Overall: What a great experience at the MDI Race! I signed up for it way in advance, since it normally sells out fairly quickly (so I was told). I opted to run Twin Cities as my A race in the fall, and that just so happened to be the week before. So it was back-to-back marathon weekends for me. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting to do well, nor did I particularly run for time because of that. I had a few friends running this as well, which made it all the more fun. Definitely more of a small town race as the marathon only had about 700 I think.

T-Shirts: I really like the T-Shirt! I have a weak spot for green shirts anyway, though. Simply and long sleeved. Very comfortable. What more could you ask for?

Aid Stations: The Aid Stations were fantastic, even on a somewhat chilly day. All volunteers were very enthusiastic and seemed happy to be there! One Station even had goodies (aka more than water and Gatorade) much akin to a trail ultra.

Course Scenery: Can we give this a 10/5? Seriously. The fall colors were at their peak, and most of the run takes you around amazing scenery of the forest, National Park, and ocean. A friend and I had to remind ourselves to look around during the race and take it all in. Absolutely stunning!

Expo: We were driving up from Boston, so we didn't hit the expo. We had friends pick up our bags for us.

Elevation: I thought it was tough, certainly hilly, but not ridiculous. I trained pretty hard on hills for the Twin Cities Marathon, though, so I guess the hills didn't bother me as much as they otherwise would have. Not the easiest course, but if you're ready for hills, you'll be fine.

Parking: Very easy. We stayed at a hotel a few blocks away, so we just walked down one road to the start. Hotels fill up quickly in Bar Harbor, though, so if you plan to run this, book a hotel early.

Again, I thought this was a fantastic race! I don't normally like to do a race multiple times, but I would definitely do this one again. If you get the chance to sign-up and run this race, do it!!

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