Highlights:
+/- Small race pool, good chance of placing either overall or in age group
+/- It is not flat, this course will challenge you
+/- The weather will likely be "warm"
+ Great course scenery
+ Abundance of race day parking
+ Frequent aid stations on the course with energetic volunteers
- A good portion of the race is on an open course (not blocked to traffic)
- Course map does lead to front of the pack / back of the pack runner overlap

The Ocala marathon (half marathon and 5k) is held in Ocala, FL about 90 minutes outside of Orlando. In 2017, the marathon drew about 80 finishers and the half marathon drew about 190 finishers. The race ran through a very scenic area surrounded by a number of farms. The marathon started 15 minutes before the half marathon. The courses were similar, each including a loop with a pigtail. The marathon completed the loop twice and the marathon pigtail was a bit longer. The nature of the course did create some overlap amongst the back of the pack and front of the pack. The fast half marathoners caught up to me before their turnaround and I caught up to a number of the half marathoners as I finished the first loop. The course did offer a good amount of shade, which was helpful in the warm temperatures. There were a number of rolling hills and two 100+ elevation gain climbs (same hill). The total elevation gain over the course was around 775 feet. While the race is a timed event, participant start times are all based off the gun there is no timing mat at the start of the race. I feel it is important to note, the entire course is not closed. A good portion of the loop is open to traffic. It is very important for runners to be aware during this race as there were a couple blind curves as well and many drivers weren’t slowing much beyond what they would normally to take the curve. I did notice there was a heavy amount of police patrol throughout the loop. I have to assume this was to address the open course issue. I would encourage runners of this race to forgo the headphones for this one!!!! On course, there was an aid station every one to two miles offering water and Gatorade. With various stations also offering gels or other snacks (I believe I heard fig newtons).

The start, finish and bib pickup were all in the parking lot of the Paddock Mall. This provided plenty of parking both the day before for bib pickup and race morning. There were plenty of portables at the start with a couple designated as “marathon only”. There was no gear check, but runners should have been able to store their extra clothes in their cars nearby.

Marathon runners received a long sleeve tee while those running the half marathon received a short-sleeve tech tee. The key difference between swag was coloring. Marathon swag was blue based while the half marathon was red. This applied for the medals as well. The medal itself was consistent for all finishers but the ribbons were different. Unfortunately, upon completing the race I received a half marathon medal. I realized this when I returned home and reached out to the race director. By the end of the week I had received the correct marathon medal in the mail. I was very impressed with the overall award trophies. They sported a horse on the top with the top finisher trophy having a multi-color horse. I wish I’d taken a picture. For age group winners they handed out license plates. Since the pool was so small, I did squeak out first place in my age group.

If you like small races and are looking for a reasonably priced Florida race, check this one out. Stay in Ocala one night and then enjoy some time at Disney!

Highlights:
+Running this race will squash every excuse you find on course, there is nothing more challenging than fighting cancer. You will find every ounce of inspiration you need to finish thinking about what the race supports.
+Nuun on the course
+Donuts and chocolate milk at the finish
+Supportive downtown and neighborhoods
+Finishing on the field of AutoZone Park
+Late hours (9:00pm) for packet pick-up on Friday.
-Parking for the expo was frustrating.
-Paid parking for both the expo and race day.
-Walking up the stairs off the field after the race.

Detailed Review:
Living only a few hours away I didn’t drive in until Friday evening for the expo. The expo had great evening hours the night before the race with the expo open until 8:00 and packet pick-up available until 9:00pm. I arrived into the area between 6:00pm and 7:00pm. My biggest complaint about my experience over the weekend was the parking situation for the expo. I followed the traffic toward the Convention Center assuming there was a parking garage, I’m still not sure if there was actually parking at the Convention Center. After rounding the corner and sitting a good ten minutes trying to get down the block I whipped a U-turn and parked in one of the pay lots across the main street. I understand the race can’t control traffic (there was another event going on at the same time), but was frustrated they didn’t communicate it would be more efficient to opt for the parking nearby. There was so much communication about race day parking, but nothing about the expo (I went back and scoured the emails they sent). My recommendation, if you do this race, make the left turn and pay to park it will take so much less time.

The expo had a good number of vendors and sponsors. Thomas Breads was there handing out samples and it seemed like they may have also been giving out entire sleeves of English muffins.

