Clarence DeMar was my 52nd marathon and 46th state. I'd been looking forward to a cool, fall New England race after a warm Iowa marathon two weeks prior. However, that was not to be! The anxiety set in the week before when I checked the weather and saw a high of 91. What?? Lots of chatter began online and the RD addressed the weather issue early that week stating they were meeting with the medical team to determine what would need to be done to ensure runners' safety. This had me worried but needlessly. They emailed again Thursday with the news that the race was starting an hour early (7am instead of 8am) and that extra water and aid stations were in place. I'd like to say THANK YOU to the RD and team for not canceling outright. Moving the start time up made a world of difference. Furthermore, he stepped up on the bus before we disembarked at the start (and sent an email the night before saying the same) and told us to have a great race, don't go out there for a PR, run smart, and enjoy the scenery instead of shooting for a time. If medical services got overwhelmed they would have to black flag the race. I thought this message was on point.

Okay enough about the anxiety and the heat! I thought the race was great. Fantastic comms leading up to race day, great long sleeve tech shirt (in a fall color that I love), and very nice 40th anniversary medal.

The packet pickup process was simple and friendly and they also offered it race morning for those who couldn't make it. I don't often need that option but I appreciate it when it's available because you never know with airline travel!

The start is at a school which is always nice! We took a bus ride up, which left from Keene State College. There was a comfortable gym to hang out in for an hour before the start and lots of portajohns. Also bottled water was available.

The course itself was very pretty. There were river views, farmland, a dam and lake, nice homes, along with a cemetery. Much of it was shaded (but definitely not all!) and there were lots of hills, none of which were major or huge, just rolling.

The finish is at Keene State College and there's a good selection of food and beverages available. I stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites which was a convenient walk to packet pickup, the bus pickup, and the finish (lots of restaurants nearby as well).

Overall I commend the RD and team for a very well thought out and organized marathon. I am so grateful it wasn't cancelled and we got an earlier start time. I'm also very thankful for all of the volunteers and PD and medical services personnel that were out there with us, cheering us on, hosing us down, and handing us water; they made the difference!