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Latest reviews by Holly
Holly recommends this race
(2017)
"Worth Doing if you Like Summer Races!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Check out my blog for a full race recap: https://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2017/10/2017-crystal-city-twilighter-5k-race.html
Usually I go to packet pickup a day or two early, but this year I went plenty early on race day and there were no lines! For the premium this year we got a tech weight tank top in a dark charcoal gray with the race logo. I love this tank top. It's so simple, but wicks away sweat so well! (And I love that it's something different. It seems like every race gives away t-shirts, but a tank top is just different enough to get excited about.) You also receive a glow stick necklace, just be sure to grab a connector piece before you leave the table!
The course itself is pretty flat, and if it weren't for the heat even after the sun goes down, it would make for an easy PR. That being said, water is available before the race and cold washcloths are waiting for you at the finish line. There's not much to look at since the race mostly takes place in Crystal City so there are lots of tall buildings around.
There's a small vendor village that you can visit before and after the race. (I recommend visiting before the race, mostly so you can get your beer bracelet that shows your ID has been checked so you can get right into line for your free beer!)
Also, because of the timing of the race all the parking in Crystal City is free! I got there super early this year because of packet pickup, and I got a great space in one of the garages close to the race. The added bonus of being downtown is also that there are lots of great restaurants to visit post-race! (And the opportunity for post-race ice cream which is always awesome.)
I'd totally recommend this race. Getting there is easy because there's a Metro stop close by, but this is a rare instance where I'd encourage driving there over Metro. There's so much free parking, it's not even worth thinking about taking public transit. The course is as easy as it gets in the DC area (it's just the heat and humidity that gets you!) Packet pickup is a breeze, and the swag is also awesome!
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(2016)
"Great course, execution leaves something to be desired...."
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Check out my blog for my full race recap at: http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2015/12/celtic-solstice-5-miler-race-recap-or.html
The premium for running the race is probably the best part of the whole thing. It's always really nice with a celtic design--in 2015 it was a Brooks half zip pullover with a celtic dragon design on the back and the year before it was a Brooks jacket with a celtic bear embroidered on the back.
The course is pretty even in December, but the pathways are VERY narrow and it's hard to pass other runners for the majority of the course. (There are curbs, trees, bushes, fences etc. in the way that can make it treacherous if not impossible to try and pass others.) It's fairly hilly, starting with a fairly steep hill that is just lovely to fly down to the finish.
The logistics of the race leave something to be desired. The packet pickup is in the basement of Falls Road Running in the northern part of Baltimore and you only get your bib and the premium if you paid for one. The running store is very small and when people bring their entourages the store gets even smaller very quickly. Then on race morning you have to brave the crowds in the tent to get your timing chip. It's very difficult to navigate through the tent and even worse to try and find a place to crouch down and attach the chip to the top of your shoe.
Also, they don't seem to have a cutoff for the number of participants which they really seem to need at this point. Basically they allow people to register with or without the premium and once they're sold out of the premium people can keep registering at a discounted rate.
The pre-race "parade" is interesting--it has a bagpiper and a few people dressed in traditional Irish garments walking a couple of friendly Irish wolfhounds and the people who have run the race every year since it started follow behind.
I also liked having access to Zeke's coffee and mulled wine from Boordy Vineyards pre and post race to help keep warm. The post-race snacks are also pretty awesome--a nice selection of cookies from a local Italian bakery along with the usual pile of bananas.
I've run a lot of races more than once, but I don't know if I would do this one again. I felt like there were way too many runners for the course and it just wasn't worth the frustration of getting stuck behind people who were slower than me or walking.
Holly recommends this race
(2016)
"Classic DC Race at a 10k Distance!"
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Woo! First! Can't believe I'm the first to review this AMAZING race. If you can't get into the marathon, this race is definitely the next best thing. You get almost the full experience of the marathon but with the 10k distance.
Check out my full race recap on my blog: http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2015/10/marine-corps-marathon-10k-2015.html
The expo is always amazing. (Check out the review for just the expo on my blog at: http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2015/10/marine-corps-marathon-expo-2015.html) So much to do, see and try! Lots of companies give out samples of their product (like chews, beans and hydration--Clif and Nuun are there pretty much every year.) Getting your bib and shirt is always a breeze. First you get your bib then go to another table for your shirt before you head into the expo itself. It's also a great place to see the latest and greatest running related products on the market. This is the ONE expo I look forward to the most in the 4 years I've been running the 10k.
The shirt is always amazing too--it's a long sleeved mock neck fleece sweatshirt with the Marine logo embroidered on the neck. (It's somewhat tight fitting, but makes a great base layer on chilly morning runs!) If you're a woman definitely go one size down in these unisex shirts. (I'm usually a medium but always get smalls in the shirt.)
The race itself is always amazing. Take the metro to get there plenty early--I recommend getting there at least an hour early. (In 2015 I got off at the Smithsonian stop for my warm up walk and stopped at one of the portajohns on the course rather than the ones with the crazy long lines on the mall itself.) Due to the Boston bombings they now have security areas for you to go through to get to the starting area which is gated off. For the marathon they have metal detectors to walk through, but for the 10k they used wands. You can get through the line much faster if you don't have a bag to check. (Spectators: Avoid going through this part completely and cheer for your runner along the course or wait for them at the end!)
