I loved Moose's Tooth Marathon/Big Wild Life Runs. I think it has a new name this year, but hopefully they don't change anything else. To be fair, I did hear that they shorted their marathon course last year. This review is strictly for 2014 which, in my view, was flawless.

Alaska is a pretty long way away unless you live in the PNW, so let me just preface this review by saying that my husband and I made a little vacation out this one in Kachemak Bay. If you can spend some time up there, DO!

Back to the race. Sheraton Anchorage was a great spot, walking distance to start, finish, and things to do in the area (didn't rent a car but have a friend up there who was able to show me the sights outside of downtown - go blueberry picking!!). Make sure you get a slice at Moose's Tooth pizzeria and if you have the time or the weather is bad, watch a movie at Bear's Tooth pub.

Expo: Nicely done, smaller, obviously, because it's a smaller race. Got my shirt and bib then walked around Anchorage a bit more. The shirt was long-sleeve and a nice color, with very cool graphics. One of my favorites that didn't go into the make-into-a-quilt-bag.

Race: It was a little cool and drizzly but actually pretty pleasant on race day. It's a very low-key race so I just walked down to the start and talked to some fellow runners before we bunched up for the start. The course itself is nice; it had beautiful scenery and ran along pleasant paths by the coast and through some parks. There were some hills but nothing bad. The finish is back downtown at the starting area. It was a nice medal, shaped like Alaska. I ended up winning my age group and got a mug, ribbon, and engraved key chain as well.

Alaska is one of my favorite states that I've visited and run in so far. The scenery is tough to beat and there's a ton you can do if you can give yourself the time to stay and explore. The race is low-key but well-run with nice swag. If you're running all 50 states and need Alaska still, sign and up and enjoy this event to the fullest.

Running a marathon in June can be risky if you're like I am, and don't like hot weather. I couldn't believe the weather when we landed (and I checked before I left). 45 degrees and overcast. In my opinion, that's ideal running weather!

Getting to Duluth is kind of a pain. Coming from central VA, I flew to Minneapolis, then had to take a three hour van ride to Duluth. Easy to schedule, cheaper than another flight, but kind of a pain. I also took that van ride back after the marathon.

Hotels in Duluth = jerks. Okay that's not entirely fair...they want to make money, and so they up-charge you on marathon weekend. One of the most expensive hotels I've booked for a marathon, and it was just an old Radisson. Glad I ran it, but ouch. Good thing about that hotel is the location. I walked to and from the expo and the finish line. Good restaurant too, although there are lots of options in Duluth.

Expo was good. It's a decent size race, so lots to buy if you're looking. I ended up getting a fleece because I was freezing. Packet pick up was easy.

Race morning was pretty straightforward. I walked outside the hotel and took the race bus to 26 miles away to the start. There were plenty of portajohns and also water at the start area. Luckily it never actually rained, it was just misty and foggy, so it wasn't bad waiting around for a half hour.

The start went off without a hitch. The course was point to point and ran alongside Lake Superior. It was pretty much flat and had nice scenery. Not a ton of spectators, but pretty good turnout the closer you get to the finish. UMD college kids and frat boys came out in full force (with drinks in hand, they were pretty rowdy) which was fun. The finish area was crowded. I ran with the American flag, so they made a big fuss about that when I came down the homestretch. The medal was decent. Shirt was decent. Nothing crazy but good.

Overall, it's not a cheap marathon to run but I really enjoyed it. It's well organized and executed, the route is scenic, and the aid stations are plentiful. I definitely recommend it.

This is one of my favorite marathons to date. First, it's very small, which is highly preferable the majority of the time, at least in my opinion. Second, it's on Catalina Island, which if you've never been there, is not to be missed. It's truly gorgeous, and very challenging. This marathon is put on for and by runners. Here's my rundown.

Getting there - Catalina Island is...you guessed it, an island. My hubby and I flew in from VA to LAX, and from LAX, we splurged for a scenic helicopter ride. It was worth it, and actually not that bad in terms of cost. We caught our helo near Long Beach, piece of cake. It was a beautiful flight in and a nice little extra. We actually "hitchhiked" with someone the mile from the helo pad on Catalina into Avalon, the magical little seaside town. It was actually one of the locals who lives there year round and takes the helo into LA every week. Friendly folk on Catalina! Avalon itself is very small, no need for a car, and you probably couldn't rent one anyway (maybe, not sure). We stayed in a little B&B one or two streets back from the main street, the Seacrest Inn. Very comfortable and quiet. Getting back to LAX - we reserved our seats on the ferry, which is also a beautiful ride back to the coast, and an easy cab ride to the airport.

Catalina doesn't hit the "high season" for another month or so, so a March race was perfect. The weather was beautiful; cool and crisp in the morning and sunny all day. Warmed up in the afternoons but it was very pleasant. Make sure you get out and walk around the town, get ice cream by the beach, great restaurants abound in such a small place.

Race expo was small and simple. They do a night-before talk about the course which is helpful. It's a challenging elevation profile, with lots of ups and downs and then a major up-up-up. It's all nicely graded dirt roads, nothing technical other than the elevation itself. I wore road shoes with gaiters and it was perfect. The very end of the race you're on pavement.