My race day started earlier than I had originally planned after I started researching parking. In every pre-race communication, they highly encouraged arriving early to guarantee parking. There were a number of lots in the area but several of the roads around the area were closed or partially closed at points for the race. They run the 5k and 10k prior to the half marathon and marathon starts. As such, a number of the roads that may not be closed until later for the marathon/half start close earlier. The marathon didn’t start until 8:30, but the 5k/10k start was at 7:00 so I made sure I got into a lot before that started. I paid $10 to park about 2 blocks from AutoZone Park (finish line).

Pre-race there were a number of portables roughly a block away from the start (on the same block as the finish). These were also near gear check. When I got over to the start area, there were a number of runners searching for restrooms. They weren’t aware of the portables since they didn’t check gear.

As advertised, after corral 1 started each subsequent corral started about three minutes later. The corrals were self-seated. There was the normal crowding at the start of the race, I along with several other runners took to the sidewalk for a bit to avoid the constant weaving. Overall the course was pretty flat. There was one hill on Beale Street very early in the race (before mile 3). Much like other races of this size, there were areas with a ton of crowd support and then other areas that got pretty quiet. The race runs through the St. Jude campus where there is a ton of energy. I cannot count the times I heard a spectator thank me or another runner for simply being out there running that day.

The fun stuff on the course included donuts, three or four beer stops, and one neighborhood party handing out Fireball shots. Hydration stations were frequent and well-staffed with amazing volunteers. One of my favorite parts of this race, rather than Gatorade they had Nuun at the hydration stations, which is my preferred “sports drink”.

The finish line is on the field of the Memphis Cardinals. I always love the races that bring me into a stadium for the finish, this was no different. There are two downfalls with this though. They had plastic down to protect the field and I was a bit nervous with the rain in the area I was going to slip. Also finishing on the field required all runners to climb up a number of steps up to the concourse.

In the runner refresh area on the concourse, they were handing out beer (each runner had two tickets), pizza, DONUTS, and CHOCOLATE MILK. Once up on the concourse I got to do a full lap to exit.

One of the benefits of running races in the cooler months of the year is the long sleeve swag. It is always nice to add a long sleeve tee to my collection as I’m much more likely to get use out of it in every day wear than I am the t-shirts. I really liked that the shirts were specific to the race. When I put in the extra effort to do that second half it is nice to have swag that celebrates that effort. In addition to the tee they also handed out pretty nice reusable bags. They have a mesh back, great for airing out the gear and a clear plastic front advertising the race. The medal was a mock record player. The back spins just like a record and has mini Memphis symbols along the border.

I highly recommend the marathon and if you have flexibility in your travel kick-off the weekend with the 5k on Saturday.

Highlights:
+Awesome swag. I loved the shirts I got for both the 5k and the marathon. The medals are my favorite to date, very unique. The bonus swag for doing the double (5k + marathon or half) was a Route 66 cup (not another medal) and there was a unique coin for those runners that took the Center of the Universe detour.
+Energetic start line. Between the Indian drummers and the confetti cannon at the start, I was pumped when I crossed the start line.
+Great event for those in the Marathon Maniacs, 50 States, or Half Fanatics with free VIP areas at the start and finish plus a specialized finisher medal.
+The neighborhoods are incredibly supportive and provide a lot of energy on the course (and the offer of beer or Jell-O shots).
-Running longer than the official race is inevitable due to the number of turns (unless you are a tangent pro). I clocked 26.8 miles with the detour (target mileage was 26.5).
-If you are looking for a flat race, this is not it. The hills are not incredibly difficult, but they do run throughout. I captured a bit less than 700 feet of elevation gain over the course.
-If you choose to run the 5k on Saturday (a little off topic), be prepared for a lot of walkers to start at the front. It made the first half mile a bit frustrating.
-If you thrive on the crowd energy, be ready to pump yourself up as there are several areas that are very quiet.

Detailed Review:
Expo. The expo was held at the convention center near my hotel. I was able to walk over so I cannot comment on parking. The expo was a midsize event with some popular vendors present including a large Fleet Feet booth and Brooks. For those running both races, most runners were required to stand in line to pick up both bibs. I got lucky and encountered some awesome volunteers, one of which graciously walked to the opposite end of the booth and grabbed my 5k bib for me. I went to the expo on Friday so a large portion of the attendees were there picking up 5k bibs and the line was going a little slow. Once equipped with my bibs, I had to walk across the expo hall to get to my shirts, this seems to be the new go-to setup at expos, bibs on one side of the vendor booths and swag on the other side. Going to the expo on Day 1, mid-afternoon there was not a large crowd. Moving through the booths was pretty easy.

