run be it onlookers or other runners. Surprisingly enough the post race was my favorite part of the race. Not only was the finish line underneath a shaded pavilion and lined with loud and cheerful onlookers, but I was rewarded the biggest medal in my collection BY FAR and there was pancakes, eggs, beer, and water waiting at the end. 2 pancakes and a plate full of scrambled eggs was just what the doctor ordered.

I may not be overly experienced when it comes to marathons, but I would definitely recommend this one to both veterans of the sport and beginners looking for their first experience. I'll be back next year for sure!

Run with the Flock 5k Race Report

Registration: Available online through the website. The company that I work for was one of the sponsors for the event so we took advantage of the 5 entries given to us. The registration was $25-$35 depending on when you registered for the race, and you had the option of picking up your race bib either at any 1st Place Sports location or at the race. I always love when they give you multiple options regarding bib pick ups.

The bag that came with my bib included

- A race shirt
- Grocery Store Ad
- Stress ball
- A card for a free taco at a local restaurant called ‘Burrito Gallery’. This would've been awesome because I LOVE their tacos but unfortunately this card can only be used between the hours of 10PM-1:30AM so I might give this one way.

Pre -race: There was no expo for the race, but sponsors had the their tents out in full force to display whatever they represented and provide free swag. Some of the sponsor tents provided things for the runner like little gatorade and things of that nature. The volunteers and the police made parking and finding the bib pick up quite a breeze. The finish line actually had to move twice due to two huge truck deliveries going to building located next to the race, but I’m sure that is something that race couldn’t have foreseen. Kudos to them for acting as swiftly as they did because that part could’ve been a nightmare.

It was announced over the speaker that they weren’t prepared for the amount of runners participating, so they wouldn’t have enough medals to hand out all 600+ runners. They offered instead a card you could fill out and turn in to have your medal mailed to you. Out of all the races that I’ve been to, this is the first I’m ever hearing about something like this happening, but I’m glad that they had a back up plan.

Race / Course: The course went through the shaded area of Riverside and along the St. John’s river. There was a single aid station that provided water in paper cups. Zero elevation to speak of due to the Florida’s flatness. I would say the terrain was about 90% road and 10% riverwalk. Of course you have you crowded areas at the beginning of the race, but things really opened up as you trotted through Riverside. There were PRS signs near by due to another race taking place. I wouldn’t have minded doing both races if time permitted =)

Finish / Post Race: Finish line marked with timing mat and was almost underground located next to a tunnel that went underneath a raised building. I’ve lived in this city for years and I never knew that tunnel was there. It was definitely a clever spot to start and end a race.

Overall: Race was well organized and they did great job with the limited amount of space provided to them. However, nothing special about this 5k(experience wise) outside of getting a chance to run through my favorite neighborhood in all of Jacksonville, and it’s fundraising which is most definitely a worthy cause. Run with the Flock is a race event for which all proceeds will be donated in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Would you recommend this race to a friend? Only if they were strictly looking for a 5k to participate in.