Latest reviews by Phil Lala

(2018)
"A Race on the 4th"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Health Solutions 5th Season 8K.
Friday July 4, 2018 at 8 am in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Registration: I registered online months before the race. There were updates about the race via email (e.g. packet pick-up and race day reminders) that were helpful. I had a question regarding the race and person I contacted responded quickly and was very helpful.

Packet Pick Up: This could be done the night day before but I did it the morning of the race about 30 minutes before the start and I got in and out quickly.

SWAG: For participating you received a shirt, coupons to a couple of local stores including Iowa Running Company (a local running store in CR), a personalized race bib and a finishers medal. When I went to packet pickup they were out of my shirt size and told me they would mail it to me at a later date.

Pre-Race: The race is in downtown CR where there is plenty of parking both on the street and in parking garages. I arrived approximately 45 minutes before the race and was able to park a couple of blocks away from the starting line. Because of the 4th of July festivities in downtown CR there were a lot of streets that were blocked off. This made it a little more difficult than normal to navigate, but still not too bad. There were a bunch of port-o-potties very close to the starting line so if you had to go, the lines went quickly.

Course / Race: The course was an out and back. There was an 8K and a 5K (which started about 15 minutes after the 8K). You start in downtown CR, run through some nearby neighborhoods and end up at Bever Park and "Old MacDonald's Farm", a small petting zoo. This is where you turnaround and head back to downtown. Throughout the course there were many families that set up chairs and have coffee/breakfast out on their front yard and cheer you on. A few people had sprinklers going that you could run through (it was a hot and humid day). Overall, the course is pretty flat with a couple of very small inclines. When you arrived in the park there were a few speed humps you had to look out for but otherwise the roads were in good condition.

Aid-Stations: There were aid stations throughout the race. I can't remember exactly how many, but on a hot and humid day I felt like there were plenty. There was water at each stop as well as sponges near the turnaround to help you cool down. There were lots of volunteers so getting a drink went smoothly at all of the stops.

Post Race: As you crossed the finish line you were given your medal. In addition there was water, chocolate milk, watermelon, bananas, bomb pops and granola bars available at nearby tables. I did not stay for the award ceremony.

Final Thoughts: I live in Iowa City (about 20 miles away) and have never run an 8K so I wanted to try it out. I am still relatively new to the racing scene but I think this was a well run event that went very smoothly. You can tell that the race organizers were thorough as everything was very much in order, which I appreciated.

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(2018)
"My First Marathon"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Growing up in Marion (right next to Cedar Rapids) and now living in Iowa City I have driven this course/distance many times but never imagined I would run it. When this marathon was established I was excited because I wouldn't need to travel to participate in my first marathon.

Overall, it was a great experience. The communication from the race organizers leading up to the race made it easy to plan for and you knew exactly what to expect. The volunteers along the route were engaged and did a great job. Aid stations were well placed along the route generally well stocked and easy to get through. There were, however, a couple of aid stations that were out of supplies when I went by. My guess is that this was due to the fact that the number of people who ended up registering for the event far exceeded the expectations with it being a first time race. I expect this to be improved for next years race.

Going into it this race and going through all the training, I wasn't sure if marathons would be my thing or if this would be my first and last. After this experience, I am looking forward to more.

Happy Running!

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