Latest reviews by Alison Anderson

(2018)
"Awesome course thru downtown."
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If you can survive the expo and getting into the corrals... the course is a perfect run thru beautiful downtown Chicago. It made me want to sign up for and Chicago race I can find! Other than that the aid stations ran out of things. The Expo was kind of difficult to get to if you don’t know what you are doing in Chicago.

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(2018)
"Not for everyone, but I'll be back!"
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Its hard to get a long run in when you are in the middle of Oklahoma heat and humidity, so a supported midnight bike path run works perfectly to fit the bill. They couldn't help we had freakish July rain, but its helped me to learn to love running in the rain.
Recap: 1. 11:59 PM start time, straight from an 8 hour shift at work
2. Copperheads
3. 90 degrees 94% humidity
4. Mile 9 on: Monsoon
5. Stopped by police at mile 4 to tell me we were all breaking trail curfew, referred them to race organizers after she said she thought I was a juvenile runaway
6. Lost the path in the monsoon and got a mile off path, total distance 14.65 in 2:44, stopped the Garmin at 13.1 to see I had a new PR! That motivated me to tough out the extra distance 😁
7. Great race 😁

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(2018)
"Perfect intro to altitude!"
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Everything about this race was great! The course is down the side of a beautifully scenic mountain in spring. If you live somewhere that gets hot starting in May- this race transports you to a 35-40 degree start and 65 degree finish. It’s the same weekend as the Yampa river festival, so on the day before you can go have some fish tacos and watch the stand up paddle board races. Oh, did you know that Steamboat Springs, CO is the home of Honey Stinger? Who is also a presenting sponsor of the race? You can expect lots of awesomesauce aid stations as a result. The t-shirt is the perfect low-key super soft tee with a hint of badass CO trail theme that makes people say “awesome shirt!” when you wear it to Target the next week. Finish line was the right about of party, and since it ends in downtown- just walk over to one of the cool restaurants and get a burger! Race starts at 7000 feet and ends at 6000 feet- it’s a great way to test your altitude running legs!

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(2018)
"Not For Me"
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There was no expo, packet pickup was either race day or from 12-4 at a Natural Grocer's. I hate picking up my packet on race day, but I had to since I couldn't make the small window for pickup. Also, don't bill this as a course that is historically perfect for PR's and then change the course to include several large hills. Toward the end (think, more than a mile) you can expect to do some switchbacks in the parking lot of a community college. Its a little disheartening to be running along and see race staff (to be fair they may have been volunteers) observe participants cutting off the switchbacks when you are trudging along obediently.
Pluses? I guess if you want the biggest dinner plate sized medal you've ever seen, then this is the race for you. I don't like the super giant medals. Real Plus? The pacers were the same ones that were at the Garmin Marathon weekend and they are AWESOME.
Minuses? Everything else. This race made me feel like I was running with the snooty kinds of runners people are always saying they don't like.

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(2018)
"Kansas isn’t very flat :/"
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This race somehow married small race feel with having over a thousand competitors. From the chocolate chip cookies at the expo to the “print to order” finishers shirt booth- this race was just plain fun to do from start to finish. Hopefully as the years go on, they will really embrace their OZ theme and just make it a big fun party. P.S. the medal is awesome!

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