The Seabrook Lucky Trail marathon was my first marathon and I go back every year!

Pros:
- I LOVE runs that benefit a charity, and Seabrook donates to Bridge Over Troubled Waters (like several of the RAS events do). The sponsors are very generous, so a fantastic portion of the proceeds go to the charity.

- Great swag! Socks, duffle bag, tech shirts, and fabulous medals that change every year.

- Amazing volunteers! The aid stations are well stocked and all of the volunteers are smiling. There is one in particular that often has Girl Scout cookies and music, and the volunteers there are always willing to have a dance party with the runners!

- Pretty course! The trail is gravel and flat, but it takes you along a pretty little loop.

- Early start for walkers if you want/need the extra time!

- Relay option for those who want to participate with a team!

- Phenomenal post race party with green beer and TONS of food

- Fantastic race director and the mascot Robby the Pelican is adorable!

- Multiple options (5k, half marathon, full marathon, half marathon relay, full marathon relay, Trail Challenge (half Saturday, full Sunday), and the Pelican Challenge (half Saturday and Sunday)

- Costume contest so dress fabulously!

- Amazing other runners; I have had the pleasure of meeting some fabulous and inspirational people on the course. Everyone is so sweet and friendly.

- Race day packet pick-up at no extra charge if you can't make it to one of the other locations for some reason. The volunteers are always smiling there too!

- Plenty of ports-potties before the race!

Cons:
- It is a looped course (2x half, 4x full), so you see the same scenery 4 times (or 6 if you do the Trail Challenge!).

- It can get a little crowded at times as it is a trail and the faster runners lap the slower ones.

This was the most fun I've ever had with a group of strangers! I fell into an amazing group of people who were searching for a replacement for a team member who unexpectedly was unable to participate.

It was a blast! We had a full team (12 members) that was split between two vans. We painted the windows, had tons of snacks, and laughed almost the entire time.

The race starts in Austin. Relay teams take turns running legs of varying distances and difficulty non-stop until you hit the finish line 223 miles away in Corpus Christi at the battleship!

Pros:

- The race provides leg summaries and ranks them based in distance/difficulty which is great. Everyone can participate at a level that is good for them!

- There are participants of all levels and abilities, and everyone is extremely welcoming! I had a great time chatting with the members of other teams on the course and at the exchange points

- You get to see some beautiful Texas terrain; it's the longest relay in Texas!

- Great medal

- It is a really cool feeling to run on a Texas highway (thought it was intimidating too!)

- The event goes on day and night, and I absolutely loved the night portions. It was a spooky feeling to be running down a dark road only seeing the lights of other runners.

Cons:

- I'm not a fan of "burnout" material race shirts, so I didn't love the shirt. It was a cute design though!

- Some areas have limited/less than stellar restroom facilities. Not the fault of the RD at all, just the area!

Tips:

- Pack your vans according to legs! We all just hopped in randomly; to get better rest and breaks, put legs 1-6 in one van and legs 7-12 in the other. Trust me, it will make everything so much easier!

- To minimize the smell, have changes of clothes in ziplock bags. After your leg, immediately change into new clothes and put the old ones in a sealed ziplock. It will smell TERRIBLE when you open it at home, but it will contain the smell instead of making the van stink.

- Wear lots of lights! During the night legs, being crazy lit-up can help your teammates see and identify you from further away. Plus it's fun!

- There is a half marathon RIGHT by the hotel most relay runners stay at the day after the relay ends. If you're feeling sassy, go for it!

I have run lots of the Texas 10 series races and have never had a bad experience.

Pros:

- Great Swag! The 10 series never disappoints with the goodies. The medals are thick and represent the area, shirts are always amazing, and they offer visors/socks!

- Ample parking is an understatement! There is tons of parking close to the start/finish line

- Options for everyone! There is a 1 mile kids race, a 5 mile race (1 loop), and a 10 mile race (2 loops), so there is something for all ages and abilities

- You could win $100! They draw multiple names from EVERY distance (yes, including the kids event!) and if they draw your bib number you get a crisp $100 bill!

- Wonderful announcer who calls the runners by name as they cross

- Great aid stations and course marking; the aid stations are every mile on the mile so you are never far from water and Gatorade

- Flat and fast course!

- Race day packet pick-up if you need it

- Great (and ample!) food at the finish

- On-course medical tents for those who need it

- Enthusiastic, smiling, cheering volunteers

Cons:

- Can be expensive if you don't get the early bird pricing

- Not super great scenery; it's a 5 mile loop in Katy, so it's about what you would expect from the area.

My brother wanted to go to Vegas for his 21st birthday, and this run just happened to be on those dates so I couldn't resist registering!

I loved the night start, seeing all of the runners lit up, and the opportunity to run through the area. I bought special light-up shoelaces and heel spurs to wear and they were a big hit! I didn't mind the small "expo"; I didn't purchase anything since I bought all of my glowy items before I flew in, but I appreciated all of the maps and everyone was very friendly.

I would only recommend this event for experienced runners, I would not recommend it for beginners or anyone that is not confident in their abilities.

Pros:
- Awesome concept.

- Night Start (I personally LOVE running at night, so I was all about the night time running though I know others weren't). There aren't a ton of night road races.

- Fantastic location (it's what hooked me!) with pretty views (okay, so maybe they were mostly silhouettes but still!)

- STARS. You can see for miles and the stars and the moon are beyond beautiful. I spent lots of time looking at the sky instead of my feet.

- Runners are given glow items, and it is amazing to look back/forward and see all of the little lights along the path

- I loved the finish line/location; everyone there was so sweet and the food was great!

- Cute, glow-in-the-dark medal

- The weather is fantastic

Cons:

- It felt hilly to me! It may have been the altitude change and the fact that I am used to running on very flat terrain, but it did feel rather hilly.

- I didn't personally experience this, but was told by someone else who had run the course that, when there was a bit of distance between her and another runner, there was a car that was making her uncomfortable.

- Snakes! We saw a couple of roadkill rattlers on the road; if snakes are a deal-breaker for you, this may not be the road for you

- Lack of course support was my biggest issue with this race. It is dark (obviously! part of the fun), and I think there needed to be more support out there OR maybe mention that support is limited. I only did the half, but at about mile 10 or so I found a girl laying on the ground in the dark. She had been vomiting and was scared. It was frustrating to not see a single bit of support until we got to the finish; neither she nor I had any cell service so we couldn't call for assistance and she desperately wanted to leave the course. I walked with her to the finish line, during which she told me this was her first half. I saw a bike official or two at the start of the race, but towards the back of the pack we didn't see any.

I accidentally rated the aid stations; to be fair, they are very clearly listed as refill stations and my handheld was more than sufficient

In case of TL;DR:
Great course for experienced runners, I would recommend beginning half-ers stay away.

I'm a huge fan of all of the RAS events, including the Heatwave! It is the perfect way to start the 4th Of July.

Pros:
- Benefits Baytown Special Rodeo Association
"The mission of the Baytown Special Rodeo Association is to provide an annual fun filled, western themed day of activities and entertainment for mentally and/or physically challenged children and their families. We strive to instill in each child a sense of community and the belief that they are special and important."

- PLENTY of water, sprayers, cold towels, and ice on the course handed out by amazing volunteers

- Tech shirts

- Great post-race party with an eating competition!

- Everyone is given a small American flag to cross the finish line with

- Great finisher medals (2015 was a bottle opener magnet!)

- Fun costumes worn by both the runners and the volunteers

Cons:
- It's HOT. After all, it is July in Texas!