The Missoula Marathon was my 9th overall full marathon and State number 7 on the (very long way to go) quest across the US! It was also my 3rd marathon in under 3 months to meet the qualifying criteria for the Marathon Maniacs and 2nd in 3 weeks after Rock ‘N Roll Seattle last month. With that perspective, I was never expecting a PR but I was hoping for a better experience than I had in Seattle in June.

I was looking forward to this trip and experiencing this event that was selected as the top marathon in the US by Runners World magazine in 2010 and a course that routinely ranks in the top 10-20 races to run. This was also our first trip to Montana and we were excited to be visiting a completely new area. It did not disappoint!

This was a road trip for us with Missoula being just over 500 miles from our home in Washington. Due to work schedules, we could not leave until late on Friday afternoon so drove out to Spokane for an overnight stop. It was quite a spectacular drive as we passed through Northern Idaho and Couer d’Alene which is simply beautiful and then into the Big Sky country that is Montana.

After a quick stop to check in at the host hotel we headed out right away to packet pickup, which was at a downtown park, a short stroll along the river trail. Packet pickup was simple and the expo was pretty small which was fine for both of us.

We headed back to the hotel and found no other than Jeff Galloway, who was just finishing a seminar! We sat in on the last 20-30 minutes, got to meet Jeff and even went on a very short training run along the river with his small group. He is a wonderful guy who made time for everyone that wanted to chat with him. It felt surreal talking casually with such a well-known name in the sport. An Olympian, former 10 mile US record holder, and a 2:15 marathoner.

Summertime temperatures in Missoula can get pretty warm, often well into the 80’s and 90’s…not pleasant for running of any kind let alone a marathon so race start was 6:00 am. This weekend, it was rainy, cloudy and cool with the temperature in the low-50’s as we waited to start. Running conditions were perfect for the entire race as we stayed dry while the temp never got much above 60.

This race was also somewhat unique in that the full and half-marathons had different start locations. So, as we headed out of the hotel into the very early Sunday morning darkness Wifey and I parted with a hug as she headed to the half-marathon shuttles, while I got in line for the long ride! And, it was a long ride too…I think this was the 3rd marathon that I’ve had to take a bus to the start line for a point to point course and every time, it seems like the ride is forever and all everyone is thinking is holy crap, we have to run all this way back!!

The start area was out in the middle of nowhere…according to my phone it was listed as Frenchtown, MT . But, the organization was excellent…an abundance of portables with NO lines upon arrival. Fireworks were shot every 15 minutes as we counted down to the start time. I found a step to sit on against a wall in my space blanket and chatted with Wifey over text as the sunrise appeared in the Big Sky. The only interruption to the pre-race calm was the bomb sniffing dog checking out my phone and the sandwich of the guy sitting next to me. At the 15 minute to go firework, I made the final assault on the portable and headed to the corral. Before we knew it, the military style cannon fired and a full fireworks show sent us off into the farmlands of Montana.

Here's the key points summary:

- Superbly well organized – packet pickup is easy and everything is catered to a smooth experience for the runner.

- Plenty of shuttles to the start with short wait times – just make sure if you are a half-marathon runner do not board the full marathon bus…a couple of runners on my shuttle came very close to making this mistake!

- Loads of portables…and I mean loads. First visit there were no lines at all – I mean had a choice of cabin…second tour I waited maybe 2 minutes.

- Firework display to start the race!

- Wonderful locals that are very welcoming and supporting to the runners that take over their town for the weekend.

- Great shirt and fabulous bling – it’s a monster, big bling for Big Sky! I also got me a great Run Wild Missoula race visor in powder blue and brown for my collection!

- Beautiful, mostly flat, course (though there is one brutal hill around mile 14)

- Post-race food and beer – nothing like a Moose Drool IPA from the Big Sky Brewing Company to lift the spirits after 26 miles!

- Park area with seating and tables to hang out post-race.

- Printed finisher picture (optional) – these were really nice!

- Free race pictures to download and use however you prefer.

I loved this race – it completely lived up to all our expectations in terms of organization, scenery, facilities, convenience and scale. A wonderful experience that I would highly recommend. Whether you are a 50 stater or you are looking for a destination race to work into a trip or vacation you won’t regret running Missoula. It is well worth the visit. The only downside to our visit was that we didn’t have another day or two to explore this beautiful town and area.

You can read my full review with pictures on my site http://www.50in50marathonquest.com/missoula-marathon-recap/