The Zion Half Marathon is a half that is held in March in Springdale, Utah right outside of Zion National Park. This was hands down the most beautiful half marathon I've ever run in my entire life! From start to finish the event was run really well and it was a great experience.

Expo: I actually worked the expo as a volunteer, which got me a free shirt and 50% off one of their other races in the next year. It's definitely worth considering if you will be in the area! Other than bib/shirt pick up, there were very few vendors. They did manage to have a running supply booth for last minute fuel belts and fuel options for the race which was a nice touch. The race shirts were beautiful and fit really well, and you could exchange for another size if needed. They also had a really neat mural with each runner's name printed out to create the shape of Zion National Park. It was really fun seeing all of the participants and trying to find your name!

Race course: The race is not technically in Zion National Park (it ends at the park entrance), but it doesn't matter because the 13.1 miles before the park is GORGEOUS. The elevation is high which makes running difficult if you trained at sea level, and it does go uphill most of the race. But if you train well and/or are willing to walk a bit you will be fine. It was the first race where I didn't mind walking up a giant hill in the middle because of the extra time I got to look at the scenery! While the first 10ish miles are in an area with almost no spectators, you finish in Springdale with tons of people cheering you on for the last 3 miles. And best of all - it ends on a downhill! My profile picture is actually at the race finish line, which was so amazingly beautiful.

Race logistics: Because it's a point-to-point race, you either need to park at the finish and take a bus to the start, or park at the start and take a bus back from the finish. You can also do what I did and have your husband drop you off at the race start and then go hang out in town for a few hours until you get there. This can be confusing but it worked out really well. At the start they had a warming tent with a DJ and tons of water and coffee. The race starts before the sunrise which means temps will be low, but the warming tent was a great touch! At the finish there was a separate section only for runners where there was tons of food - you got all of your post race snacks in a to-go box, as well as a banana and chocolate milk. The snack box included things from Honey Stinger and Clif so they were delicious! There were also free finisher pictures. The finisher's medal was huge and amazing! It even had a map of the race course and Zion National Park on the back of it.

Aid stations: Vacation Races has cup-free races! This is awesome because it eliminates so much waste and there is no risk of tripping over water cups on the course or at the finish. The downside is that you either need to carry water on a fuel belt, or carry one of their reusable race cups on you during the race. If you don't mind carrying a little extra to help cut down on waste you won't mind the aid stations at all. Some of them were even stocked with fresh fruit and Nuun!

Overal experience: This was the most well-organzised race I've ever run, as well as the most beautiful. But the best part was the type of runners that ran at this event - it wasn't about competition and seriousness, it was about running in a beautiful place with other adventurous runners. I saw so many people taking selfies, being silly, wearing costumes/cool outfits, and just taking it easy mid-race because they had days of hiking ahead of them. Vacation Races makes sure that all runners are inspired to enter the national parks where they host races by creating exclusive "clubs" that runners can join by hiking a difficult trail within 72 hours of the race. The hike for this race was Angels Landing, and I'm so proud to say that I hiked it and joined the Angels Club! It felt like just as much of an accomplishment as running the race, especially because it was so difficult. I loved the sense of adventure and motivation within all the runners at this event, and can't wait to run another race by this company!