Swag. For the 5k I received a tech-tee and for the marathon I received a nice quarter zip long sleeve tech tee. They also gave out reusable bags to carry the swag. I’m a huge fan of the reusable bags so I was pretty excited for these. For the other freebies (sample foods) they had a table set up near the front of the expo hall. You could choose to take what you wanted and pass on the items you didn’t.

Courses. The 5k course on Saturday started and finished the same area the marathon and half marathons would finish the next day. The 5k course did a quick route through the downtown Tulsa area wrapping up in the same way the races the next day would. There were a three decent inclines on the course. The start was a frustrating as a large number of walkers started at the front of the corrals making the first half-mile very challenging. I was very impressed with the finish line supplies for the 5k. At the finish they had heat sheets, water, Gatorade, and a few snack items.

I opted the run the full marathon with the Center of the Universe detour on Sunday. The course was a point to point with the start line being amongst the downtown buildings and the finish being near a park area. I had registered as a member of Marathon Maniacs so I had access to a private group area with designated gear drop and potties. I will say, upon wandering the night before, it seemed there would be ample potties with several stationed each block near the entrances of the four corrals. Runners were required to be in their start corral five minutes before the start of the race, otherwise they would need to start in Corral D. The same applied for any runners that wanted to run together but were assigned different corrals, it wasn’t a just go back to B or C if one was in A, both runners had to go back to D. I felt this start line had a lot of energy and we were sent off with a confetti cannon.

I flew into Tulsa having had several people tell me “oh, Tulsa, that should be a pretty flat race, right”. I am here to tell you, it is not. Runner beware #1, you will run hills the entire course. There is an incline within a half-mile of the finish, hills the ENTIRE course. My Garmin clocked just less than 700 feet of elevation gain versus my friend’s that clocked around 740 feet. Not incredibly difficult, but certainly not flat. Runner beware #2, you will run more than 26.2 (or 26.5 with the detour). There are a ton of turns and unless you are an expert on nailing the tangents it is inevitable to add extra mileage. I took the detour, which guaranteed me 26.5 miles my Garmin registered 26.8 miles. To reiterate, I have full confidence this is a certified on point course, but you must nail the tangents (and not weave around other runners) to finish at 26.2 miles.

Both the half marathon and marathon run together through mile twelve. The split occurs around 12.5 miles. Thankfully, this is far enough away you will not hear the finish line excitement. Both the front half and the back half of the marathon run through several neighborhoods. There are block parties set up in several and the neighborhoods are all in. At a minimum I was offered beer five to six times and there was at least one unofficial “hydration station” providing Jell-O shots. Unfortunately, the Jell-O shots came around mile 9. Runner beware #3, there are some quiet areas on the course with no crowd support.

Hydration was plentiful with aid stations at least every two miles early in the race and every mile from the twenty-mile point to the finish. Gatorade and water were provided at each station and there were three to four with additional fruit, pretzels, or energy gels.

Finish Line. The finish line area was nearly perfect (they didn’t have regular chocolate milk) with their offerings. Heat sheets and medals were provided shortly after the finish line, followed immediately by liquids including water, Gatorade, Muscle Milk, and soda (or pop). A bit further down, a tent was set up where they were serving pasta and had a spread of fruits, bars, and other individually wrapped goodies. I grabbed some plain pasta (the sauce didn’t sound appealing to me). Each bib also came equipped with two free beer tickets.

Medal. The medal I received is the most unique I’ve earned to date (in 40+ half marathons and 10+ marathons). In addition to the medal, since I’d completed the 5k the day prior, I received a Route 66 Marathon glass. On top of this coolness, since I opted to take the Center of the Universe detour I also scored a coin to add to my collection.

Quick hits:
+ They offered two advance reservation parking options. I took the free one, it was quick and easy to get in and the ferry over to the start line was simple and quick.
+ The extra swag (jacket) for marathon finishers was a great perk.
+ Chocolate milk in the finish chute.
+ Well ran race and I'd run it again (opting for the 13.1).
- The back half of the marathon route included about 5 miles (out and back) on the southbound lanes of a highway, not scenic and a little demoralizing in the back half of a marathon.
- Walk to gear pick-up post race was brutal.
- Headlining concert was definitely scheduled for the benefit of the 13.1 runners with the show scheduled to wrap at 12:00 (they did end up playing until about 12:30).

