The Mike Sterling 10K is one of my favorite races! This was my 11th year in a row participating. It's a fun, small-town race. It's also super affordable, at $25. There are custom awards for the top finishers, along with age group awards. There are also some great door prizes, although I didn't win any this year (prizes included running shoes, a bushel of crabs, crab meat, Smith Island cake and more).

The course is scenic and has water views, goes through neighborhoods and then ends with a little more than a mile on Crisfield's main strip. It is pancake-flat. It's easy and free to park right near the start. Swag included a T-shirt and a crab mallet with the name of the race on it.

I think there were three official aid stations, and volunteers were great. Everything was also well-organized. The race went smoothly, it was easy to follow the course, and there were plenty of porta-potties at the start. Packet pickup was held the night before at Wellington Beach in Crisfield. People could also pick up their packets on race morning, but they weren't entered to win the running shoes.

The race includes a 10K run, a 10K ruck and a 5K walk (participants must walk the entire 5K to be eligible for prizes).

I would definitely recommend this race! Check out my recap at She Runs by the Seashore dot com.

I always enjoy the Dogfish Dash! This was the race’s first year back in-person since 2019. I ran it the day after completing 40.3 miles at the 24-hour Pemberton 24 event, so I did not race it — just participated as if it were a fun run/walk.

The course was 3.8 miles this year — a new distance. I thought the course was more scenic than in the past. I enjoyed the views and a rail trail section. The course starts and ends at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. It’s pretty flat, with a few hills that are noticeable to someone from a flat area (like I am).

I always like the unique swag at this race. I’m using the tote bag now (I’m writing this from the airport), and I also got a shirt and reusable water bottle. Two beers and a small food buffet are also included (the number of beers has gone down over the years — from four, then three beers).

There isn’t enough room for everyone to park at the brewery, but I was able to park pretty close by at a local school. Parking is free.

You do have to pick up your packet before race day. I couldn’t make it on the offered days, so thankfully a friend was able to get mine.

It’s a fun event and definitely a must-run for Dogfish Head fans! Registration usually opens in April and sells out quickly.

I ran Grandma's Marathon for the first time this year and really enjoyed the race. I ended up running my slowest marathon, but that was not the fault of the race.

The race was extremely well-organized. I received numerous emails leading up to the race with helpful information. The water stops were frequent and had awesome, enthusiastic volunteers. The water did taste different to me than what I am used to in Maryland, but I figure that is just a regional thing. There was also sports drink offered.

I enjoyed the course, which takes runners along Route 61, North Shore Scenic Drive, along Lake Superior, before heading into Downtown Duluth. There are not lake views the entire way, but it's a scenic road with plenty of trees and lake views. As you get into the later miles and closer to town, there are more spectators. I got a selfie with a guy dressed up as a llama, and there are also a section where there are Troll dolls set up.

The course had rolling hills. These were more noticeable to me in the second half of the race, likely because I was getting more tired. It wasn't flat, but the hills were not miserable.

The expo was nice, but I was not looking to buy anything, so I was somewhat in and out. It was easy to pick up my packet (which was a race bib, information booklet and coupons, as the shirt was given out post-race) and get some fun photos at photo opportunities. I also bought the $16 ticket for the spaghetti dinner, offered in the same building, the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

I didn't rate parking because I did not bring a car, but I stayed at the University of Wisconsin - Superior and there was a bus that picked runners up on campus, which was very convenient. One option for runners is taking a train to the start (limited space), and there are other bus pickup locations as well. Although I had a good experience staying at the University of Wisconsin - Superior, I wouldn't recommend staying there if you don't have a car as it is kind of out of the way. However, it was a great savings over what I would have paid for a hotel ($285 for four nights).

Read more about my race and travel tips on my blog, She Runs by the Seashore dot com.

I paced the 2:45 half marathon at this race and enjoyed it! The course is scenic, and much of it is on the Gordons Pond Trail. Some of the course is on the road, but the Gordons Pond Trail is a crushed stone trail and goes through pretty areas of Cape Henlopen State Park. The race also starts and ends on the boardwalk. It's a flat course.

The expo was fine — a packet pickup and a few vendors. There is no race-day packet pickup (aside from emergency packet pickup with a fee).

This race is always very generous with swag. Runners received a shirt and pint glass, and then, upon finishing, received a finisher medal and BOCO Gear finisher hat. There are also free race photos and a post-race party at Grotto Pizza with a full buffet and beer.

Parking was easy and free at this time of year. (It was a little difficult to park for the expo and I parked a few blocks away, but I got there early race morning and it was fine.) Aid stations along the course were plentiful.

The race was well-organized. The only thing was that one mile marker was picked up early, which made pacing slightly more difficult, but it wasn't too big of a deal. Everything went smoothly and I hope to pace this race again next year!