Latest reviews by Teresa

(2015)
"The Prettiest Race on Earth"
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If I could give this race 10 stars for Course Scenery, I would. The race is at Cataloochee Guest Ranch, up in the mountains of Western North Carolina. It runs through pastures, woods (including a "tunnel" of rhododendron) and up and down gravel roads with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. The course is definitely challenging because of the mountains, but it's not a very technical trail, so footing is easy.

This is only the second year for the event, but it is very well organized. It was a little odd that the water stations on the course had water bottles instead of small cups, but that is my only complaint. Parking is convenient, the pre-race communications (website, email, and on-site announcements) kept us well-informed, and the volunteers were all fun and friendly. The t-shirts are cute, the post-race party included a blue grass band and catered barbecue, and there is a free lift ticket to the ski resort in the SWAG bag!

I would definitely recommend this race, and I plan to run it again.

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(2015)
"Run(317) Broad Ripple"
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This race was a lot of fun! It's part of a series of 3.17 mile races around Indy (317 is the area code here). All the races are on Thursday evenings, all in different neighborhoods and all benefiting different local charities. I registered for the entire series while at an expo for another race earlier last year, so registration was super easy and I received my half-zip tech shirt at registration.

Packet pickup for this race was at a local running store the night before, and was very quick with no lines. My parents were running with me since they were in town, and I was able to pick up all 3 of our packets easily. There's a lot of swag for these races: a pint glass, bumper sticker, coupon for a free Penn Station sub, and 2 beer tickets attached to your race bib.

Pre-race communications were frequent and were very useful. The race is on a Thursday evening in June, and the forecast was calling for high temps and humidity. Pre-race communications warned us about the forecast and explained how green, yellow, red, or black flags would be used on race day, as well as reminding us to bring our IDs if we wanted those free beers.

Race day parking wasn't too bad. There's a parking garage in Broad Ripple, so we used that. There were ID check stations set up pre-race so you could get your wristband in advance for no waiting post-race. Yellow flags were out due to the high temperatures, and announcements at the starting line reminded us to use caution in the heat. The race course was really flat and ran through mostly residential neighborhoods that are really pretty. There was one aid station with plenty of cold water. Post race results were available immediately by scanning the QR code on our race bibs, which is pretty cool.

The post race party is one of the best parts of these Run(317) events. Besides the 2 free beers - which are good beers from a local brewer - there is a DJ, plenty of food trucks, and the area stays closed to traffic for a good long while to allow us to just hang out. There are a couple of beer stations so lines never got very long. The race is in a part of town with lots of good local restaurants and bars as well if you want more to eat and drink. I definitely would recommend this and all the Run(317) races, and I will be running them all again in 2016.

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(2015)
"Englewood Race for Roofs: One of my Fave Local 5Ks"
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This is one of my favorite local races every year. It's a small race, but it's growing. Proceeds go to support rental assistance funds for local residents, and affordable housing is something I very much believe in. The race runs through the neighborhood it is benefiting, so there is always lots of local support. The roads aren't closed to traffic, but one lane is blocked with cones and there are lots of volunteers and officers along the way so runners always feel safe.

The race starts and ends at Englewood Commonwealth, where there is plenty of free parking. Pre- and post-race activities are inside the gym so runners don't have to stand around out in the cold. SWAG comes in boxes hand-decorated by kids who attend the local daycare, and the boxes include snacks like oranges and homemade granola bars, along with the recipe if you want to make them yourself. The shirts are long-sleeved tech shirts too, which is pretty awesome for a race that only costs $20.

There are no aid stations along the way, but there is plenty of food at the end of the race, including hot coffee and cocoa. There are a lot of local businesses that donate gift cards for participants as well. No finishers medals, but age group winners usually receive something cool & homemade.

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(2015)
"Lucky Clover 4 Miler 2015"
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This was a really fun St. Patrick's Day themed race. It was chip-timed, and there were prizes for fastest runners overall and by age group, but there were also prizes for best outfits, best beard, etc. And even some random prizes handed out by race volunteers dressed as leprechauns.

