Latest reviews by Julie

(2015)
"Tough scenic course for a great cause"
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This race is a favorite with Austin runners and it is easy to see why. The course is tough but beautiful - the first couple of miles are essentially flat, followed by about three miles of pretty steep rolling hills, then back to flat again as you come home. Although the hills are tough, they take you on a tour of one of the most upscale neighborhoods of Austin. With Lake Austin on one side and fantastic houses on the other, it is nice to have something to look at to take your mind off the steep hill looming before you. To my knowledge, this is the only race in Austin that runs through this particular neighborhood and that makes it unique.

The other very special aspect of this race is the cause it benefits. If you are considering this race, take a look at the Gazelle Foundation. The RD's background story and the mission of the foundation are amazing. Basically, the Gazelle Foundation works to provide access to clean drinking water for the people of Burundi, which is an extremely poor country in Africa. The RDs claim that that the entry fee for every runner pays for one person in Burundi to have access to clean drinking water for the rest of their life. This year the bibs featured the name of the person who would have access to clean drinking water as a result of your entry. It definitely makes you think.

As to swag, the t-shirt is a nice soft tech blend and a pretty blue color. No real frills on the swag bag - just the shirt and a gift certificate for $ 10 to a local store. But the entry fee is fairly low (around $ 65) and I believe that the RDs try to keep costs low to maximize the amount that goes to the foundation. So it is fine with me. Race organization is spot on and there are always lots of volunteers and well stocked water stops. Definitely a fun way to spend a Sunday morning in Austin.

MM#9644.

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(2015)
"A tough course in a fun town"
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Austin is a fun place to spend a couple of days, and this race does a good job of capturing the city's energy and giving you a nice tour of the area. It is very well organized, especially given the size of the event. The most significant downside to this race is that it really is a difficult course. Miles 12-18 are rollers with some pretty big climbs and an overall uphill escalation. After mile 18, it does go downhill pretty much to the end, but this is also the most boring and least scenic part of the course. So between wearing yourself out on the mid-course and the lack of anything to distract yourself, the last part of this race is mentally tough. Overall though, a fun experience. Just review the elevation course beforehand and do your hill work. MM#9644.

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(2014)
"Nice tour of the city"
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You run across the Golden Gate bridge! How can you top that? I really enjoyed this race. I had never been to San Francisco before and thought that the race gave me a chance to really get to see the city. Yes, it is hilly. But the hills are short and steep as opposed to long and grinding. I actually had more trouble with the downhills than the uphills. There are a couple of steep downhills after mile 20 where I was afraid that I was going to lose my balance and fall just because my legs were woobly and tired and couldn't handle the steep grade. But all was well.

There is something kind of unique about this race that makes it very friendly for those of us towards the back of the pack and that is that there are two half marathons associated with the full. The second half marathon starts at the 13.1 portion of the full marathon course. It starts later and the course goes along the back half of the full marathon course. What that means for those of us who are 5:30+ marathon runners is that there is plenty of company out there for those last few miles. The after party was also still going strong when I came in. It was nice. MM#9644

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(2014)
"What a fantastic race"
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This race benefits the memorial to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and that fact permeates every aspect of this race. However, that should not be taken to mean that the race is somber or grave (although parts of it definitely are). The message that the community sends with the marathon is that hope triumphs over evil and that the community will persevere. It is very emotional but also very uplifting.

The entire community comes out to support this race. This is the only marathon that I have been to that has permanent mile markers along the course. And OKC has some surprisingly funky residents that come out to cheer the runners on.

The course itself is friendly - not pancake flat, but not particularly challenging either. Just enough of an elevation change to keep it interesting. And there is some surprising scenery along the course (I had no idea that there was a lake in OKC, let alone a lighthouse). You get two shirts with this race - a commemorative shirt and a finisher's shirt. That's a nice touch. Finally, although I have heard that weather has been an issue with this race in some years, for me it was picture perfect. Sunny, dry and cool.

I have a goal to run a marathon in all 50 states, and marathons like this are the reason why. I probably never would have run this race if I didn't need to check Oklahoma off the list. And it wound up being an awesome experience. I am glad that I did it and really enjoyed OKC and its marathon.

MM#9644

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