Latest reviews by Jared

(2015)
"Intro to trail racing.....hooked. "
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Me and two friends from college decided to end our road trip through the West by doing some sort of race in the Pacific Northwest. I searched throughout Oregon and Washington and was able to find this random trail race that fit well with our schedule. After a day of traveling from northern California to Smith Rock State Park, we were greeted by equal part beautiful/menacing rock cliffs.....even more menacing because we knew that they must've been the rocks that we would be racing up the next morning.

Lodging:
Can't say much about the surrounding town of Terrebonne, OR (it seemed like a nice quaint town), but for someone who loves camping, I couldn't have asked for a better experience than camping in the same park I was going to race the next day. Camping was $5 in a designated area about a half mile away from the start line of the race. There was plenty of room to not be on top of the other campers (most of which didn't seem to be racing the next day). Finally, it was awesome sleeping under the stars and seeing the sunset behind the rocks we would climb the next day. Once it got pitch black you could still see the towering shadows of the rocks, almost taunting you in a "bring it on" type of way.

Packet pickup:
I was able to pick up my packet an hour before the race, and my one friend was able to register the day of right before the race as well. This demonstrated the locality of the race and was refreshing in a way knowing that there was probably only going to be a couple hundred people at most, opposed to the normal multi-thousand for the smallest 5k in Chicago.

Aid stations:
I believe I passed three aid stations (twice because it is a two loop course). Funny enough on the first loop the leaders were climbing the mountain at the same time as the volunteers were trying to drag up gatorade,water, and other supplies for the runners. It was early enough in the race that it didn't really affect anything/you had to give the volunteers credit anyways for trekking up the mountain (1,100ish ft. climb) with all this gear. All the volunteers were super friendly at the aid stations and had numerous options of fuel (including candy).

The course:
The course itself was my first ever trail race. Additionally it was my first race (and longest run by 7 miles) in about 6 months. I definitely hoped to be in better shape when I registered for it, but it proved to be an all around great mental/physical test. The course is a two loop course, and you start at the bottom of this canyon. The first mile is rather flat, but then mile 2-3 is pretty much the entirety of the elevation climb for the course (so you then repeat the climb at mile 8-9). The hill is a little over 1,000 ft. of elevation over the course of one mile. For me I stuck with someone who knew the course for the first loop, knowing that nothing would be worse than screwing up the hill the first time and then having to do it again 6 miles later. This was also my first experience with having to walk up a hill during the race (I'm fairly certain everyone walked at one point or the other). Once you get to the top of the hill there is quite a bit of relief knowing that you really just have to get down the mountain at that point. I'm not the best at technical running down a steep mountain, so I knew that I would have to make up time on the second uphill. There were lots of switchbacks and sharp turns so it was definitely something to be careful with. They warn you about rattlesnakes and other wildlife but unfortunately I was not greeted by any such spectators.

Finally, the scenery while you are running is enough to make you forget about any pain that you might be in. There were points where I had to make sure I didn't stop to simply look at the sights because the backdrop of the cliffs and expansive land was overwhelming. You also run right under the namesake of the race, the Monkey Face cliff.... If I wasn't completed destroyed afterwards (and had more time) I would've loved to have spent more time in the park. The final 1/4 mile or so is pure shot uphill, and it's just as bad if not worse than the previous hill. I personally checked to make sure I wasn't about to be passed, walked the entire hill, and then sprinted in the last .1 mile to the finish.

Postrace/gear:

All half marathon finishers get a "painted" canvas "medal" on string. I believe top 2 overall and age group awards are given. The community seems to cater the event afterwards, lots of great/random snacks afterwards for the runners. O. And a keg from local Deschutes brewery. Although it probably could've been Keystone and I would've said the same thing....after one of the hardest races I had ever done, it was by far the best beer ever. In addition to the medals, they gave us a bright lime green tshirt (with the Monkey Face emblem on it) which is sure to get comments by anyone intrigued by the name of the race alone. They also gave us a classic drawstring race bag.

All in all, this race was one of my favorite races I've ever done, and was certainly a highlight of my trip. The small scale of the race was a great change of pace and all of the people were a blast to talk and hang out with. Hopefully I'll be able to race it again one day.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.
(2014)
"One of my favorites"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Race Judicata each year proves to be one of my favorite races. Put on by the Chicago legal community to benefit Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, the race is greatly organized and has one of the best post race events that I've ever been to. Although the race is primarily on the lake path and sidewalk surrounding Grant Park, the volunteers and signs clearly mark the turn around points. There are plenty of holes and divots in the side walk and there is some traffic to deal with on the lake path, but overall those would be one of the very few issues.

The last mile is a veryyyyy long straight away that can be pretty tiring, but the finish line is right at the end of the straight away on a hairpin turn back into the activities area. For the second year in a row there was difficulty towards the end in being able to get through the people starting the 5k due to them taking up the entire path. An avid effort by the volunteers to keep people on the right side would make a huge difference in being able to finish without running into people or the trees. Due to the congestion I had to pass the lead bicyclist and yell at several people to move to the right. Ultimately Rave Judicata continues to be one of my favorite races in Chicago. The post race activities are fantastic, (it's a bunch of lawyers, so lots of food and lots of beer), and the band/entertainment provides music for the entire night. Award ceremony is also put on very well and the awards are some of the largest trophies I've ever seen for a 5k. Definitely plan on doing this race as much as possible.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.
(2014)
"Could use some work...."
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Hadn't ran an 8k since college so was looking forward to try Bastille Day. Being another lake path course there was some traffic to deal with, but that is to be expected. In regards to the organization of the race, there were several issues that made the experience rough. For the bicyclist who was leading the race, she seemed to not be paying attention for part of the time, and then had to cut parts of the course to get far enough ahead at other parts. In the end, I had to pass her and fight my own way through the people starting the 5k. A more avid effort to keep the runners to one side of the path would greatly help matters.

For the post race activities, there were a lot of vendors which gave a good variety of options, but when it came to the awards the management seemed to fall apart. After telling everyone to go gather towards the back of the field near the awards tent, it wasn't for at least another 45 minutes that anyone ended up posting any results/giving away awards. Understandably since it is a smaller race, the awards were not anything too flashy, which isn't a problem. However, there was no recognition or announcement for any of the age group winners or overall winners, and ultimately the same medals were given to the top three as the age group winners. Obviously not the biggest deal, but after being told to wait around for so long and then having nothing really happen it led to a long uneventful end to the night.

Overall, a good chance to get a rare night race/8k in, but definitely would save the money and register for a different race instead.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.
(2014)
"Proud to Run 10k"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Overall the race was a great experience, especially for my first 10k. Lots of camaraderie amongst the runners and lively pre/post race activities. Due to the race being on the lake path, there was often confusion as to where exactly the turns were and which markers were meant to be followed. Some of the race volunteers seemed distracted by the runners going out and as a result forgot to guide the runners coming back after the turn around. Additionally towards the end of the race the 10k finishers run into the runners finishing the 5k, leading to some confusion/traffic. Dealing with the normal traffic of the lake path, and some of the divots in the path leading into Montrose proved difficult at times. The experience overall was a fun one and the post race award ceremony was put on well. Ultimately a good race if you are looking for a good test/work out, but not the best place to try and run a fast time.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.