This was my first time running this race, but not my first time running this course. Three weeks prior to the race, I ran the course to see just how difficult the elevation gain was going to be. During the training run I was not concerned with time. I paused my watch several times for walk breaks and finished the half marathon course in 2:20:22. On race day I did not pause my watch and finished the course in 2:10:52. Since I was expecting around a 2:15:00 finish time, I was pleased with my actual finishing time.

As for the race, I give it 4 out of 5 stars since overall it was a great race. There can be improvements made in the race by increasing participation in the race, increasing the number of sponsors, and improving the medal quality. Although I'm not a complete medal snob, I appreciate a nice medal especially after completing a half marathon or full marathon course. The medal for this race was thin, flat, and lacked "pizzazz".

I gave the race 3 out of 5 stars for "aid stations" since the aid stations did not have anything besides water and electrolyte drinks. It would have been nice to have seen a gel or two throw into the mix (not so much for myself, but more for those who count on gels being offered). The volunteers at the aid station?... Top Notch!

This course receives a 5 out of 5 stars for course scenery because who DOESN'T want to look at the beautiful Sutter Buttes?! Seriously, they are serene, beautiful, and are even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the smallest mountain range in the world! You must see them for yourself!

Lastly, this course received a 3 out of 5 stars for elevation difficulty because even though runners only gain about 500 feet of elevation during the course, it feels like a lot more! Within the first few miles my calves were burning! (Perhaps I need to run more hills.)

Overall, a great race. I hope to see you out there next year for the annual Sutter Buttes Spirit Mountain Run!

I was not planning on running this Spartan race. No, it was not even on my radar. When my friend contacted me the week of the race, however, and told me that two of her teammates dropped out and asked if I'd do it, how could I say no? Had I ever trained to climb a 10 foot wall, traverse monkey bars, or climb a rope? No. Did I attempt every obstacle on race day? Yes, absolutely!

The participants of a Spartan Race are released in waves. Even though my teammates and I were in the 12:45pm wave, we were able to jump in early to the 12:00 noon wave. To get the starting line, all participants had to get over a 6 foot wall. This may not sound like a lot, but for someone who was never trained in climbing walls, this too proved to be a challenge! Thankfully, I had four teammates who helped me to get over that first wall and many more to come!

This was my friends first Spartan race too. Neither of us knew exactly what to expect. How long would it take us to complete? Would we need to carry our own hydration and fuel? How much hydration and fuel should we prepare? What should we wear?

For those of you who are training for your first Spartan Super race (8 - 10 miles with 25+ obstacles), yes, take both hydration and fuel. Although there are the occasional hydration stations throughout the course, you will need more hydration and no fuel is provided at the hydration stations. Both of us realized that we did not pack enough fuel.

Be prepared to climb a lot of hills in the San Jose Super. My Garmin calculated that we climbed a total of 1,400 ft. in elevation throughout the 9.2 mile course. Also, be prepared with lots of sunscreen. The majority of the course is in the direct sunlight.

Overall, I'd highly recommend the Spartan Race in San Jose. The race was well organized, their were volunteers at each obstacle, the finish line festivities allowed for participants to celebrate their accomplishment, and and medal was one that we proudly wore around for the rest of the weekend.

This was my first time running a marathon in Nevada and Nevada certainly did not disappoint! Overall, I'd give this race 5 stars. There were a few minor issues I had with the race, but these minor issues were just that... minor. The expo was small, but well organized. It was easy to pick up my bib and other swag. Speaking of swag... the full marathoners were all given hydration packs! That's pretty sweet!

The race starting line was easy to find, but the start came quite suddenly. I was pacing this race and as a pacer I am suppose to be lined up in the corral 15 minutes before the race started. No one (out of all 78 racers) were lined up in the corral until 4 minutes to start time. There was no National Anthem and no announcement that we were about to start. Before we knew it they said, "Ok, go!" Perhaps for such a small start and since it was at 7am in downtown Reno they didn't want to cause too much noise? There were several other distances offered... 5k, 10k, and half marathon. Theses races were all much bigger.

The four stars I gave for T-shirts and swag was because the shirt sizing was really off. Normally I wear a women's medium, but even a women's x-large seemed to be a little tight. The four stars I gave for aid stations was due to the fact that I never once saw a medical station. During a marathon, I'd like to see medical personnel available giving out Vaseline, tissues, band-aids, etc.

One of the things that I liked the most about this race was the scenery! Is there anything more beautiful than being surrounded by snow peaked mountains? Also, the course takes runners along the Truckee River and crosses several small bridges. Bridges are my favorite! Overall, I'd highly recommend the Downtown River Run and I hope to return someday to run this race again.

This was my first year to run the Shamrock'n Half Marathon. My usual St. Patrick's run includes a half marathon the weekend before. After experiencing a little taste of the hype of the Shamrock'n Half, I may just have to make this race one I do year after year! It was easy to park on race day, easy to navigate to the starting corrals, there were plenty of porta potties, and the well thought out course helped the miles to go by faster. I was told from previous participants that the course was changed this year, but this made no difference to me.

The race started just inside Raley's Field and ended inside Raley's Field with our faces showing on the jumbotron! One of the many things that made this a "fun" run were the bands set up along the course. I may or may not have even danced by a few. ;)

One of the highlights of the run was running through the Blue Diamond group. They were lined up along the course at mile 10... the time when you just want to have a seat and drink an ice cold drink. They were energetic, loud, and really helped to give me a boost of energy.

Finally, another highlight of the Shamrock'n Half Marathon course is the after party. Food, beer, and pictures... it was all fantastic! I'd highly recommend this race! Perhaps I see you at the run next year! :)

This was my first year running the Modesto Marathon. I chose to run this race since it was my on my birthday and within a 2 hour drive from my house. I was extremely impressed by how well organized the event was and how well put together the expo was. I'd highly recommend this race to someone looking to run a flat, fast marathon course.

For more about the Modesto Marathon, check out my two part race recap at runstrongrun.com