The 2018 event took place on Saturday, December 1 at 9:00 am. (The full marathon started before the half and the shorter distances started after.) It was a sunny day, temps would climb to 75.

Registration: This is available online for around $75. You could also register on race day. Included with my registration was a bib, timing bracelet, a short sleeve gender specific shirt . If you didn't register by a cutoff, participants could chose from past race shirts or an awesome BOCO hat.

Expo/ Packet pick-up: There was no expo, just race day packet pickup and race day registration. This area was clearly marked with teardrop flags. The process was easy, no ID required.

Pre-race: The race is on a ranch or private property. It cost $10 to park, but you paid after you already found a place to park in the grass. There were port-o-potties set up. The National Anthem was played before the full marathon. There were announcements about the race course. No need for corrals, smaller race.

Race/Course: This is a trail race, but on a private ranch, the trail was created for the event. It was a series of loops in a figure 8.
-Terrain: The entire course is on trail or "Jeep" road. There were rocks, mud, creeks, dirt, cowpies, cactus, trees, stumps, sticks, etc.
-Elevation: There were no rolling hills, but there were ravines to climb in and out.
-Photographers: None. Participants were encouraged to post what they took and load to social media with a hashtag.
-Aid Stations: There was one aid station at the start/finish line. They had water and Tailwind, it was a cupless event. The aid station was beautifully stocked with food - chips, pickles, cookies, candies, fruit.
-Spectators: None, just the people milling about the start/finish
-Volunteers:There were volunteers at the start and finish area, and on my first loop I saw them in one spot on the course.
-Course markings: No mile markings. The course was marked with yellow papers with arrows and orange ribbons in the trees.
-Race tracking: NA
-Scenery- This is all on a ranch. There were views alongside a river, there was also cow pasture. Always something to look at.

Finish/Post Race: The finish was also the start, easy to spot with the inflatable arch. A medal and a bottle of water were handed to each finisher. Awards were held before I finished. A local trail club had a tent set up and there was a massage tent. No post race food except the aid station and food trucks you could pay for.

My Race: The goal was to finish, it was my first race in Texas. I enjoyed what the trails had to offer, and only managed to fall once and not into a cactus. I could have used some trail shoes. It was a little warm for me as I have transitioned into winter running. I finished with a time of 2:50 and a short distance of 12.6.

Overall: I believe this is the second year of the event. The trail was fun, and I have never run a Texas trail before so not sure what to compare that too. However, I have run MANY races and I would say there is a lot of room for improvement to make this a must run event.