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Latest reviews by Brian
Brian recommends this race
(2017)
"Let the Rain Come Down"
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I’ve run a few Track Shack races, but this was the first Track Shack 5K that I had the pleasure to join. I think originally this was a 5K/15K challenge race, but they’ve adjusted the offering and now it’s a 5K with a (I am assuming) amazing after party. Sadly, there was some serious thunderstorms that rolled in about 15 minutes after the gun went off, and when the race announcer told us to “find cover” we actually hopped into the car and left. I didn’t mind the rain during my final mile of the race, but Florida thunderstorms aren’t something I usually wait around in. However, I had an awesome time, and I’ve heard that the after party is usually one of the best in town.
The course starts and finished as Lake Nona Town Center, and it goes through a few neighborhoods around the area. The scenery is pretty unique in that Lake Nona itself is a very young community in the Orlando area. I can’t speak to the specifics, but I believe that they are developing it as a “green” community and I think that means for every acre of developed space, they have to create a certain amount of green space. Or something like that. In any event, the Lake Nona area seems to be all about staying active, so staging a race here was perfect.
The medal was super nice (especially for a 5K), and I love it when a race offers gender specific tech tees to the participants. This is seriously one of the first things I look for when I’m searching for a race. This year’s tee is totally comfortable, and I love the design. It’s all spacey and nighttime-ish.
The only real bummer here was the weather, but I realize that’s out of the race director’s hands.
The race direction at Track Shack races from beginning to end is an absolute professional job. They have been doing this since before I was born, and it shows. I’m sure they are the best in the state, and they would probably make the top five in the country (if you’ll allow a wide, sweeping proclamation). Honestly, they are total pros.
I don’t know that I’ll run this race again, but I sure had a great time this year.
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Brian recommends this race
(2017)
"I'll race you to the lighthouse and back!"
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This was the sixth year of the Lighthouse Loop Half Marathon, and my first year running it. Full disclosure, I was running this as part of my marathon training plan, so I wasn't really racing it. This was more of a fitness check for me. The weather was so great (we might have just gotten lucky - I heard that 2016 was a hot swamp fest) that I wish I could give the climate five stars.
This race is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance, as I understand it. They have some new folks managing it, and this year was the first year that they had a race expo. They also redesigned the race logo and added a challenge (run the half at 7:00 and then run a 5K at 10:00 - get a fancy coffee cup for completing both). One thing I really love about this race is that all the proceeds go to local schools.
So, the course... You're running from Port Orange down to Lighthouse Park in Ponce Inlet, and then back to Port Orange. I actually had that moment in Lighthouse Park when I saw the same lighthouse that's on the medal ("A-ha!") so that was neat. There are 10 water/gatorade stops along the course, and they are all filled with volunteers from local schools; one school for each water stop. There was so much spirit at those water stops, and that energy really helped me out. At the end, you get to vote for your favorite water stop, and that school earns a little extra cash.
The swag... All half runners got gender-specific tech shirts (this is one my my key race search terms), and I love that. The medal was nice as well. I didn't see the coffee cup that the challenge finishers earned, but apparently it's pretty nice.
Constructive criticism... The first 30 (-ish) runners ran a short course because we were all turned too early to head back north. We all ran a 12.8-mile half marathon, which isn't really a thing. In the sixth year of this race (running the same course), I don't really think this should be an issue. However, mistakes happen, but hopefully they'll address that for next year.
Apparently sign-ups for next year start soon, and they are DIRT CHEAP in the beginning, so I'll definitely sign-up for this race again. Even though it wasn't the largest half marathon, it really felt like a community event, and I like that.
Brian recommends this race
(2016)
"Every Mile Was Magic!"
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This was my very first runDisney event, and I had an incredible time. I had volunteered for several runDisney events in the past, but I was hesitant to register because I had never done a race this large before. I'm so thankful that I did.
Now, runDisney has quite a few fans, since their races are so large, but that also means that there's quite a few critics out there. This was the first year that the Wine & Dine Half Marathon wasn't run at night, and they had to change the course because of all the construction happening at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Maybe it was just my twitter feed, but people were not happy about that. In any event, I didn't care at all. I love running and I love Disney so I was just stoked to have the opportunity to participate in such a huge event at Walt Disney World.
There are some items that I'd like to highlight, which I really loved. First, there was a good deal of characters on the course (not that I had time to stop for any photos - I was racing this event) that you wouldn't usually see at the theme parks. Also, I think there were FOUR marching bands on the course - this was EVERYTHING. I love a good marching band. Third, it was so fun to run in a costume (even if it was pretty much running gear with some mouse ears). I loved the race shirt; such great quality. The expo was overwhelming, huge, and also fantastic. The race announcers gave me life, and the DJ at the beginning of the race totally got me in the zone (even if he didn't play Britney). Oh yeah, and I got to run through FIREWORKS. Tremendous.
There's only one item I "might change" if I could. I don't like that runDisney doesn't offer deferrals. I understand this policy for smaller races that really have to watch their spending, but I feel like runDisney could be a little more flexible here. I mean, I pay $24 for a single margarita at Epcot - they are doing just fine.
In the end, I had the time of my life, and probably the best finishing photo I'll ever take. This race was fabulous.
Brian recommends this race
(2016)
"Great Race - A tour of Winter Park!"
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I ran the Winter Park Road Race 10K + 2 Mile (Distance Dare) on 03/12/2016. Track Shack of Orlando hosts this race, and they are the best of the best. The medals were great quality, custom-made for the event. We also received a cooling towel and commemorative pint glass at the finish line. The finish line party had great food, and samples from many different active/lifestyle/nutrition vendors. Also - the race announcers were awesome! If you're thinking about signing up for this or any other Track Shack race, do it. They are setting the standard.