Latest reviews by Cate

(2016)
"An Austin tradition"
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A new race director has injected some energy into this annual event and it shows! I've done this race since I was 12 years old, and have progressed through the ranks from recreational (finishing in 1 hr+) to elite (36:00).

The course is tough and hilly, but there's a few live bands and pretty good crowd support. Don't go out too fast though- the first mile is uphill! You'll tackle a few more killer climbs in the first half of the race, but after you scream down Enfield Rd. (savor the high school jazz band set up under the Mopac highway) and turn left back towards the start, you're done with all the big hills.

Pre-race parking and bathrooms are always dicey, and I've taken to parking a couple miles away or just running there from my house to warm up.

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(2015)
"Getting full on fun"
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Best post-race party I've ever been to. There's scores of vendors and samples to snack and sip, with everything from a maple bacon granola to beet salad and steak fajitas, and then even more packaged treats to take home like chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and black bean pasta. I had a Tito’s + green juice mini cocktail as well as some red wine … all before 10 a.m.

Pre-race is pretty fun too: packet pickup was at a coffee shop, there was a VIP cocktail hour with celebrity chefs and runners (in 2016 they had Ryan Hall!), and a dance warmup got me - if not physically - mentally prepared.

The first mile of the course was a run-of-the-mill stretch through Austin's Mueller neighborhood. Then it detours to gravel, and finally sidewalk. The latter portions are not closed to traffic from other park patrons, so watch out. However, most people here are probably not chasing PRs so it's not a big deal.

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(2015)
"Rub some dirt on it! "
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The Rogue Trail Series races are small enough to feel unique but big enough to award fun prizes. There's usually handmade awards and swag for people who finish the series.

The Ranch takes place at Reveille Peak Ranch, an events-only ranch about an hour north of Austin. You can camp out the night before the race to check out the course, swim in the lake, and roll out of bed in time to race!

The race winds through jeep road and single track trails. There are also creek crossings and big sections of granite rocks you cross. Most of the course is marked flawlessly, and a couple spots you have to look harder but it's still discernible where to go.

The 10k distance is fun and challenging but not too epic for beginners. There is also a 30k distance offered (3 of the 10k loops).

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