My partner and I love to leave Madison/Milwaukee and head to the Door County area as often as we can. Door County as a whole offers a ton to do for out of towners, which makes it a great destination race for runners from in and out of Wisconsin. From wineries and creameries to the quaintest coffee and antique shops, there is something for everyone in Door County. The half is before the busy tourism season really gets started, so some of the stores and restaurants are closed, but there is still plenty to see and do between all of the tiny towns.

So, when my partner and I were talking about doing our first half marathon and picking a location, the Door County Half was at the top of the list. We prefer trail running to pavement running, so this race was a nice compromise as it brings you through some of the most beautiful state park scenery (the weather was absolute perfection the day we ran) and you feel like you're running the trails while still on blacktop.

When we ran the DC Half, it was the 10th Annual race, which means they've had some time to work out the kinks and improve every aspect of the event. The expo was easy to get to and well organized, albeit a bit small (but understandable as it's a smaller event with fewer exhibitors/sponsors). The morning of the race was easy peasy as we drove and parked at the local high school (free) and took a fun free trolley into the state park that brought us right up to the hangout village area (where there were tons of porta-potties). We knew from the beginning of the race that we wanted to start running with a pacer to calm the nerves. The pacers were chatty and lovely and inspired us to move past them and finish at a faster pace (we were jogging more than running with the group we started with). There were lots of rest stops throughout with wonderful volunteers, ample opportunities for spectators to follow and cheer on runners, and the course was absolutely stunning (and just as hilly).

We've run several more halfs and a full marathon since this one in 2017 and it continues to be our favorite half to date. We'll probably make it annual thing moving forward since we love spending an extra day in Door County before and afterwards enjoying all of the wineries and trails. Highly, highly recommend this one!