Even if you didn't win a prize, the SWAG was pretty great. The long-sleeved hooded t-shirt is really cute, & was one of the main reasons I did the race. The medal is a big version of the race logo, and also a bottle opener. All the ladies got green carnations, and of course everyone over 21 got a green beer. There was also plenty of water and snacks on hand, even for those who finished late. And always my favorite SWAG - race photos are free to download and share.

The course goes through downtown Carmel, and is really flat. There was one water stop just shy of halfway, and it was running very efficiently when I came through. The start/finish is by the Stacked PIckle Restaurant in downtown Carmel, which also served as the packet pickup location. Pickup went very smoothly - ID's were checked & wristbands given to those over 21, and shirts & race bibs handed out very quickly. I never saw any lines backing up.

The atmosphere was a lot of fun as well, with a DJ playing music & working the crowd, and also calling out runners' names as they crossed the finish line. I really had a lot of fun at this race. I even like the distance being 4 miles instead of a more usual distance. It made the pacing a little more challenging for me, and that was fun. I would definitely recommend this race, and I will definitely do it again.

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(2015)
"2015 Winter Night Trail Half Marathon at Eagle Creek Park"
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You would expect a night trail race to be hard, and it is. This race is limited to 700 participants, and it sells out every year. Headlamps and/or flashlights are required, as there is no lighting in the park. It's a lot of fun, running trails in a park that's usually closed at night. Almost makes you feel like a little kid running around in the woods. The park is really one of the prettiest places in Indianapolis, even in the winter. Much of the course runs right along the reservoir, and there are lots of deer around. There are some challenging sections of trail, but not impossibly hard. There are also some wooden stairs & bridges, which can get slick if it's snowing (which it was this year). The course is a 6.55 mile loop, so half marathoners run it twice. The trails are marked with reflective tape to show up in your flashlight beam. I did miss one turn and have to back track a little, but overall it was marked pretty well.

There are two aid stations along the loop, with water, gatorade, trail mix and sandwiches. The aid stations are lit up so you can see what you are grabbing. Most runners bring their own water and fuel as well.

There's not a lot of SWAG, but what there is is really nice. The shirt is a long-sleeved tech shirt, with the super-cute logo on the front, and "You're Only Cold If You're Standing Still" on the back. The medal is also really nice - the winter planet logo, with a mouth/bottle opener. If you run 2 of their trail races in 1 year, with at least 1 being a half marathon or longer, then you also get a Badass medal. Race photos are also free to download and share, which is always really nice.

Packet pick-up was at the North Face store, at the Fashion Mall on the north side of Indy. Kind of inconvenient for me, but since a lot of people live in those northern burbs it was probably convenient for a lot of them. If you picked up your packet there, you also got a drawstring backpack from the North Face. People who picked up their packets at the race did not get those. I'm glad I went to the North Face and got mine ahead of time, just because I avoided having to wait in line in the cold to get it, walk all the way back to my car, and then back again.

You do have to pay a $5 entry fee per car to get into the park, but all the pre-race communications included this fact, so it wasn't a surprise or issue. There is lots of parking inside the park, but of course everything close filled up pretty fast. I ended up parked about half a mile away.

There's an announcer at the Start-Finish line who calls out names as people run thru, whether finishing or heading out for another lap. It's kind of a nice touch to hear. Since there weren't many people when I came through to start my 2nd lap, he even added some details about my history of running their races. It definitely gave me an extra boost.

There was lots of food at the finish, even for those of us who took a long time to get there. Water, hot chocolate, donuts, chips, granola bars, sandwiches, and bananas. All the volunteers (who had to be cold since they were standing still) were so cheery and encouraging. I would definitely recommend this race, and I would totally run it again. See more about how I did on my blog post here: http://www.uglypaxtonsisters.blogspot.com/2015/02/2-2-7-recapping-winter-night-trail-half.html.

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