Latest reviews by Juan J. Arrieta

(2020)
"Another great experience in Miami"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

I ran this race in 2019 and enjoyed so many things about it that fairly quickly afterwards I decided I would come back in 2020. Between the enjoyment of the awesome Expo, course scenery and atmostphere, and having a lot of family who lives in Miami I can see and visit, I have plenty of reasons to run this race.

This year the Expo was held once again at the Mana Wynwood Convention Center. This is a great location not only because it is quite large and spacious to fit in plenty of vendors, packet pickup, and all other amenities without the feeling of being overwhelming, but also because it is in the heart of the Wynwood district with great art exhibits, places to eat, and night life surrounding it. After arriving and meeting fellow BibRave Pro Mike Dill, I went through the VIP packet pickup process and was helped right away by the Expo staff.

The VIP package this year included a special set of gear (running jacket, tumbler) and access to a number of special amenities pre- and post-race, from food and drinks, to massages and private restrooms at the Finish Line.

I then went on with my family to enjoy what I feel is one if not THE best Expo of all the races I've ever done. It was that way last year and this year it was no different. A large variety of vendors, carrying a big variety of colorful and interesting styles of merchandise. Tons of booths from representatives of races from all over Latin America, such as Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

One of the things I did this year was to get the area around my left Achilles taped up for extra support by the Infinity Sports Institute, one of the awesome vendors participating in the Expo.

After having a blast at the Expo, we moved on to walk the Wynwood Marketplace, which is directly adjacent to the Expo Convention Center and has a great vibe and atmosphere with music, food trucks, merchandise tents, art exhibits, etc.

On race morning, I took the MetroRail from the Palmetto station to Overtown, which is located only 1/2 mile from the American Airlines Arena and the race starting area. The trains run early and made it quite convenient because I was able to park my rental car at the MetroRail Station for free and avoid having to drive into downtown and deal with all the street closures necessary for the race. The race has an early start of 6:00 a.m.

I also used the 1/2 mile distance from the Overtown station as my warmup jog for the race which helped me save time once I arrived at the starting area. After dropping off my gear bag, I went through my dynamic stretching routine and entered Corral E to line up and wait for the start.

Within the first mile, the course goes onto the MacArthur Causeway Bridge which crosses Biscayne Bay. While this is definitely a bit challenging since it is a bridge incline, I was already familiar with it from having run it last year and knew what to expect. The climb only lasts a few minutes and it is not really that steep. It is only a matter of maintaining a consistent effort and before you know it you are halfway through it and can actually take advtange of the downhill on the other side of the bridge and speed up.

Despite there being thousands of runners (20,000 participants this years), not once did I feel that that there were too many people or found it difficult to hit the pace and stride that I wanted to be in. Before long we had crossed Biscayne Bay and entered into South Beach, with streets lined with colorful buildings and tall palm trees everywhere. The course was very well-marked and supported from beginning to end. There were plenty of hydration stations, port-a-potties, and medical tents throughout, always full of eager and friendly volunteers cheering us on.

Although the weather was not optimal for racing with temps around 69-70 at the start, I made a conscious decision the day before the race to not let those conditions get into my head. I recognized the fact that the weather is the same for everyone in the race and PLENTY of people still find ways to do great despite of it, and get PRs, BQs, etc. so why couldn't I be like them and improve on my time from last year? Right then I commited to fighting for my goal no matter how uncomfortable conditions would get. I was able to get into a great zone from early on.

I truly enjoyed the course with all its awesome views of the water throughout, palm trees, cruise ships, and hotels. Not once did I feel bored or thinking about a change of scenery.

Along the way there were a number of bands playing music and plenty of people cheering runners on, in particular over the last couple of miles. I thought that the roar of the crowd as I entered the last 50 meter stretch before the finish line was incredibly loud and totally loved it; it is so energizing and makes for a truly unforgettable moment.

After the finish, volunteers placed the awesome medal on my neck and handed me a bottle of water. I walked for a couple of minutes to cool down and found a good area to stretch and sit for for a few minutes.

After taking a couple of pictures, I walked through the food tent, which was very well organized with neat baskets and box lunches and moved very quickly. From there I headed to the VIP tent where I met fellow BibRave Pros Mike and Sarah, where we celebrated and chatted about each of our experiences on what turned out to be a great day.

Before heading back I made my way to the opposite side of the finish area, where once again the 13th Army Band was entertaining the crowd with its awesome salsa music on a gorgeous morning in Miami.

