This was my second marathon of the year and the Fall temps were perfect. Grand Forks really rocked the inaugural year of their full marathon and I hope they will keep this going for years to come.

Expo: The expo is small but very efficient. Picking up my number, race swag and some extra expo goodies was a breeze, even with my two toddlers in tow.

Race Swag: The Grand Forks/Wild Hog races have my favorite swag. Even better, the full marathoners received a marathon JACKET instead of a long-sleeve tech shirt because it was the inaugural year. Love my jacket! Race swag also included a pair of Fitsoks, a Wild Hog drink glass, and a large map/spectators guide. After crossing the finish, I was given a cotton Wild Hog t-shirt as well. For placing third Female, I received an engraved mug. This race is full of great stuff!

Course: The race course is mostly flat but there are quite a few ups & downs over the river dikes. Enough so to make my quads cry by the last 20 miles... We did run on a small gravel section but besides that the course is mainly pavement. As for scenery, we ran out in the country for the first 6 miles or so and then in residential and parks for the remainder. There was plenty to look at with the cheering fans, houses, and other runners. It kept me busy!

Aid Stations: There were plenty of aid stations offering both water and sports drinks. At two points they offered GU gels to the full marathoners and in two different flavors as well :) Vanilla for me, please!

Medal: The full marathon medals were BIG and they had meaning as well. On the inside of the sparkly circle, there was a spinning "monument" in memorial of the Grand Forks flood that occurred in the 90's. (See my below link for a picture of the medal)

Logistics: Parking was easy in the morning and they did open the warm up building at 6:15 (race started at 7:15). After the race, it was easy to find my cheering section and our vehicle. I really appreciated the size of this race!

In summary, I had a blast at the Grand Forks Marathon! I would love to make running the GF Marathon a yearly tradition.

Check out my full race recap here: http://www.livinglifetruth.com/2016/09/race-report-grand-forks-marathon-2016.html