Getting to the start. There are a couple of ways to do it, but the easiest way from Avalon is to take the ferry (there are bathrooms on board) which goes to Two Harbors where you walk a short distance to the start. There is an early start option as well. There are so many runners that have run this marathon for years and years, it's incredible. It's almost a cult race. You get a little date bar that can be hung off of a race pin. Some runners had them on their hats and the chain of bars was like 20+ long. Incredible devotion to this race!

Anyway, the course runs past meadows, valleys, and of course, hills. We saw bison not even a mile in. All of the climbs are well worth it, as the vistas are breathtaking. The downhills are fast and the last three-ish are downhill and then flat on pavement heading into Avalon. The finish line is surprisingly festive, and you can kick your shoes off and walk right into the Pacific.

The t-shirt: unlike most races, you don't get the t-shirt until you cross the finish line, which is kind of neat. It was an awesome black long-sleeve tech tee with vibrant logos on it. One of my favorites that I still wear. The "medal" is actually a hand-made ceramic tile on a ribbon, and changes each year. It's very cool and very unique.

My overall assessment: absolutely one of my favorite races. I suggest carrying a hydration pack. Even though there are aid stations, the course isn't shaded so it was nice to have my own water. I also carried my phone to take photos and was glad to have done so. It's not a race I ran for speed, but rather for joy. Soak up this event, talk to the other runners too. It's one of the only races were I had headphones, but didn't once use them. It was too beautiful of a day, too beautiful of a course, and the other runners were so friendly. Enjoy it!!

Disney is, as we all know, an empire. They do things a certain way, and you pay a high price for it (literally, it's expensive to register and expensive to go and stay there to do it). My first trip to Disney World was to run the Goofy Challenge. I was worried I'd hate it; I don't like Florida (too hot and humid), I don't like crowds, and generally, I like smaller races. Why in the world would I sign up for this race? Same reason I signed up for NYC, Boston, and Chicago: they're banner races, I wanted to run them once. Checked that box at Disney too, and glad I did.

I ran the Goofy with the American flag and I convinced my husband to run the half with me so I wouldn't go too fast. We lucked out with the weather - while it was kind of humid, the temperature was actually not bad. Cool mornings and early start times helped a lot. So here's my rundown:

Hotel: Amazingly, if you're an SPG member, the Swan & Dolphin hotels are tough to beat. They are also Disney properties, so we were able to stay on property and use points. Sweet! Great location and amenities. We still had free shuttle access to the parks and to the race starts and back at the end. Fantastic food, strolling to the boardwalk was nice, and we got to see some of the parks.

Expo: I was underwhelmed by the expo. It seemed dimly lit and kind of lackluster. A lot of the merchandise was picked over and there just wanted much. I didn't buy anything. The shirts were kind of nice, good graphics and unique, but a little on the small side. While we're on the swag, the medals were great. Three big medals with the Disney characters and nice ribbons. Loved hanging those on my wall.

Races: The start times to both races are very early, but that, to me, was awesome. I was back at the hotel early giving us time to explore, dine, visit a park, etc. (all by design, I'm sure). There are shuttles that dos you off at the start village, then you go through security (not bad) and the usual hang around and wait time. Then there's the long trek to the corrals. Good for a warm up! There are many corrals and waves that are supposed to seed you based on pace/finish time, but much to my annoyance people were jumping barriers left and right to move up. I hate that.

Anyway, there are fireworks at the start, a whole big production, and then you're off. The courses were pretty good. Very flat, and pretty windy in some places. You do get to go through the parks, which is the fun part, and there are Disney characters all over the place. I didn't care about time too much, so I stopped to take several photos (if the line was too long I skipped it). The half went through Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and the full ran through Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom (I hear that if you go a little slower, you can ride the Everest ride while still running the marathon, which is unique), ESPN (wide world of sports, maybe?) around a baseball diamond, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. There are some long, boring, and lonely stretches between parks where there's not much scenery, but that's the price you pay for running through each property.

My personal opinion: it was worth it. I hadn't ever been to Disney World and I had fun, even as a crowd-hating adult. It actually wasn't as crowded as I feared and it's very clean and well-run. There's obviously a lot to do so it's one of those fun build-a-little-trip-around-it races to do with your spouse or family. I may never go to Disney again, after all. The half and full marathons were far from my fastest races but that's okay, I knew that going in and sometimes it's way more fun to just enjoy the sights and take some photos with Goofy. It's a great way to cross Florida off your list if you're a 50 stater, and if you're like I am, it's another box checked.

This is my local marathon but I've only run it once. It's very well organized, and feels like a much larger event than it really is in the sense that it's got lots of crowd support and on-course volunteers. The route is pretty scenic for a city race, running through some cool spots around Richmond and the James River. The t-shirt was long sleeve and technical, which I love, and the medal was nice and high quality. The weather that year poured rain just before the start, but ended up being pleasant. The finish is downhill and it's fun to hang out and cheer in the other runners. It's a good Virginia option, especially if you can't get in to Marine Corps, which is a different type of race altogether. Logistically, there are lots of hotels, restaurants, and parking areas for out of towners. My only complaint the year I ran it was that traffic to get into and out of the expo was ridiculous, though the expo itself was very good.