As I walked back to the MetroRail station, I also came upon the Kids' Run & it was a very enjoyable moment. It is representative of the race organizers' efforts to make this a complete weekend full of enjoyment for the entire family and community.

In summary, I once again absolutely loved this race. This time a bit more as I was able to improve my race time by more than 23 minutes from last year. Will do all I can to train smarter next time to do even better in 2021!

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(2019)
"Unique and entertaining race"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

This race had been on my radar for a number of reasons, but in particular because the race course is on the actual Las Vegas Strip, at night, with all the lights and neon that Las Vegas is so famous for. The uniqueness of that scenario promised to be memorable, and it did not disappoint.

Packet Pick-Up/Expo
The expo/packet pickup was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, towards the northeast and just a couple of blocks away from the Main Strip. After flying in and checking into the hotel, I took a Lyft ride there to meet a cousin of mine and his friend; they were running the half marathon as well. By that time, Saturday afternoon around 4pm, there was still a bit of flow from participants like us picking up packets, but it was evident that most people had picked up theirs already. That made complete sense since the Expo and Packet Pickup event had been going on since Thursday morning. We were thus able to walk straight up to the counters and get our bibs and participant shirts. The shirt size I had ordered was larger than expected, but I was allowed to exchange it for the correct size at a solutions tent post-race.

There was a large selection of vendors throughout the Expo floor, with all the gear, hydration, or nutrition you probably need to run a race. But I used a packing checklist at home to make sure I travelled with all I needed for the race and have so much gear already that I didn’t need to buy a single item this time.

Race-day logistics and start line
The start for this race was at 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon. Given that in Las Vegas that time matches up with sunset, I imagine that it is done that way in order to not only take advantage of cooler, more favorable temperatures for running, but also because running the Strip at night with all its lights adds to the appeal of running the race.

There was a large, large area adjacent to the Planet Hollywood hotel designated as the Start Village for all participants to stretch, turn in gear bags, hydrate, use port-a-potties, and be entertained by a cover band playing a variety of music. There were also tents for VIPs and race merchandise for purchase.

I used the port-a-potties there and there were plenty of them, enough where there were very few people waiting in line, only about 3-4 deep on each at most, so it only took me about 5 minutes to wait for my turn.

At approximately 4:00pm, we were then able to transition from the Start Village to the corrals, which were organized according to the assigned bib color and projected finish times submitted during registration. We walked approximately ⅓ and ¼ mile in distance between the Start Village and our corrals, which were located directly in front of the Paris hotel and extending all the way to the Start Line, nearly to where the New York New York and MGM hotels are located. All of this process was extremely well organized and handled, in particular when you consider that between there were approximately 20,000 of us participating in the half and full marathon events.

We were on corral wave #8, so we watched all the buzz and excitement as each corral was released at the start, with an announcer counting down to zero along with pyrotechnics going off right at the start line banner, signaling the time to go.

Course & Support
Once our wave was released and we started, it took me about a mile or so for the crowd of runners around me to thin out enough to find the steady pace I was targeting. I was also being a bit cautious to keep an eye on the road, as we had noticed while we were at the corrals waiting for the start that there were many cracks and holes on the pavement. While we managed this throughout the course without any issues, I feel that it is due time for the city of Las Vegas to repave the Strip and make the road smoother.

Once I found the pace I was targeting, I was able to hold it for the bulk of the race and until about mile 11, when my legs started to feel extremely heavy and I started slowing down. I remember seeing the Stratosphere tower coming up on the distance to my right, motivating me to keep pushing strong, as I knew that after passing the tower, it would only be Circus Circus and Treasure Island before reaching the finish at The Mirage. I had enough focus and energy left to make a good push in that last stretch and finish the race strong. While it wasn't a PR for me, I was still quite happy and satisfied with my effort and performance.

The medical aid and hydration stations were very well spread out and placed every couple of miles along the course. They were well staffed with plenty of volunteers handing out Gatorade and SIS energy gels in the later miles.

The crowds were great throughout, but were the loudest when the course reaches the older section of the Strip and turns around mile 8-9, heading back on the last stretch towards the finish line. And obviously, a key element of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Series races, there were plenty of music bands spread throughout the course, something which is definitely a lot of fun and energizing each time you run by one.

