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Latest reviews by Jenn Savedge
Jenn Savedge recommends this race
(2021)
"An Absolute Gem"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
The 2021 IMT Des Moines Marathon exceeded all of my expectations! This race management, course, community support, and swag are truly top-notch.
Pre-Race
The communication from the race director was fantastic. I knew where to go, when to be there, and what to expect.
Race Weekend
For starters, the city of Des Moines is amazing - so much to see and do! And there were so many great food options that I was bummed I couldn't try them all. On the Saturday of race weekend, there was a farmers market that was seriously the largest farmers market I've ever seen. Blocks and blocks of food, crafts, coffee, food, and more food! And I learned later that this happens EVERY Saturday in Des Moines. I thought it just happened to be perfectly timed with race weekend. So fun!
The Course
Let's get this out of the way - yes the course has hills but I promise you that they are nothing to fear. It's not pancake flat, but the hills are manageable, particularly if you live and train in an area with an elevation change whatsoever. If you live where it's flat, just put the treadmill on incline every now and again or do some extra squats. Do not worry about these hills
Post-Race
What a party! Great food, drinks, and camaraderie! I am a vegetarian but I will tell you that the pork BBQ sandwiches served to finishers were seriously tempting! There was plenty of good stuff for vegetarians too as well as massage tables, Truly, and other fun stuff.
Overall
I can't recommend this race enough. I signed up on a whim and I'm so glad I did! I will be back in 2022 for sure!
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Jenn Savedge recommends this race
(2020)
"Wonderful race that made me excited for the IRL event!"
Overall
Race Management
SWAG
Virtual Support
This was my first virtual marathon and boy did I make a lot of mistakes! It is not easy to tackle this distance on your own, but I am so thankful to the folks at the Missoula Marathon for the support before and after the event that helped me get the job done.
Communication was fantastic and race organizers were very clear about their response to the pandemic and what runners could expect. Post-race, my medal and shirt arrived promptly. The shirt was smaller than expected and the race made arrangements to have all shirts exchanged for participants who wanted a larger size.
All in all I found the virtual marathon distance to be very challenging but I was glad to have the support of the Missoula Marathon staff to help me through the process. It definitely made me excited to run the race in person next year!
Jenn Savedge recommends this race
(2019)
"All the fa-la-la fun!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
My oldest and I had the most amazing time at this race and we've already vowed to make it an annual tradition. This event is perfect for both runners and non-runners alike. My teenager does not enjoy running, but she loved the fun of this race. She loved the aid stations that included sprinkles (gum drops) for Team Nice and coal (chocolates) for Team Naughty. I loved the flat, fun 5-mile run. And we both were blown away by the holiday lights. So beautiful and fun!
The expo, held right before the event at the Virginia Convention Center, makes it super easy to pick up last minute supplies and get yourself together before the run. The after-party, held in the same location is a blast with soup, beer, and other snacks/drinks.
I truly can't recommend this race enough and I am already looking forward to bringing the whole family out to enjoy it next year.
Jenn Savedge recommends this race
(2019)
"150 miles of fun!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Had a great time running the GAP Trail Relay this year on a team of 6. The race was very well organized with well-stocked aid-stations at most exchanges and loys of fun little surprises (like one exchange in volunteers handed out boxes of hot delicious pizza!) The trail is very dark at night but the race allows pacers and they allow the group to run in any order during the race. So your team can switch up legs or two people could run together if that's a concern. Hands down the best part of the race was the after-party. German beer, hot pretzels, pierogis, and a guy playing the accordion! Such a fun way to end the relay adventure!
Jenn Savedge recommends this race
(2019)
"Bring on the heat!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
With super high temps in the forecast, I wasn't really expecting to run face at this race. But fortunately, the weather cooled down significantly by race morning and I was able to snag my first ever sub-2 half!
Here are my takeaways from this fun, fast race:
The Expo: Simple to navigate and super fun to explore. Bib and t-shirt pickup are located right at the entrance so if you need to zip in and zip out, that’s doable. But there are also tons of exhibitors so if you need to pick up some gear or want to do a little shopping, you will have plenty see and do here.
The Race: I heard that this race was flat and fast and it certainly lived up to its reputation. I had also heard that Garmins tend to go a little wacky in Chicago and that held true as well. Fortunately, the course is very well marked, but if you are relying on your Garmin to keep you on pace, you should know that it may be off by a pretty wide margin.
Race support was phenomenal, starting with the emails that were sent before the event, alerting runners to the weather conditions and letting us know that there would be extra water, salt, sprinklers, and cold sponges on the course. That was a relief! On course, it felt like there was plenty of water as well as the fun entertainment RnR is known for.
Post-race fare consisted of the usual stuff – water, Gatorade, chips, bananas, and granola bars. It was a spacious location so there was lots of room to spread out, meet up with friends, enjoy post-race beers, and dance to the bands.
If you’re looking for a fun race weekend that culminates in a potentially fast race – Chicago is a solid choice. I’d run it again in a heartbeat and keep my fingers crossed that the weather gods would shine on me again!