Latest reviews by Meg S

(2016)
"Inspirational Race"
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I think the other reviewers have said it all but I'll just add that it was a very nicely done race. Memphis is a cool town and you can stay close to the start and finish (not having to rent a car is great). The start is downtown and there are places to stay warm and dry until the start. The course itself isn't bad, but the real highlight is running through the St. Jude Children's Hospital campus. It was cold, windy, and drizzly this year so there weren't many kids out in that kind of weather, but still, the spirit and enthusiasm from the crowds there brought tears to my eyes. It's definitely the best part of the race and comes around mile 11 or so. That spirit carries you through the rest of the route.

If there is any negative to the race, it's just that it's so crowded, especially at the start. There are more half runners than full, and people don't always seed themselves correctly so there's a lot of weaving and dodging for a while, but once you split off the crowd thins considerably! One of the best parts, is the amount of aid stations! I think there were 25, which is just incredible. My only complaint is they served Nuun as the electrolyte drink which I thought was pretty gross...but some people like it.

The finish was in the stadium downtown. It was a neat venue to end the race and on a less cold day, a fun place to hang out afterwards. The medal was very nice, and the shirt for the marathon was awesome (long sleeve tech with thumbholes).

Overall, a very nicely done marathon that really takes care of all of its runners to the max! It's for such a great cause which makes it special by itself, but they don't stop at that. The organizers truly go out of their way to make it a great race for the entire 26.2 miles and I think they succeeded. I'd highly recommend it for other fifty staters looking for a Tennessee marathon.

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(2016)
"Sweet home, Alabama"
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I thoroughly enjoyed the Rocket City Marathon. I think the best part was it's just that...a marathon. There isn't a half or 10k at the same time which seems kind of rare. My understanding is the course changed a few years ago so I can't compare, but this one was nice. The start/finish at the Von Braun Center was awesome. It was about 24 degrees race morning and having a place to stay warm was a great perk! Plus indoor bathrooms, always a benefit. The finish line is actually inside the arena which lets friends and family have a great (warm) place to watch their loved ones cross the line. The rest of the course wasn't bad. You run through some very pretty neighborhoods and also some pretty typical city/suburban scenery. The highlight is the space and rocket center followed by the botanical gardens which is scenic and also near the end, so it's something to look forward to. There are some rolling hills but I thought elevation-wise it was a nice course.

There weren't a ton of people on the route, but that may have been partly due to the cold temps. There were a few bands and spirit teams, volunteers at 13 aid stations, and of course traffic control. All of those folks were great and supportive, standing out in the cold for us.

Post-race they actually printed out finisher certificates on the spot which I haven't seen before but appreciated! The medal was great, a 40th anniversary celebration of the race. The shirt was short-sleeved tech and not bad. They had lots of finisher food, chocolate milk, bagels (with things to spread on them!), grapes, and several other items. The concession area was also open for friends and family (or if you craved jalapeño poppers yourself!).

Overall I thought it was great race. Huntsville is a nice town with several hotel and restaurant options, including some within easy walking distance of the start/finish (no rental car needed!). It was well organized and supported, and all of that showed during the race. It's a great option for Alabama!

PS - free race photos!!

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(2016)
"Nice run, great organization"
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I ran Marshall for my WV race and selected it for two reasons: first, it fit into my race schedule and second, it's not billed as "hilly and hot" like another WV race that's popular out there. The weather was ideal, and the course had only small hills, enough to keep it interesting and not wear out the same muscles for 26.2 miles.

Race communication was excellent with lots of updates coming from the RD, especially on Facebook. The swag was also great - a nice Asiacs jacket with the logo plus a gym bag, and you could buy a t-shirt for $8 after the race (worth it, it was a good shirt). The medal was cool too, with the head of the buffalo on it (Marshall's mascot). PLUS race photos are included! Such a nice perk!!

The course itself is not particularly exciting, but it's not bad. It's two loops starting and ending at the football stadium. Obviously at the 13 mile mark, the half marathoners go finish while the full runners keep going for another loop, which is slightly disheartening but not the only race to do it that way. Parts of the course are blah, with old industrial buildings and some homes lining the roads, but a big chunk of the loop is in a park, which is very nice, and makes up for the other less interesting areas. The highlight, I'd say, is finishing the last .1 miles or so inside the stadium where they give you a football to run into the end zone - very cool! Great volunteers and 11 aid stations on the course rounded out the support side, so definitely no complaints on any of that.

