SLO is a wonderful place for a race, from the scenery to the community. It was a difficult course but from top to bottom, the event was excellent.

The expo had a great variety of products, including many additional SLO Marathon themed items for purchase. Anything a runner could need, it was there. The race shirts themselves were great design, color and quality. The SWAG bag doubled as a drop bag and is a reusable sack pack, which is perfect!

The aid stations were top notch with AMAZING signage on the drinks provided (Fluid first, Water second) and phenomenal volunteers who were so encouraging and high energy. Each aid station provided a variety of Clif energy shots and mile 7 had an entire Clif energy station. I wasn't a fan of having Fluid for electrolytes but this was known ahead of time and I was able to bring my own Gatorade.

The course scenery...wow. Just perfect. Rolling vineyards, blue skies, mountains. Perfect. Everything you would want. That said, the course was HILLY. Hill training is an absolute must for this race. I couldn't imagine running this race without incorporating weekly hill training. Some steep, some long, some steep and long.

My only complaint is that race day parking was a pain. It is a point to point course and the shuttles weren't running from the finish. Spectators had a difficult time parking. It would be nice to bus from the actual finish instead of a random location. It also should be included in the price of the entry fee, not an additional. I would've liked to see a few more pace groups for the full marathon, as the slowest was 4:45.

All in all, an excellent race and I will be back!

Little Rock was my first marathon and I couldn't have picked a better one. Amazing course support, people cheering and aide stations. So many people running means you are never alone. There are a fee big hills which were rough but other than that, the elevation is easy. Aide stations are well manned with plenty of drinks, snacks and lots of port a potties!

The shirts are awful. Unisex sizing means good luck if you're a woman. And hideous color. Apparently they're always bad.

Huge medal! They didn't arrive in time for the 2015 race but they're making sure we get them asap And they were able to have replacement medals made for us.

The weather has been crappy the last two years, but what do you expect for Arkansas in March?
Amazing event!

2014 marked the second year of the AdventureMax trail runs in Springfield. The fact that it's a new race makes me want to cut them some slack but the organizing body is not new and should have done a much better job.

The course is beautiful. Trees, a small pond. Gorgeous views from the tops of some of the hills. But make no mistake, this race takes place on a mountain bike course, meaning it is rutted and very hard on the feet and ankles. There aren't many spots to right your footing or get a break from constant inversions/eversions of your feet. 13 miles is a long way on a course like that. It is two, 6-ish mile loops. Some people like loops. I don't. Personal preference. Especially when it's as difficult as this place is. My GPS had the course a bit short, others were closer to 13 miles.

The course featured two aid stations, both well stocked. One set of volunteers happened to be especially rude to multiple runners. It's important for race directors to remind their volunteers to be motivating.

No swag to speak of. For a $60+ entry fee, there could have been something. The "tech shirt" was a white t-shirt. I actually like the shirt quite a bit but it was not what was advertised to be and that was disappointing. Also advertised were custom pint glasses. These did not exist. Race management reused pint glasses from other events they had put on throughout the year. I ended up with a pint glass from a cycling event. The post race meal advertised was cans of Hormel chili.

When I finished, there was nobody cheering at the finish line or acknowledging finishers. There were plenty of people behind me. I think that was my biggest disappointment. The emcee was busy talking about who knows what over the microphone, not announcing finishers.

I was extremely disappointed in this event and voiced my concerns to the event staff. I will not be back and would absolutely not recommend this event to anyone. The price was astronomical, the race was meh, the goodies were not good and none of it went to charity.

My second year running this race and I love it even more than the first!

Registration: Easy from their website. To my knowledge, the race did not sell out this year, but usually will come close. A friend of mine was able to register one week before the race with no issue.

PreRace: For area runners, Bass Pro offers a kick off night with training plans and tips, as well as food, several months out from the event. They also offer happy hour a month or so out from race day. They reveal the medals for all events and theme for the year (this year was the eagle!). They also show the shirt and other clothing items that will be available for purchase at the Expo.

Expo: It's huge! Tons of vendors (races, New Balance, Bondi Band, local running clubs, etc) pack the White River Conference Center for two days leading up to the event. It's easy to get to the tables to pick up your gear and you get an awesome, reusable bag that is large enough to use for grocery shopping or carrying gear to a run or the gym. I have used my 2013 bag countless times and I know the 2014 bag will be no different.

Race: Parking can be difficult with 8,000 runners so carpooling and getting there early is ESSENTIAL. They do a great job promoting the pace groups and going over instructions. There was a big mix up this year where many runners turned too soon before the marathon/half marathon split, but pacers were able to keep their groups on track so no distance was lost. There were tons of people on the street out supporting runners and each aid station was full of energy, had plenty of supplies and awesome volunteers.

Course: It's relatively flat and fast, as far as SWMO courses go. One of my favorite courses! The leaves have turned and it was just gorgeous.

Pictures: For some people, this is a big thing. They had photographers in several areas and the shots were for the most part great. However, I don't see the reasoning for charging $15 for a SINGLE digital print when I paid $80 for my registration. I wish RDs would think more about this.

Overall: One of my favorite events. Bass Pro works so hard with the community to make this event amazing. I will do it again and again!

This is my second year participating, first in the 15K. I absolutely love that this benefits Care To Learn and the tons of prizes they give out don't hurt either. Race organization puts out great refreshments afterwards as well.

Not a flat course, not insane with Hills, just enough to keep it interesting. Aide stations were regular enough and there were a few port a potties on course. Lots of cheering sections! My only complaint was the lack of mile markers.