Latest reviews by Tedrick Kelly

(2016)
"Best Marathon I've Experienced"
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Absolutely the best race I have experienced thus far. Starting with the expo, it was well organized and swag as far as the eye could see. I particularly liked that each area of the expo had their own checkout lines, so the lines to purchase items were never too long. Most other races I have attended, there were only one area for checkout so the lines would be ridiculous. The race itself was beautiful, and it takes you through all of downtown Chicago. The course is mostly flat so you have a great opportunity to PR or Boston qualify. There were literally water stations around every 2 miles, so you had tons of opportunities to hydrate and get some energy gels. The crowd support was absolutely amazing! For every mile of the 26, people were lined up cheering. They cheered you on, offered beer, sprayed you with water and some even sang for you. The best moment for me during the race was the mile where we went by the senior citizen home and you could see all the residents sitting at the windows waving as we went by. All the runners waved back. I would most definitely do this marathon again, and I highly recommend it.

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(2016)
"Hot....Humid...Hilly..."
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This was my first time running a Race 13.1 series race and I honestly didn't come away overly impressed. The pros of the race were: it started on time and they actually had food(grilled chicken,etc) instead just snacks(pretzels,granola, etc). Let me start by saying the weather was terrible, it was probably high 70s and humid from start to finish. The course was very hilly and consisted of a lot of up and down running. Around mile 4 the race takes you around Shelly Lake, and this is by far the best and most scenic part of race. The lake and surrounding wooded area are a welcome sight in comparison to endless houses. The race is an out and back race, for which i am not a fan. The last mile of the race is a series of hills that would be challenging enough on their own, but were made extremely tough with the hot weather. I was not overly impressed with the finisher's bling, but you definitely earn it with this race. This is a June race so I think it will always be on the warm side, but if anyone loves hot runs, I would recommend this one.

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(2016)
"Flat Race BUT......"
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It was a relatively small race, so the expo was pretty much nonexistent. You simply came in a picked up your bib and shirt. Let me start by saying this race is 95% flat, which most runners love. It starts with a run across about 1 mile bridge that provides the only access to the beachfront, you circle back and head back over the bridge before heading out on straight route down the shoreline. This is an "out and back" course, which I typically don't like, but the first half of the race was smooth. It is in the 2nd half of the race that the issues begin to surface. First of all, this race is in September so it is hot and I don't feel there were enough water stations along the route. Many runners were complaining about the distance between water stations, when the temp were in the 80s and the runners heading straight into the sun. Not only was there issues with the # of stations, the stations basically only had water and some extremely sweet liquid. I am guessing it was Gatorade, maybe, that was not mixed up correctly. Secondly, and this is huge, the traffic control was pretty much nonexistent. They closed off the bridge for 30 minutes at the beginning of the race but after that point cars were allowed to drive in both directions through the road that all the runners were on. A lot of cars were not moving over so I heard many tales of runners coming within inches of being hit by some car's side mirror. The race is USATF certified, so it amazed me that the traffic control was so poor. I will say once you finisher, they do have some nice medals, also known as BAM(big a$$ medals). They were kind of plain, but very heavy and magnetic. The series has 4 races so if you run them all, your medals connect together to form one large one. My final thought is, it is a flat race that you have the ability to PR in but if the weather is going to be hot, bring your own hydration belt/pak. More importantly, be prepared to dodge cars.

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(2016)
"Looking for a fast race? You found it"
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Tired of being normal?? Give Not so Normal a try. This was my first year participating in this race but I loved it. The Not So Normal Weekend consists of a 5k on Saturday, followed by a 10k and half marathon on Sunday. They have a challenge medal as well, if you decide to do the 5k plus one of the sunday races. I decided on the 10k since I had a big race the following weekend. This is not a huge race, but what it lacks in participation, it more than makes up with speed. The race was fast, and before I knew it I was crossing the finish with a new PR. I crushed my previous PR by a full 2 minutes. I had a few friends that ran the half marathon and both of them PR'd, breaking the 2 hour barrier. The majority of the race is on the road with a few minutes taking you into some quiet neighborhoods. Anyone looking for a good race to PR, without the thousands of runners, I fully recommend giving the Not So Normal a try.

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(2016)
"Challenging but Very Beautiful Course"
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This is the 3rd year of Rock and Roll Raleigh, and I have run it each year. This year; however, the temperatures were rather cold. It was 32 degrees at race start, so all the runners were doing their best to try to remain warm as race time crept closer. After about 3 miles, I was warm and the cold was not an issue. The course is beautiful and takes you through historic downtown Raleigh and through some of the great sites. The elevation of the course can be challenging at times because most runners would classify it as a very hilly course. You will encounter a decent size hill around mile 5, and the monster known as only "the hill" on mile 11. They actually start a timer at the bottom of "the hill" to see how long it takes you to get to the top. You are greeted with a huge inflatable when you reach the top congratulating you on conquering the hill. In addition to the scenery on the route, the crowd support is great throughout the race. You are greeted with lots of posters and entertainment as you power through the course. I would certainly suggest this race to any runner that enjoys a nice scenic route and some challenging hills. In addition, if you are up to the challenge, they also have a 5k the day before and if you complete both races you get an extra Remix Medal. You can't argue with a 2 race, 3 medal weekend. You too can Rock Raleigh! Happy Running.

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