Finish Line/Medal/Food
The finish line was located directly in front of The Mirage hotel, with a chute that was perhaps the longest one I have ever seen, stretching for approximately half a mile, all the way from the Mirage to the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo Road, between Caesars Palace and The Bellagio hotels. Inside of the chute there were tons of volunteers handing out medals, water, Gatorade, chocolate milk, bananas, and other post-race refreshments, such as Michelob Ultra beer. In order to have a beer, we were required to have a special wristband provided after confirming valid ID showing age of 21 and over.

Conclusion
I feel this is a high-quality race, with a unique and entertaining course that is run at night, with thousands and thousands of people cheering along the way. Race management does a great job planning and putting on a memorable event. I would recommend it to anyone who is considering it, as there is so much to see and do in Las Vegas on top of the actual race.

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(2019)
"Quality all-around"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Missoula Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro by going to https://www.bibrave.com/bibravepro.

It had been more than a year since I had been training and preparing to run the Missoula Half Marathon. I was actually signed up to run it in 2018, but when the unexpected hospitalization of a close family member ocurred during the week prior to the race, I chose to cancel my plans and defer to this year instead. So needless to say, I was more than looking forward to experience the scenery, course, hospitality, and overall atmosphere that have earned the Missoula Marathon and Half Marathon races top ratings in the BibRave 100 list. The full marathon has been recognized as the #1 race in this exclusive list, and the Half Marathon is on the Top 20 rank among half marathons, so needless to say my expectations were quite high for the entire experience.

Packet Pick-Up/Expo/Beer Run
The expo/packet pickup was held starting on Friday afternoon at Caras Park in downtown Missoula, Montana. Caras has a large, covered pavillion area that accomodates the tents for race packets with bibs, participant shirts, and gear vendors. There are tables organized by last name of participants, clearly marked by white & red signs placed by them, so I quickly knew where to get in line.

The lines moved quickly and I had my bib within just a couple of minutes. I then went to the next tent over and picked up my participant shirt. At first I wasn't sure if I liked its color, but now I do. It is an olive green that I do not have already on my running shirts and know that I will wear in the future, so it is a welcome addition to my collection.

There was plenty of race personnel on hand at the expo; very friendly and helpful to answer any questions I had, such as specifics on the logistics for race morning, etc. I was also able to check out some of the merchandise being sold by vendors and really liked most of it. Loved the designs and selection and had a hard time not buying several items I wanted, in particular from Runner's Edge.

Then it was on to the Beer Run on Friday evening (6:00 p.m.); a tradition of marathon weekend. It is a 3.1 mile social/fun run around Missoula, with a course that crosses the Clark Fork River and then tours runners through a nice route along the University of Montana campus. I had a blast goofing around with other runners at the Griz statue in the middle of campus before we returned to Caras Park, then joined the party and live entertainment, which included free beer for all finishers over 21, compliments of Big Sky Brewing Company.

Volunteering at the 5k on Saturday
Friday evening I had the opportunity to meet the race director and decided to volunteer to help out on Saturday morning for the 5K. They still needed a few volunteers to help with road crossings/traffic control at various points along the course. I felt I would have fun doing that and at the same time help give back to this running community I was already enjoying. And that is exactly what happened. We had great weather and a great turnout of runners as well, and I can't say enough how enthusiastic most of them were as they would go by the intersection I was covering, thanking me for helping out, expressing their appreciation.

Farmer's market and afternoon hike
After volunteering at the 5k I headed back to Caras Park to check out the Farmer's Market and eat breakfast. While there I met with some friends and joined them afterwards for a hike at a nearby state park. Both the park and the weather were great, so we had quite an enjoyable afternoon taking in the great outdoors and connecting with nature.

After the hike we decided to head to Big Sky Brewing Company, where fellow BibRave Pro Zenaida Arroyo joined us to sample some of their great selection of beers.

Race Morning/Course/Support
The half marathon course is point-to-point, starting at an area with no parking available for participants, so the race provides buses that shuttle runners to the start. Bus loading times were from 4:15 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. at the Adams Center in the University of Montana campus. I took an Uber from the AirBnB where I was staying to the Adams Center, and was able to load and ride a shuttle bus to the start at 5:00 a.m.

The ride to the starting line took approximately 15 minutes. That left me plenty of time to go through my warmup routine, change to my race gear, drop my gear bag, and even meet some friends for some pre-race jokes and pictures.

The starting area was quite spacious to stretch and warm-up and had plenty of port-a-potties where I didn't notice very long lines on them at any one point.

