Travel: I drove from Chicago so around 6 and a half hours and the ride was scenic as ever! All the trees were really calming and it got me mentally prepped for the race ahead.

Expo: I always heard how big the expo was for Grandmas Marathon and I was a bit disappointed with the expo. I understand that it was scaled back for the amount of booths, but all the booths were around the same kind of companies. I wish there was more of a variety and if there was a bit more interactive booths.

Packet pickup: pickup was easy and efficient and they were really organized. You could tell the volunteers had either been trained well or have been doing this for years.

Gear: the T-shirt for grandmas marathon was great quality! I also did not expect to get socks for the race so that was a nice surprise!

Parking for race and expo: $5 parking right at expo and no matter what time of day it was, it was easy to get in and out and no issues. That is unheard of when it comes to races, especially as big as Grandmas so I was very impressed.

All you can eat spaghetti dinner: so cute and decorated to the 9s! The food was great and hit the spot and was a great amount for the price! Also, was grateful for the cash bar for wine because I always have a glass of red wine the night before a long run.

Transportation to race: I took the scenic train and it was so gorgeous. I was on the train 2 hours before the race so I ate my breakfast on the train and listened to podcasts to calm my nerves. Combined with the outstanding views, it got me in a great mindset.

Starting line: I can’t tell you how great it felt to be back with so many people for this race. The staggered start went by without a hitch.

Course/aid station: the weather was nothing short of perfect. And from what I’ve heard in the past, the time of year they have this race is always great conditions. It’s in mid June and usually 60s. The course was BEAUTIFUL!!! So many lake views, beautiful trees (which also helped shade from sun at times), the crowd was so welcoming, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. There were rolling hills occasionally, so when training for this race incorporate hills. I did not train for hills because I heard it was so flat. Don’t get me wrong, it is flat but prepare for little hills so you aren’t caught off guard.

Aid stations: first one wasn’t until mile 3, which made me nervous but then I realized it wasn’t a big deal. Then they were every other mile until mile 19, then they were ever mile. I am someone who walks water stations so it was a great strategy. This made me nervous going into it, but then I realized it was a great idea on the races part to do it that way.

Medal: the medal was huge and it was so cool! For a first marathon, I was important to me for the medal to look like something I was proud of. And it was.

Overall: such an amazing race, an amazing town, an amazing organization. If you are training for a first marathon, do grandmas!!!

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