Oiselle and Snohomish Running Company pulled of a seamless race weekend. Registrants had the option of signing up for limited-capacity talks and Q&A by athletes Lauren Fleshman, Kara Goucher and Oiselle CEO, Sally Bergesen, hosted at the Oiselle Flagship store in University Village.

The Watermark Hotel was the hub of the action as team Oiselle Volee runners flew in from all over the country to meet up with their fellow teammates.

The swag was AMAZING and included exclusive merch from Oiselle just for this race - a premium quality red "flyte tank" and a navy Tenacious 10 hat. Swag also included Lauren Fleshman's Picky Bars for the ultimate fueling experience.

Everyone's adrenaline was surging at the start line as a real-life DRUM LINE kicked off the race following the national anthem.

Along the 10-mile course there were cheer stations / water stations every 1-2 miles with cowbells, spectators and hydration. The energy on the course was amazing and the streets were safely blocked off so runners could run wide. The November Project and Nuun Hydration were prominent among the spectator stations.

This year, the course was not permitted to run its usual finish up the hill at Gas Works Park so they had to build in some slightly awkward little turnarounds along the Ship Canal Trail to fit the mileage in. The water stations and port-o-potties were conveniently placed along this trail so you could hit them on the way out and / or back.

The best surprises were - FREE RACE PHOTOS! YAY! and also huge glazed donuts as big as your head at the finish line.

The medal is a classic Oiselle Tenacious Ten cowbell which doubles as a medal AND a cowbell - can't beat that. It is beautiful.

I have never been so happy to finish 127/135 in my age group - just another sign that this wasn't your local fun run, this was a group of women who run regularly and have fun doing it. The spirit was very much about the sisterhood and there was laughter, high-fives and smiles along the entire course and it wasn't uncommon to see hugs and runners pause to exchange hellos with other runners.

Overall, this is the most fun race I have ever had the pleasure of partaking in and I already signed up for 2019. Incredibly welcoming for all paces, bodies and experience levels. I can see why it is a MUST for so many around the country.