The weather was perfect at our 6:00 a.m. start with temps in the low 50s with very little wind. It was all quite memorable with fireworks and a cannon blast, immediately followed by a gorgeous view of green rolling hills; something truly scenic.

Within just a few minutes, we were on a downhill slope, and I was able to get into a fast yet easy and comfortable rhythm. There were a lot of runners around me, but I had no problem finding a good straight line to run on without having to dodge or run around anyone. The course then started following the banks of the Bitterroot river and everything around me felt like out of a movie. Truly picture perfect. With those conditions I was able to get into focus on my pace and rhythm, and sustained it until approximately mile 10.

At that point I felt fatigued and found it more difficult to keep up with my target pace over the last 3 miles. However, training and experience helped me to just keep the legs moving in that last portion and not stress about my sliding pace. That mindset ended up paying off as I was still able to finish under 2 hours at 1:58:10.

I felt that the support on course was outstanding with plenty of helpful and cheerful volunteers and tables, all well-stocked with both water and electrolyte drink (Powerade). They were also well marked and spaced out every couple of miles or so.

Finish Line/Medal/Food
The finish line had plenty of volunteers handing out medals. There were large metal tubs on one of the sides full of ice and soda, water, and Powerade. After hydrating for a few minutes I headed to the adjacent Caras Park to enjoy the post-race food, music, and stretch. There was plenty of room to find a spot, be comfortable, and relax. Before heading out, I went by an area where race photographers were taking pictures of finishers with their medals against a banner backdrop. This and all the other pictures taken by race photographers are included free with race registration, something which is an OUTSTANDING benefit that not many races do.

Conclusion
I feel this is a neat and different style of race that is definitely worthy of its top rankings on the BibRave100 list. It is extremely well organized, has thousands of participants, but still has a small-town, friendly atmostphere and feeling to it from beginning to end. I liked the area and entire race weekend so much that I plan on returning with my family next year as part of a road trip out West. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't had an opportunity to experience it yet.

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(2019)
"Gorgeous and fast course"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Ever since I had heard about this race on a BibRave podcast I began looking into it and put it on my bucket list. It has a great reputation for a having a beautiful and PR-conducive course as well as great support from both the community and race management, so I decided to give it a go this year and I'm happy to have done so.

Packet Pick-Up/Expo/SWAG
The expo/packet pickup was held at the Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center (DECC) just a few steps from Lake Superior in Duluth. When we arrived there Friday afternoon around 3pm, there was quite a bit of traffic in line to park in the adjacent garage and nearby lots. The race organizers do warn about this on the emails they send out on the days leading up to the race and recommend getting there either earlier o the day on Friday, or on Thursday instead if at all possible to avoid the larger crowds. Once parked and inside the convention center I walked through the vendors area to pick up my bib and gear bag. There was plenty of staff in hand at clearly marked booths to handle that process quickly; it took me just a minute or two to do so. There was a large selection of vendors all throughout the Expo floor, with all the gear, hydration, or nutrition you probably need to run a race. The front section of the convention center was separated and dedicated for a Michelina's pasta dinner. It's an all-you-can-eat dinner consisting of spaghetti with marinara sauce (with or without meatballs), Caesar salad, and bread, milk, and water. The dinner also includes ice cream, cookies and coffee. All of that is offered for $14 for adults, $7 for kids ages 5 – 12 , and children 4 and under eat for free, so it is a great deal to take advantage of.

Race-morning logistics and start line
Race management wisely has setup a great system of buses to shuttle runners to the starting area, located several miles northeast of Duluth and right on the shores of Lake Superior. There are several pickup locations on race morning throughout the area to accommodate the various locations where runners are staying. You must take one of the shuttle buses, as no other vehicles are allowed near the starting line, and there is no passenger drop-off access to it either. I found this system to be quite convenient and accessible, as one of the pickup locations was just a few blocks away from the Airbnb we were staying at in Two Harbors.

The start time for this half marathons is at 6:15 a.m. and since I caught one of the earlier shuttle buses, I arrived at the starting line with plenty of time. I was able to use the port-a-potties (of which there were plenty), go through my entire warm-up routine, put my warm-up gear in the bag provided by the race, and turn into the gear bag truck before lining up ready to go.

The sun was coming up over Lake Superior at that time and the natural beauty of the area was simply amazing. Weather conditions for racing were absolutely perfect for my preference, with temperatures in the low 50s with very little wind. There were no corrals, just various pacers holding signs with their targeted finish time to help runners start and stay on track.

