Latest reviews by Sara

(2015)
"Didn't Live Up to My Expectations...And Not as Flat as You'd Think!"
Overall
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Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

I ran this race as my first marathon, in 2015. As someone who loves the beach and being by the water, and who had never been to the Outer Banks prior to this race, I had high expectations for a scenic course that would be relatively flat (they claim on the website that it's "fast and flat"...). Unfortunately, this race really disappointed on both accounts. Despite being right by the ocean, the race really doesn't offer much in the way of scenic views - the first quarter of the marathon is through some pretty neighborhoods, but the next quarter of the race is through a wooded, gravelly, hilly trail that is tough to get through. To get out of the wooded area, they send you up a very steep incline that was covered in pine needles and quite slippery - by the time I made it up this hill, my legs were shot, and I was only halfway through the race. You can't preview this part of the course by driving, so the hills, loose gravel, and final incline out of the woods were totally unexpected.

The rest of the race is down the main stretch of highway, through some more neighborhoods, and then over the Manteo bridge to the finish. Although the race does have some positive aspects - you do get to see the Wright Brothers memorial, and I found the crowd support to be decent, as well as the swag and weekend activities - I would not do this race again.

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