The course is awesome. You get to see some of the DC monuments--the Washington Monument, the US Capitol building and the Smithsonian castle. The race itself starts outside one of the National Galleries of art. (If it's a rainy morning, the overhang is an excellent place to stay dry until the race starts!) The only hard hill is right at the end leading to the Iwo Jima memorial. It's a very steep incline which can be difficult to actually run up but the crowds of spectators and marines are very encouraging to make you at least TRY for it. Since the race ends at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, which makes for some great post-race pictures with your new medal (given to you by a marine) which is always awesome!
Post-race support is also awesome, although this is where things can get a little dicey for a different reason. There are usually people who take several boxes of snacks, bananas, protein shakes, or whatever is being offered. Please take one!! There are plenty to go around for 10k runners and more snacks coming as you head towards the metro. (These snacks also have to go to the marathoners and frequently they run out as the last of the marathoners come through.) One of my favorite snacks though is the watermelon. I always look for the watermelon girls beyond the bridge. They have trays of little plastic boxes of watermelon that always taste amazing after the race! Then there are usually more vendors offering freebies. (This year Wegmans was there and had coupons for free yogurt and snack bars and Blue Lizard was there giving out samples of sunscreen!)
I totally recommend this race. The entire experience from the expo to the end is amazing. I've run it 3 years in a row now and plan to make this year my 4th. If you haven't run it yet or didn't get into the marathon, I highly recommend registering for it when it opens in May! (This race also typically doesn't sell out right away. My Dad and I have registered for it as late as September without any problems.)
Holly recommends this race
(2016)
"Both the 5k and Half Marathons are great!!"
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So this is still a pretty small race limited to 1,000 runners for the 5k and 3,000 for the half marathon. I ran the 5k in 2013 when it first started and then half marathon in 2015. Both are fantastic races put on by a locally owned running store, RunAbout Sports.
Be sure to check out my blog for my race recap for the half marathon: http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2015/09/3rd-annual-hokie-half-marathon-race.html
And the 5k:
http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2014/09/inaugural-hokie-5k.html
The expo has been held in two different places. In its inaugural year, the expo was held in the Inn at Virginia Tech and in 2015 it was held at Blacksburg High School's gym. Both years it was okay--you could pick up anything you needed last minute and shirts from previous years. Other than that there really wasn't much to look at or much free swag.
The courses for both races are awesome. The 5k stays mostly around the research park and municipal airport in Blacksburg, and the half marathon goes from Blacksburg to Christiansburg on Business 460 and then back using the Huckleberry Trail. The trail is paved and very scenic since it goes through forest and past wide open fields. (For me, I have a soft spot for the race since I started running on the Huckleberry Trail.) At times it can be a little narrow since there are some points where you go out and back so they split the path in half so it can be hard (if not impossible) to pass other runners.
The 5k is fairly barebones in comparison to the half marathon. At registration, you get a t-shirt and a bib. For the half marathon, at the expo you get a long sleeved race shirt and your bib. When you finish though, you get a finisher's t-shirt, a car magnet and a large medal. All of the swag you get from the race is hokie themed.
Support on the course itself is great. Lots of water stops and a little more than halfway volunteers hand out gu both with and without caffeine. (They tell you ahead of time which side has which flavors so you know who to aim for well in advance!)
I definitely recommend doing this race if you're in the area or a big fan of the Virginia Tech Hokies. (The Hokie bird makes an appearance at the expo!)
Holly recommends this race
(2016)
"Great race!!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Check out my blog for a full race recap: http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2016/04/credit-union-cherry-blossom-10-miler.html
This was my second time running the race. Despite the adverse conditions (a wind advisory was issued the night before) the organizers still put on a great race. They ended up cancelling the kids race and didn't have any signage on the course, overhead signs and didn't put up all the tents to help keep runners and volunteers safe.
Short, quick lines for the portajohns pre-race which for such a large race is definitely a big deal! (And you can usually find a portajohn with short lines on the course too.)
The course is pretty much flat--super easy! The only downfall to it is Hains Point since there's not much to look at or crowd support since it's a pretty narrow area of the course as a whole. The race overall is pretty crowded, but it becomes even more obvious at this point because it keeps narrowing and widening throughout due to the parking alongside the two lane road.
The course also goes past a lot of monuments so it's a great way to get some sight seeing in! You start at the base of the Washington Monument and run past the Jefferson, Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials, and under part of the Kennedy Center for the Arts.
One of the pros and cons to the race this year was definitely the cherry blossom blooms being past peak bloom. The first year I ran this race in 2014 the blooms were at their peak and I found that a lot of people stopped in the middle of the course along Hains Point (which if you remember, is already narrow) to get pictures of the trees. So this year thanks to the wind no blooms and fewer selfie driven runners to watch out for!
There's a lottery in December for this race in order to gain entry. You can take your chances and enter, or you can volunteer for the race to bypass the lottery and get in for the following year. That is how I got into this year's race (by chauffeuring an elite athlete in 2015) and I got guaranteed entry into next year's race by helping with packet pickup!