Course & Support
Once we were off I was able to fairly quickly find a comfortable starting pace I would hold for the first couple of miles. The course was on a road that was completely blocked off to vehicles, so there was plenty of space to move between all the runners. Things did not feel crowded even though there were a lot of us, and that made things very enjoyable as it makes it easier to find the right stride and establish good rhythm. Once I found the pace I was targeting, I was able to hold it an exceeded it for the bulk of the race, including during the one hill climb of note on the course called Lemon Drop Hill. From the distance it appears higher and longer than what it actually is. I was able to just focus on keeping a steady cadence going through it, and before I knew it I was past it.

Over the last couple of miles the course has a number of turns as it approaches the finish area located near the convention center. I had enough energy left to make a strong push in that last stretch and finish just off a minute off my PR time from just one year ago.

The medical aid and hydration stations were very well spread out and placed every couple of miles along the course. They were well staffed with plenty of volunteers handing out Powerade and water as well as energy gels in the later miles.

Finish Line/Medal/Food
The finish line had tons of volunteers handing out medals, mylar blankets for warmth, finisher shirts, water, and electrolytes, and food. The entire finish area was very spacious with plenty of room everywhere to sit down, stretch, etc. All runners also got a beer ticket with several quality beers on tap to choose from at an adjacent designated area.

Conclusion
I feel this is a high-quality race, with an impressively beautiful and PR-conducive course. Race management clearly does a great job planning and putting on a memorable event. I would recommend to anyone who is considering it and would be traveling to Duluth, to plan and research lodging accommodations WELL in advance (6+ months at least, if not more), as most hotels there and in nearby areas fill-up very quickly, require a minimum 2-night stay, and charge high rates for race weekend, probably due to the popularity of this race, which fills to capacity/sells out weeks in advance each year.

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(2019)
"A unique challenge and experience"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

I had my eye on the REVEL race series for a long time and was finally able to work it into my plans to run the Mt. Charleston Half this year. While I'd read and heard positive things about them, such as fast, mostly downhill courses, great support, and beautiful scenery, many of those same reviews also advised to prepare properly for running such a long distance on a decline; that it is a different challenge altogether from running other road races.

Packet Pick-Up/Expo/SWAG
The expo/packet pickup was held at the Cox Pavilion in the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus, which is approximately a 10-minute drive from the center of the Las Vegas Strip. The process to collect the bib was fast and simple, with little or no lines and no waiting at all. Just had to show my photo ID and interestingly, sign a statement promising not to disturb the desert tortoises that are native to the area. They are an endangered species and disturbing them can scare them and make them pee too much, which can in turn lead them to dehydration and potentially their death. The desert tortoise is also the race's official symbol/logo and used on the medal and official race merchandise.

After getting my bib, I picked up the tech shirt included in the race swag. I love its color, design, and material and feel like will be using it quite a bit in the future. In addition to the tech shirt, the race also included a pair of GOODR sunglasses; you could choose between the gray and black ones. I found that to be an amazing addition, as those sunglasses generally retail for about $30 and are quite popular with a lot of people.

There was plenty of race personnel on hand, very friendly and helpful to answer any questions I had, such as specifics on the logistics for race morning, etc. In addition, there were several areas with great looking race banners for photo ops.

As far as the amount and variety of vendors, I would say this is one of the smallest expos I have ever attended. My guess is that there were approximately 12-13 vendor booths at most, and I was able to get through the two rows in about 10-15 minutes. I didn't necessarily mind this, as I had all the gear and nutrition I needed for the race and wasn't looking to buy anything in particular. However, I know that isn't always the case, as sometimes having a large Expo with tons of vendors and options/bargains on gear is one of the things a lot of us look forward to on a race.

Race-morning logistics
If you are one of those people who have a hard time either going to bed VERY early or waking up way earlier than normal, this may not be the race for you. The start time for both the full and half marathons is at 6:00 a.m., at a location up on Mt. Charleston, and because of the road closures for the race, you can only reach those start lines on the buses provided by the race. The half marathon bus loading times start at 3:15 a.m. and end at 4:15 a.m. at a Walmart parking lot located in North Las Vegas, approximately 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. That means that in order to wake up, get ready, catch an Uber from the hotel, and be at the bus loading area in a timely manner, we had to set our alarms for 2:45 a.m. at the absolute latest. That part was not something I was looking forward to at all. But I do understand the reasons why those times were setup that way. The weather in late April in the Las Vegas area, which is really a desert, can have temperatures rise rapidly into the high 70s and low 80s shortly after sunrise. Not optimal racing conditions for most people. This is the main reason why race organizers have already decided that starting next year (2020), the race date will be moved up almost one month to the first Saturday in April. Here is a portion of the email sent out by race organizers a few days ago about this:
"In order to reduce the likelihood of warm temperatures on race day, REVEL Mt Charleston is excited to announce the 2020 event will take place on Saturday, April 4, 2020. All future races will take place on the first Saturday of April. Average temperatures in early April are absolutely ideal for running."

