Latest reviews by Steffanie

(2016)
"2016 Running On Island Time 5K"
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This is my "hometown race", and my third year running it. Once again, it was a good experience. The race primarily goes through local neighborhoods, but the traffic snarls were minimal. This year, there were two double-sided water stations on the course (so four opportunities to refresh), which was welcome with race-time temperatures solidly in the 80's and noticeable humidity. Runners were given cold towels and bottles of water at the finish, also especially nice in the weather. Post-race snacks were good--several kinds of fruit, bagels, cupcakes, and my new favorite: Oreos topped with peanut butter and banana. Shaved ice was also available for purchase. There was a kid's race as well. Winners got medals and also a palm tree (yes, a real one, in a planter). The shirt was a technical tank top, as in previous years. Also in the race swag was a coozie, pen, and toothbrush. One slight criticism of the site was that there was no available WiFi for social media posting. Overall, still a fun race, and one that I plan to do again next year.

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(2016)
"2016 Outrun The Sun 2 Miler"
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If I heard the announcements correctly, this was the inaugural Outrun The Sun. It was relatively well-done. It was a small race field, just over 100 runners. Parking was right at the race site, and there was enough parking for several hundred vehicles if needed. Since it was a small race field, there were no pace signs, but most of the runners are regular local runners, so everyone pretty much knew where to place themselves. The course was pretty much an out-and-back, largely around the campus of a local hospital. There was a bit of a traffic-flow issue on one part of the course approaching the turnaround, where runners were moving in both directions on a 3-person-wide sidewalk for some distance; if a runner was behind walking couples/groups (who were not single-file), passing was only possible on uneven grassy terrain. There was no water station due to the short distance, but there were plenty of post-race snacks, mainly bananas and pastry, as well as water and Gatorade. The T-shirt was cotton, but the race organizer has already said that they will be tech shirts next year. A fun little race that I'll probably keep on my calendar for next year!

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(2016)
"2016 Run for the Gecko 5K"
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Run for the Gecko is our local running store's (Running Zone) "birthday race". This was my first year running it, and it happened to fall on my birthday as well. Runners who were celebrating birthdays that day received special decorated bibs and VIP passes to cut the food and bathroom lines and receive free socks. The course itself was a normal road course, no real slowdowns. There wasn't an expo at this race, but the food was excellent--pancakes, scrambled eggs, birthday cake in a few different flavors, and strawberries and champagne for those who were of legal age. Award winners received champagne glasses, instead of medals. As usual with a Running Zone race, it was very well done, and it will be on my calendar again next year.

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(2016)
"2016 Corporate 5K"
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The Florida Today Corporate 5K continues to grow every year, and it remains a good race. This was my third year running it. Overall, everything was done well. As the race has grown, there were some pace issues this year, which may be solved with a potential change in venue next year. This is a night race, and this year it got dark more quickly than in past years, so lighting was an issue, especially on the last mile (I walked that mile, because I could not see enough of the road to feel secure in avoid terrain changes, etc.). My main issue with this race has always been food--the post-race food consists of food trucks that are purchase, and there is only one beer line--not enough for 1000+ entrants!

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(2016)
"2016 Dragon Slayer 2 Miler"
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This was the inaugural year for the Dragon Slayer 2 Miler, part of a race day with the Excalibur 10 Miler. It was very well done from start to finish. Parking was more than adequate, especially with two races going on. The expo was nice. The post-race food was excellent--lots of variety beyond the usual fruit and pastries, including roast chicken legs, pizza, and "dragon stew", and all of it FREE. All finishers received a nice medal, which is rare in shorter races. It's definitely a race that I'll keep on my calendar in years to come.

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