The after-party was small but complete. Massages, water, beer tent, etc. They were also grilling burgers and hot dogs - I scarfed a burger before hitting the road back home, and it hit the spot. You could also buy merchandise that was leftover which is when I got the shirt. As far as parking and getting in and out of the area, that was a piece of cake, especially if you arrived early; lots of parking at the stadium.

Overall, I thought it was a nice race. The organization and swag were great, the course was pretty good, and the weather was beautiful. There are several hotel options (pretty cheap) nearby, and some good restaurant options as well. Definitely worth doing, and especially a great option for fifty staters.

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(2016)
"Nice race"
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This was my 40th marathon and there was a lot of hype going into it. I think it lived up to part of the hype but not entirely. I'll preface this by saying that I had run Jackson Hole Marathon three weeks earlier, which is probably the most scenic race I've done yet and in my top 3 favorites overall. My expectations were high given the reviews of STG.

Great expo; nice size and lots of vendors. It was crowded but bib and shirt pickup was efficient. Best Western Coral Hills was a convenient place to stay; walking distance to some good restaurants (walk to the Iceberg burger and shake place across the street after the run; giant thick milkshakes!!) and if you're inclined, a shuttle to the park where bus loading is, plus an early 3:00am runners breakfast. I walked to Worthen Park the morning of and after the finish, only about ten minutes away on foot.

I think I was on one of the first buses out on race morning at 4:00am. Simple process. The start area had lots of bonfires ready to be lit as runners filed in. It was fun sitting there chatting with other runners, though if you're an earlybird like I am, you'll be there about two hours! RD had space blankets and free pairs of gloves, hot chocolate, coffee, Gatorade, and water at the starting area, though the temperature was not too cold that morning. Also TONS of portajohns which was great given the size of the race.

We started about 7 minutes late due to a bus on the course. The course itself is pretty fast, but do not underestimate the hills! There are a couple of big ones, and then some rollers later on. Once the sun comes up, there's not much in the way of shade, and it was a warmer day this year. Great aid stations with Gatorade and water, some kind of gel if you wanted, also fruit at several of them. Towards the end in St. George there were people with Otter Pops (AWESOME in the heat), bags of ice, and wet towels. There were also misters near the end and after the finish line. Great crowd support at certain spots during the race and throughout the last 3 miles.

Scenery-wise, I guess it was just okay, in my humble opinion. Around mile 14-15 you see some beautiful red rock canyons which was stunning, but that was the highlight for me.

Overall assessment: great organization, with an RD and team that understand runners and what's important to us. A fast course with some significant uphills but net downhill so PR potential if your'e ready. Great aid stations and support from volunteers and crew. Comfortable starting area with lots of amenities. The medal was nice and unique and the shirt is long-sleeve technical; lots of goodies in the expo bag. I think it's definitely worth doing and is a good choice for Utah if you're knocking out the states.

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(2016)
"Lovely and low key"
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GMM is another example of a great, small, low key race put on by runners, for runners. There were only a few hundred runners total, half and full, and I'd say the majority were in-state residents and locals with a few out of towners like myself. I chose it as my Vermont race for my fifty states and it was a great choice!

South Hero and the surrounding area is beautiful and very scenic, especially in October. There are a few B&Bs near the race (I stayed at Annie's B&B found on AirBnB, and it was actually walking distance to the start and finish, plus the owners are distance athletes themselves and put on a great breakfast spread!) There is parking at the school, which is the start and finish, but it's nice to not have to run with car keys.

For the record, there was pretty much no email from the race organizers leading up to race day. I just find it funny, the differences between small and large races. :) Packet pickup was either in Burlington or at the school. Burlington is worth a visit, especially on Saturday for the farmers market. It took just a minute and the race shirt is kind of cool; long sleeve and cotton, but baseball t style and fun.

The weather was lovely, partly sunny and the high in the low 50s, though windy in some spots. The race starts later than most, at 8:30, but with cool weather it didn't matter. The marathon course is out and back along paved and hard packed dirt roads. It travels by the lake, by lovely cottages, large homes, vineyards, orchards, and farms. It's flat to rolling without any huge hills but a few rollers at the beginning and end. Aid stations were at every two miles and well staffed and stocked. The course was well marked and the half and full turn arounds were impossible to miss. The medal was nice.

Honestly this was a lovely race. No hiccups, nothing complicated. You could show up race morning and pick up your bib if you wanted. You get to see some beautiful scenery and have the opportunity to enjoy some other Vermont spots like Stowe (an hour drive) and Burlington (20 minutes). Soak up the fall foliage and enjoy a small town race put on by runners!!

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