Start
The bus ride from the Walmart parking lot to the half marathon starting area took approximately 30 minutes, so we arrived there shortly before 5:00 a.m. That area doesn't really have any buildings or structures; it's just a large open lot full of gravel to the side of the road which leads up the mountain. The sun had not come up yet and there was a strong cold wind at that time, so several of us huddled for a while inside one of the gear trucks from the race. We then took off our warm-up gear, placed it in our drop bags and gave them to the truck that would take it to the finish line.
The start was unlike none I had ever seen. No corrals or gated areas; all of it open and with several banners marking where the spots where the various pacers gather at. We quickly found the one we were looking for and were soon on our way. The view of snow-capped mountains behind us and the first rays of sun coming up ahead of us made for a truly gorgeous and unique way to start a race.

Within 2-3 minutes of starting I felt that the pacer we were following was going too fast for me, so I decided to let her and the group go and just run my own race. I quickly settled into a much more comfortable pace that I knew I'd be able to maintain for most of the race.
For the first 3-4 miles, the temperature felt fine, but after that the sun started getting tougher and tougher as the race progressed. By the time that I had reached miles 7-8, I felt it was too hot already.

Course & Support
The course is point to point and follows a wide and downhill asphalt road into North Las Vegas. The road is in great condition; I don’t remember any potholes or cracks to be concerned about. For the bulk of the way, the decline is approximately 4%. When it reaches the 7-8 mile point it flattens out a bit but still declines overall all the way to the finish. The only exception is a short uphill on a turn into a neighborhood, but nothing that is too high or demanding.
I felt that the support on course was fine with plenty of volunteers and tables well-stocked with water and electrolyte drink. I was carrying my own electrolyte on a handheld bottle, so I took only water at every station, which were located at every even mile starting at mile 2.
Overall, I started feeling the effects of the constant downhill pounding on the quad muscles at around mile 7 or so. It is a different sort of discomfort, one that gets in your head a bit and makes you wonder how much longer you will be able to handle, not the usual soreness on the calves I typically feel on most races. I was able to keep up with my targeted pace until about mile 10. From that point on until the finish line, I had to really focus to stay in some sort of rhythm and close the last 3 miles strong and into the finish line.

Finish Line/Medal/Food
The finish line had plenty of volunteers handing out medals, water, and electrolytes, and was quite wide with plenty of room on one of the sides for runners to walk or greet friends and family. The medal is somewhat unique with an image of the desert tortoise and a blue/gray ribbon. Not the most attractive design I’ve seen, but not bad either. The post-race food and refreshments included pizza, chocolate milk, fruit, and beer. The beer was served inside a separate, restricted tent area where they were checking IDs. The beer provided was great and icy cold. The canopy there also provided welcome shade from what was by then a full-out sun beaming down.
Something that did impact me a bit on this race was the drier, desert climate there. Not on the actual performance, because I didn’t suffer any cramps or muscle issues at all. But even though I made sure I was properly hydrated prior to the race and drinking water at every station during it, my mouth had a dry cotton feel to it since early on, and by the time that I finished, my lips were quite chapped/cracked and I had to go buy lip balm afterwards.

Within a few days after the race, they emailed us with a link to the free race photos included with registration. They are high quality and include the race logo and add great value to the overall package and experience that the race provides.

Conclusion
I feel this is a neat and different style of race that is worth the price of registration and even more. Now that I have gone through it, there is no doubt in my mind that the challenge of running downhill for 13+ miles is one that can be easily underestimated. However, one can prepare properly for that challenge and not only do well at it, but also have quite a bit of fun and enjoyment during it. The race organizers clearly know what they are doing and go to great lengths to prepare and put up this event, including weekly Facebook Live sessions covering everything from course description to climate and much more. It is a race I would recommend to anyone who hasn't had an opportunity to experience it yet.

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