Latest reviews by Chris Dixon

(2021)
"Fast Course, Beautiful Scenery, and Amazing Support"
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The STS marathon starts in WY and ends in SD so could count as either state.

This was an incredible small town race. The communications leading up to the race were very detailed and the race director was quick to respond to any questions. From the packet pickup throughout the whole race, the volunteers and race team went out of their way to make sure all the runners had a great experience. I can't thank them enough for an amazing race.

The course itself runs through the Spearfish Canyon giving amazing views throughout the race. I even encountered some cows and goats along the way. Overall the course is super fast and ripe for PRs and BQs. The best piece of advice I would give future runners is train for lots of downhill and to study the course map to understand the elevation, terrain, and water stop locations.

As a bonus, there is lots to see and do near Spearfish such as the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore. Thanks again to the STS team for an unforgettable race and I would highly recommend this marathon!

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(2019)
"Train Properly, Run Smart, and PR"
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Pre-Race Logistics: As CIM is point-to-point, there are buses that shuttle you out to the start. There are multiple pick-up points around town, but all leave at 5 am. Makes for an early morning for sure! We arrived slightly before 5 and found the line was a couple blocks long. Once they started loading up though, everything moved very efficiently and before we knew it we were on our way out to Folsom. Once you arrive, all the buses stay parked at the start, so you can hang out on the bus until you are ready. Gear check was a breeze and there were more portapotties at the start line than I've ever seen. The starting gates are self-seeding and fill up quickly, so I'd recommend getting lined up a little early if you are gunning for a good spot.

Course: Although net downhill, there are plenty of rolling hills throughout that can cause problems if you don't train properly or pace yourself correctly. Be sure to include plenty of hill work in your training.
I highly recommend coming out conservatively. The first half has the bigger hills with the biggest coming around mile 11. The course is also pretty crowded for the early miles, so better to hang back rather than weave through the crowds. The back half has a couple hills that are long but less steep, but a lot of flat and downhill, especially at the end. The last 10k is flat/downhill with the exception of a slight climb over a bridge, so this gives the opportunity to make up time from the slower start. This is my first marathon to successfully negative split and it paid off with a big PR.

There was good crowd support throughout the race, especially at some of the more challenging parts of the course. The volunteers were amazing and provided great support - plenty of water/nuun stops, clif gels, etc.

Post-Race Logistics: After finishing, you are rewarded with a good selection of food and drink as well as some swag including a cool CIM water bottle. There is also a beer garden where runners get a free beer. The finish is right at the capitol which makes for some good pictures. The one major complaint was about gearcheck pickup. This was a nightmare and needs to get addressed by race management. While the volunteers were doing their best and were certainly appreciated, the pickup process was not very efficient. I waited probably 20 minutes and there were others that waited longer. Some runners waited only to be told that their gear hadn't been unloaded yet. Someone in my group wasn't able to get his gear until nearly an hour after he finished.

Overall Thoughts: CIM is a great race and I'd highly recommend it. Run smart and you can come away with a big PR.

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(2019)
"It's the Boston Marathon & It's Awesome"
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There's a reason people train for years (6 in my case) to run the Boston Marathon. After running my first in 2019, I can for sure say it's worth all the hard work. The race environment, incredible volunteers, and crowd support make the Boston Marathon what it is.

Pre-Race:
The atmosphere the couple days leading up to the race is incredible. Everywhere you go you see people rocking their celebration jackets. You can feel the excitement in the air.
The expo is top notch and bib number picket is very efficient due to the hard work of all the volunteers. I went late on Saturday with no wait to pick mine up. In both the expo and around town, there are a number of seminars and other events. I was able to see Meb speak at the Runner's World store.
I also attended the pre-race pasta dinner and even though I had to wait an hour to get in, thought it was worth it. The food was great and dinner is included in your registration. I would maybe suggestion registering for an earlier time to beat the rush.

Race Weather:
Despite calls for weather similar to 2018, the rain stopped prior to the start of the race and the temps were in the 60s. The sun peeked out at various times making it a little warmer than ideal. I saw multiple runners wearing long sleeves, jackets, and pants which I can't imagine how hot they were. Moral of the story is to pack for anything and keep an eye on the weather all the way up to race morning.

Race Course:
The gist of the race is that it is net downhill until around mile 16 then 4 big hills, the biggest being heartbreak hill around mile 20 or so, then back downhill to the finish. What makes Boston tough is not just the Newton hills, but the fact then even though the other portions are net downhill, they have rolling hills throughout. In addition, not only are there some steep inclines, especially in Newton, but also some pretty dramatic drops as well. Overall, I would rate the course as 3/5 on difficulty. If you pace yourself at the beginning, include a lot of hills in training and the weather cooperates, this can be a fast course. The difficult part is not coming out too fast due to the excitement of the race and the steep downhill right off the bat.

Race Atmosphere:
The atmosphere during the race is like no other. From the flyover at the beginning, to the scream tunnel at Wellesley, to the big finish line crowd, the whole experience is unforgettable. There were multiple points during the race where I felt exhausted, but the excitement of the crowd always picked me back up. It's easy to get sucked in to the competition, however it would be a mistake to not periodically look around and take it all in.

The course runs through 7 different towns with only the last mile or so being in Boston. Throughout the course there are very few dead spots. A vast majority of the time there are plenty of fans with some areas that are absolutely packed.

Takeaways:
Ultimately, there is a reason there is so much hype around Boston. It's awesome and well worth the effort of qualifying. Knowing what I do now, here are a few tips on what I would do different next time:
- I worked in a lot of hill repeats and did a number of my training runs on hilly terrain, but next time I would probably do even more. I would not just focus on the uphills, but the downhills as well as there are some pretty steep drops.
- Even though you are split up into waves and corrals, the start is going to be crowded. Better to start a little slower and conserve energy than to try to weave in and out of other runners. You'll need it for the end of the race.
- Water stations are set up on both sides of the road with one slight farther down than the other. Also the water stations are pretty long. With the number of runners, it is often a challenge to fight your way in, which can cost you time and energy. If there isn't a clear path to get water, I would either try to go down a little bit before cutting over, or I would work my way to the other side of the road.

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(2018)
"Fast & Scenic Course"
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Great race for a BQ. Very scenic and fast course. The course is just enough downhill to be fast but not too much where it destroys your legs at the end. It is a trail but I felt fine running it in my normal running shoes.

Since it is on a trail, there aren't as many water stops as you might see during a road race. The temperature was unseasonable warm in 2018 which made this a bit of an issue. Luckily the course is mostly shaded which definitely helped. I would recommend carrying water.

Logistically the race was a bit challenging to get to. Since the race is point-to-point, shuttle buses take you from a parking lot near the finish line up to the start. You are assigned a bus time at packet pickup. Mine was at 4:45. Since the nearest hotels are about 25 minutes away from the finish line, this made for an early morning.

Despite these few inconveniences, if you are looking for a fast course with great views, I would highly recommend!

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(2017)
"Inspirational Race"
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For sure a bucket list marathon. Great route throughout Memphis (minus a few areas with not much going on) with the highlight being running by the hospital. Tons of kids and their families were out cheering on the runners.

Other pros: great expo & after party and plenty of parking near the start/finish. Plenty of water stops throughout.

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