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Latest reviews by John
John recommends this race
(2016)
"END SURE"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This was my second ultramarathon, and the first in my home state of North Dakota. A fairly young race, the END-SURE (Sandhills Ultra Run Experience) is put on each year in March, a typically cold and horrid time to run outside for a long distance. Fortunately, this year, things were a bit different.
The race organizers send out a few emails prior to the race, giving an idea of where and when packet pickup, etc. is going to be, which is really all you need. No superfluous emails about how awesome the sponsors, etc are (although they are). Packet pickup is a small affair, this year they gave out t-shirts to all runners which are super nice and comfy. Last year, it was gloves from what I've heard.
In the packet itself are a sticker, the bib, pins, and a few guides to the Fargo-Moorhead area, which is where packet pickup was. It is also the closest city to the site of the race, so presumably out of town runners stayed there. Since it's where I live, I really appreciated having it close to go get the bib and t-shirt.
As far as race day, This year, the 50K started differently. Having not run it before, I can only offer hearsay, but my understanding is it used to be an out and back course. This year, they had people park at the finish, and then bussed the runners to the starting gate, creating a point to point race. The race actually started early, by the way. First time I've ever seen that. But if all the runners are together, no reason to keep them standing around in the cold, right?
Being a small race, there were not many amenities, although I didn't feel there was a need for them. The RD offered up a cell phone number for runners to call if they chose to drop, and the first of three aid stations was self-serve. But the volunteers at the other two were amazingly helpful and positive. The first third of the race is through pasture land, as the race takes place entirely on the North Country Trail, so if you like to see where cattle graze, this one's for you. Personally, although it led for some fun, fast miles, it was my least favorite portion of the race. Once you got into the Sandhills themselves, the scenery became quite striking and enjoyable. The trail at this point was much easier to follow and got a bit more technical. Loads of fun here. Best part of the course.
At the end of the race, food was provided, brats and black bean burgers, as well as beer, although that may have just been brought by some friendly Canadians. Regardless, a very welcoming environment at the end. A few things about the course. Despite not much elevation, it is a lot tougher than you might think. Granted, my quad blew out about 20 miles in so it was a long hike to the finish, but don't take the fact that it's a trail ultra in North Dakota lightly. Can't wait to run it again next year.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone and everyone looking at upper Midwest ultras.
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John recommends this race
(2015)
"20th Anniversary Half Marathon/1st Full Marathon"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
I had heard about this half marathon for a few years, and had never had the opportunity to run it due to either not being a runner or not having time. I wish I would've made time in the past. It was such a fun event. I had to work the Friday before the race so couldn't make it to the pasta feed/expo they had, where Dick Beardsley spoke and took photos and generally hung out. He lives fairly close to where the race is held I believe. So unfortunately, I can say nothing good or bad about the expo. I'm sure it was fine though.
Race day though, I can do better on. Having never really been to the town of Detroit Lakes, I had some concerns about where to go and park. Luckily, I know some people who've run it before and they clued me in. There is a high school about two blocks away from where packet pickup and the start line is, TONS of parking available. The only issue I could foresee is if you run the 10K and then there might be some traffic congestion with the marathon as they run past. Wasn't an issue for me with the half marathon. And really, if you can't get out, you get to cheer on some runners! Or run back to the finish and grab some more ice cream.
The race itself loops around Detroit Lake, which is about 12 miles around. This year was the first time they reversed the course and even though I haven't run the other way, I thought it was a perfect course. Good hills that happen in the first half, but mostly flat in the second, and a great half mile downhill towards the finish. The crowd support is phenomenal for a smaller town race. Even with a lot of people out for the marathon, which started earlier, there was tons of fans out cheering us on. The aid stations were top notch, with lots of available cups of water and powerade.
The hills are a lot of fun, nothing too strenuous except for one that happened at about mile 7. But coming from such a flat place, I found them really enjoyable because as soon as you get up to the top, you get to bomb down the other side! I will definitely be back to this race and cannot recommend it highly enough. The same people that put on the Fargo Marathon put on this race as well, so there's some nice continuity between those races and you can know what to expect if you've done one. Great time.
John recommends this race
(2015)
"Lean Horse 50 miler (aka half-hundred)"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
The Lean Horse 50 mile ultra marathon was my very first ultra experience. Coming from South Dakota's northern neighbor, there aren't a lot of ultras that offer a fairly (relatively) flat experience. Lean Horse offers that in spades. This isn't to say that the course is flat, just that it isn't technical. At all, actually.
The entire course takes place on the George S. Mickelson trail, a 109 mile long trail winding through the black hills of South Dakota. An out and back course, the race starts and ends at the Custer track, which as an ultra enthusiast struck me almost as a nice nod to Western States 100, although it could be a totally common thing to use available tracks.
Before I delve too deeply into the race itself, let's discuss the surrounding area and town the race is based in, Custer, SD. It's a small town. As such, it has small town amenities and restaurants that close quite early, even on weekends, about 8:30pm. As such, if you run the 50 miler and take the entire 16 hours, you'll get done at about 8pm, so plan accordingly. However, that being said, it is a supremely friendly town. The race comes shortly after the Sturgis bike rally and Custer is quite a tourist town as well, due to the local sights. Mount Rushmore is maybe 45 minutes away, depending on traffic and the route you take. We went through Custer State Park to get some more scenery. May have taken a bit longer, but was totally worth it. Also, just up the road (and on the race course) is the ongoing Crazy Horse memorial, which is a phenomenal undertaking. And probably my recommended way of seeing it. We went up to the monument itself, and it costs $11 a person or $28 a car, pretty steep for not a lot. Granted, all the money goes to funding the memorial so it's not like it's a bad cause.