Deep thoughts....
The Expo. I arrived to the expo on day two around 11:00. Parking was free and plentiful. The expo was a good size with several vendors and a large Brooks exhibit that comes along with the RNR series. I expected the vendor pool to be local given the NYC marathon the same weekend. Toyota was personalizing shirts for runners who went through their Rock Your Run experience. The experience was entertaining with a pep talk from Coach Rav, filming a seven second spot that was broadcast at Mile 10, and then the t-shirt personalization. They had small “I run for ________” patches to press onto the shirtsleeve. I got to pick what went in the blank, of course I chose Donuts.

Parking. They offered two advance reservation parking options. The Convention Center parking was free and they also offered downtown parking for $10. Both required arrival pretty early. I parked at the Convention Center and took the ferry across and had an arrive by time of 6:00am. I believe downtown parking had to be in the lot by 5:30am. Race start was 7:30am so either was pretty early. Having not previously run this race I wasn’t sure what the traffic would look like so I was in the lot around 5:15am. There was no traffic getting to the convention center. I had to ferry across and wasn't sure how the line would look or how long the ride would be, so I headed from my car to the ferry around 5:30. I was able to get right on and it was only a 5 to 10 minute ferry across to the historic district. After a short walk from the ferry I was in the start area before 6:00.

Start line. I liked the way they had the portables setup. There were groups of about 10 in a variety of locations spread from back behind the last corral to about even with corral 4 and 5. In the start area they also had tents with water and bananas for that last minute fuel. Gear check was UPS trucks as the race finished in a different location. Gear check had a scheduled close of 7:00 (30 minutes prior to start).

Course. The first bit of the race ran through a few neighborhoods. There were a good number of spectators watching from their homes. This was not the fancy historic area that I had toured the prior day. It was a real look into Savannah, and I was a bit surprised the route went that way. At about mile five the course reentered the historic district and ran around a couple of the squares and past some of the historic landmarks I had trolleyed past the day before. There was a ton of crowd support in this area. Between mile 11 and 12 the course split from the half marathon. This is where I became less of a fan of the course and could see how last year with the heat there were issues. For about 2.5 miles we ran down the southbound side of a highway with no shade. Shortly after mile 14 we entered a shaded area and then back to Savannah University’s campus. The campus area was one of my favorite parts as the students were out cheering and this was a part of the course with runners going in both directions. Brings a bit of motivation when the fasties are heading past me. The course then returned back the way it came through mile 20, just before 21 we took another split and looped through another neighborhood. Before mile 23 the course started the journey back along that boring highway. Thankfully at about mile 25 we were back with spectator support through the finish. There were plenty of hydration stops on the course and even a good number of bands out playing.

Finish line. Coming through the finish shoot they had the traditional water bottle and Gatorade. My favorite (which now seems to be a constant at RNR), chocolate milk was also handed out. Bananas, Powerbars, Cheese-Its, and fruit cups rounded out the post race fuel in the finish line chute. My biggest challenge post race was the distance I had to walk before I got to rest. I ran the full so I had to walk to one side of the park (through the concert crowd) to grab my finisher’s jacket then what felt like another marathon to the end of the park on the opposite side to the UPS trucks where our gear was checked. It would have better if they could have situated the jackets on the same side as the finish to avoid the extra trek.

Swag. The runner tee was the now typical tech-tee. It came in navy in both women’s and men’s sizes. Having taken the ferry across to the race I thought it was cool that was the medal theme this year. My favorite benefit was the full marathon finisher’s jacket. Great perk for those gritting it out for the full 26.2, not that 13.1 isn’t an accomplishment itself!

The one major letdown for me was the timing of the headlining concert. For once I was genuinely excited about the performer, then checked the times and realized they were scheduled to be done (played 11:00 – 12:00) before I would even finish. I got a little lucky and they ended up playing until about 12:30. I didn’t get to see them close up, as I couldn’t muster the energy to walk back to the stage after the trek to get my gear, but was able to hear the end of their set as I stretched.

I’d definitely like to comeback to Savannah and would consider the RNR again, but most likely stick with the half marathon rather than running the full.