This is a PREMIER trail race. Bass Pro puts on stellar events and this is nothing short of amazing. The course goes through the Dogwood Canyon property and there are options for 15K, 25K, 50K, as well as a challenge (new in 2014) for the two day event of 15K/25K and 15K/50K. Finishers receive a beautiful medal as well as a North Face hoodie (this is in addition to the long sleeved tech tee for participants).

Event coordinators and volunteers did an amazing job of directing runners and manning aide stations which had a variety of snacks (trail mix, baked potatoes, crackers, sports beans, etc) and drinks (water, powerade and pickle juice). They were supportive and cheered every single person that passed.

I completed the 25K distance and it was certainly a challenge. This is not a race you would want to slack off on training. The hills are serious. There are at least 14 water crossings. It is regarded by runners as one of the most challenging trail races they have ever done. But it is so worth it! It sells out within a week of opening up every single year so it's not one to wait around and think about. Run Dogwood!

As a SWMO resident, I have been trying to fit this race into my schedule for the last few years and this year it finally worked out. Event organizers did a fabulous job providing information for out of town runners to find places to stay and eat, and they even organized buses to take runners to and from the hotels. The expo/packet pickup were well organized and flowed smoothly.

The course itself was a bit hilly and it did get quite warm and humid early on, justifying the 6:30am start time. It wound through town and through a gorgeous park. Aid stations were well stocked and I often noticed a medical vehicle cruising around to check on people. Crowd support along the route was unlike anything I have ever been a part of. Countless people came out of their houses and sat on the steps or in lawn chairs to cheer on runners. It was amazing. Very easy to tell how much this event means to the community. Part of the course is dedicated to victims of the tornado and is lined with flags bearing their names. There were several spots along the course with local radio stations playing music and two spots with percussion lines playing from local high schools.

Finish line atmosphere was electric, tons of kids giving high fives and an emcee that had more energy than I have ever seen! Post race food and drink were great and the medals this year were fabulous.

Shirt was a regular t-shir but has a great design, swag bag didn't have any amazing coupons but did come with some stickers. This year, professional race photos are available free for runners which I LOVE.

This event was amazing and I would love to do it again. Something about the community of Joplin is very special. If you can make this event, I highly recommen dit!

Branson is a beautiful place to run but beware - the hills are NOT A JOKE. This was my fourth half marathon and likely wouldn't recommend for a first timer - UNLESS you had been training on hills. Big ones. Total elevation climb was over 1300 feet.

The expo was great, lots of booths to visit. I wasn't overly impressed with the virtual goody bag, which contained nothing useful. No coupon codes that were exclusive to the event or anything of the like. The t-shirt was great - tech shirts for 5K and half marathoners!

The course had amazing views, amazing support and entertainment. They are a series and have events in different parts of the country so check it out!

This was the 2nd annual Springfield Go Girl race. I was excited to run it again, as it was my first half marathon last year. Location changed from year one to downtown Springfield. This made the start like crowded into a tiny street.

The expo was great, lots of different vendors and I love the ability to have custom race shirts printed right there.

Aid stations were frequent and well stocked. The course wound through town, so other than the section on the greenway trail, the scenery was mostly houses and nothing "mind blowing". Was not impressed with the apparent last minute course reroute (supposedly done by the police department) that made the course 13.5 miles. I didn't learn of the reroute until days after the event. Crowd support around the course was fantastic! Lots of cheering and love.

Overall, not excessively impressed with year two of this event and probably won't make it a point to run this again next year. Disappointed that this course was advertised for first timers and as being flat when it was far from it.

A pretty standard 5K run. Big bonus here being the two beers plus pint glass you get afterwards and watching the beer mile after the 15K finish. Not much of an expo, standard t-shirts for both distances with no differentiation between them (meaning they don't say which distance you ran).

The course this year moved downtown, making it much more flat than years previous. This also made the start/finish area jammed into a very small space. Event organizers and aid volunteers were peppy and upbeat. An event I enjoy running every year!