The packet pickup and race expo was pretty quaint. If you're used to giant marathon expos with inflatable stuff and music and all sorts of hullabaloo, this won't be your cup of tea. They had 2 vendors, 1 from the closest running store, in Rapid City, about 45 minutes away. I didn't need or want to buy anything so I was in and out pretty quickly, but they had a variety of potentially useful things for the course along with regular "running store close out stuff they're trying to dump at an expo" fair. There was also a table with branded "Lean Horse Ultra" stuff, shirts, arm sleeves, and the like. There was one other booth selling what looked like maybe analgesic cream or something, I didn't stop as I was hungry.
As far as swag, you get a pretty nice tech shirt, some information about Custer and its history, and $10 in "Custer Bucks". This is basically a free $10 to spend at many establishments in town. I forgot to use mine, but it was a really thoughtful touch I thought. I'm not a big swag guy, so I was happy with a shirt. Those looking for a bunch of stuff, again not going to be super happy. But it's a small race in a small town, they did what they could and I didn't personally hear anyone complain about the swag bag.
As far as race management, it could not have been better. I cannot say how blown away I was by the race director Royce and his crew (family) and the fantastic volunteers. They went above and beyond for all the racers, from the guy that set the new course record in the 50 miler to my slow poke butt. They had great directions written out for crew members to get from aid station to aid station and a pre-race list of what was going to be at the aid stations so we were able to plan what else I might want to eat along the course, and above all were happy smiling faces at the low points. Anyone who's run a race and hit a low point has had that moment when a stranger cheers you on and you get a boost, well imagine that every aid station, but they know your name! Huge boost for me, along with seeing my wife and dog at every station. From what I heard, the parking for the aid stations was super quick and convenient and close.
As far as the course itself, it was super easy to follow. You literally just run along the Mickelson trail. There is one mildly tricky part when you get into Hill City because you have to run on a sidewalk for a bit, but there's still ample signage. The course tricks you, though. There is definitely some elevation gain and loss, but it's super subtle. The longest climb lasts over seven miles! So it is tough to make sure you don't run the whole thing and burn out your legs before you get back to it on the return trip.
The nice thing about it being an out and back is that you get to see everyone in front of you. As it's trail folks, almost every single person that I passed or that passed me gave out words of encouragement, something I've not had happen in road races. Plus seeing a guy run past that went on to break the course record was pretty inspiring.
The scenery is just astounding. Hills, forests, tons of wildlife, and a pretty great look at the Crazy Horse memorial all await you. I personally saw a tree fall, a deer, rabbits, cows, horses, mice, a garter snake, and a ton of birds of prey flying. At points it turned into a death march nature hike for me. One recommendation though, get gaiters. I never thought I ever would, and I still haven't, but as the trail is mostly crushed stone, lots of little bits get kicked up and can find their way into your shoes. Time can be lost quickly trying to dig around looking for all the tiny rocks.
Coming back to the track was a nice touch as it gives your crew a nice place to meet you and pour you into a car. And in theory you get to have people cheer for you as you cross the line. I didn't, but I'm slow. I finished in 12hrs 19min, and it was just my wife, the dog, and the race director's daughter who gave me my medal. Until the race director popped out to congratulate me. It was totally coincidental as he was just loading up a car to head out to restock aid stations, but I thought it was awesome. He stuck around and chatted with me for a bit, made sure I was OK and hadn't lost any toenails (nope) and talked about races. Then with a very sincere "Let me know if there's anything we can do." he was off.
I was happy to be there for the guy that finished behind me as we had been trading a lead back and forth over the previous fifteen miles or so.
That is something I can't stress enough, particularly if you use this as your first ultra. Make SURE you head back to the track the following morning for the Golden Hour, the last hour before the time limit expires on the hundred milers. Absolutely heart-wrenching in its inspiration. This year, getting to see a 75(!) year old, Bob M., cross the finish line under the 30 hour limit was probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen. But every single person that ran, walked, hobbled, or cartwheeled across that line was life-affirming. It's so worth it. Plus that's where the award ceremony is.
They didn't do much for the 50 milers, but there weren't many of us there, so I didn't really mind. It was fun to get to see who won the race and age groups. I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing a 50 miler as your first ultra, but I would absolutely recommend making the trek to Custer, South Dakota to partake in the Lean Horse Ultra.
John recommends this race
(2015)
"My 1st Marathon"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This was my first full marathon experience. I had run the half marathon the year before, the 10th anniversary, and wanted to do the full. One of the things that excited me and is sort of a staple for this race is that it is a different course every single year. eleven years, eleven different courses. Granted, it does primarily stick to the same part of the city so you know what you're getting into, but still, it changes each year.
It's flat. Extremely flat. Which is great for a first timer or someone looking for a Boston qualifier. This edition they did try to put some hills in by using underpasses (it's really flat in North Dakota) which was nice and really kicked my butt. Over all the course was laid out really well and a lot of fun.
There were a few downsides to it I felt though. With the course changing every year, they have to come up with a new one each time, naturally. This year there were a few part where you literally ran to a cone, ran around the cone, and headed back. It got the distance in, and I think I understand why they did it, but it really irritated me. It's a big enough city at this point that they should be able to build a course without needed to do that multiple times. The expo was fine, I guess. I don't really get into that stuff, got accosted by a guy named "Wolf" trying to sell some sort of massage device that I didn't want to buy, but that's not a huge deal.
I enjoyed this race experience immensely. I can't honestly say if I'll ever run a marathon on the road again as I've fallen in love with trails, but if I do, this is one I would absolutely do again in a heartbeat.