The corrals were so organized! About 5 separate corrals were laid out parallel to the start line, so the later corrals could see the first groups start out, and corrals were enforced. This meant you couldn’t bump yourself up to a faster corral, but could bump down to a slower one to run with friends. I know this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but its a safety issue. A runner in a too fast corral could very easily be ran over in the herd of runners leaving the very tight start line. The first half mile is always very crowded and it’s easy to run into other runners if your pace isn’t similar.

The first mile was compact and completely downhill. I am terrible about starting out too fast in these big hype, big races, but the downward slope of the first mile didn’t make it seem as fast. Really! The first 5 miles were relatively easy and mostly flat with a few rolling hills. We ran through some parks, and the crowd support was great. Lots of bands and cheering sections along the course.

The Stockyards are the highlight of the race. This area is SO COOL. You run down a hill, take a sharp right and the road becomes brick. Lots of businesses are out and waving. Women dressed as saloon girls, lots of music, and even a longhorn (who seemed very disinterested in the whole thing).

If you’re not from Texas, this is probably the MOST TEXAS you can get during a race. For a vacation race, this one should definitely be on the list. They really embrace the city’s highlights.

Mile 9 starts at the bottom of a bridge that is uphill for about a half mile into downtown. Its beautifully framed with the Tarrant Country Courthouse being directly across the bridge. BUT, you can see this hill FOREVEEEEER. I especially loved the music and the energy at the top of this hill.

After the race, I was pretty irked by the beer tent. They were refusing to serve any beers or seltzers for another hour according to one man at the tent. (And he was rude about it, so I’m guessing runners had been coming by for a bit asking.) It was unusual, and ended up leaving without the finisher’s beer. A first for me, but I’m definitely not letting it ruin an awesome race and and awesome PR.

In Summary
The Cowtown Marathon is definitely a race that I’ll be running again. The course is challenging, but has some awesome sights and a definitely a “Cowtown” feel. Water stops were plentiful and the crowd support was amazing. (And some great swag!)