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Latest reviews by Melissa Kahn
Melissa Kahn recommends this race
(2016)
"Santa Hustle - Glendale AZ 5k"
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This was a new "fun" race for me to try this year. My friend (a non-runner who insisted on walking) signed us up, and I figured, "why not?" They had a great medal for ALL finishers and it seemed like a lot of fun. Taking place in the popular shopping center area, parking was abundant and easy to find.
We picked up our packets the day before without incident and arrived on race day to a pretty small crowd, all decked out in their finest Santa-wear. The announcer was great, there was music - and we started on time. Huge bonus.
There were some 'aid' stations right out of the gate, which was great. They had M&M's, cookies, etc. Really a fun race for the whole family. Lots of walkers, a few dogs, and lots of strollers.
If you're looking for a fun race to do with the kids, this is a great one. Nice medal, loved the shirt as well, and we all rec'd a santa hat and beard as well.
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(2016)
"Lake Havasu Triathlon Review"
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I thought long and hard about doing this race after hearing a few mediocre things from it - I chose to do it with a friend because it was more of a 'destination' triathlon. The event was loosely organized, sparsely attended, and not well run. No expo to speak of - the pre-race info meeting was 20 people sitting around the pool. We did receive a nice long sleeve tshirt. No medals were given. I was told from Jonathan (race director last year) that "nobody liked the medals last year, so we discontinued them" - the swim portion in Lake Havasu was uneventful - gorgeous venue for sure. The bike trail loosely marked, and the 5k portion of this sprint-distance triathlon was barely discernable with a white spraypainted arrow on the ground. The water/aid stations had run out of all aid, which was very frustrating as the temps in Lake Havasu even in March can be high. I do not recommend this race in the least unless you're doing it simply as a new triathlete, trying to get the feel for what a race may be like. The city itself is a party city during spring break - be prepared for NASTY hotel rooms, at best, and for no lighting the day of the race (when you need to set up your transition area), etc. Bad, Bad, Bad.
Melissa Kahn recommends this race
(2015)
"Hot Chococlate Scottsdale - 15K"
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If you're looking for a super-fun, energy-packed race, I cannot recommend this race enough. Hot Chocolate has an amazing expo - it's huge - it's fun - I mean, come on. They hand out marshmallows and chocolate at the expo - are you kidding me? The race is even better! Great music - a great energy with the crowd, great spectators and people to cheer you on ... it's just a win-win. The swag is known far and wide for being AAAAAAHMAZING. The medals are awesome. They're fun. The support team is responsive - race day is always easy to navigate between parking, etc. Plenty of porta-potties (very essential)... and great support at the aid stations, with a few goodies thrown in. I cannot recommend this race highly enough. Bring your friends and enjoy this top notch race!
Melissa Kahn recommends this race
(2015)
"Phoenix Marathon Half Marathon Review"
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Overall the Phoenix Marathon is a great race, whether you're in it for the half or the full. It has great back-end support (you can email their support team and expect a response back in a reasonable time frame. There is sufficient fuel at each aid station - ie they never run out of water, gatorade, goo, gel, etc, and always an abundance of race support, even during off years, where it may actually rain, which is rare in Phoenix.