The Ice Age Trail 50K was my first 50K. I have to tell you, now, if you are considering this event, set your alarm for the sign-up date and time. The race also offers a marathon and a 50 mile option, and I am not sure about registration for those events, but the 50K filled up in less than 10 minutes!!

On Friday before the race we picked up our bib/timing chip and race shirts. They're a very nice long sleeved tech tee that is one of my favorite race shirts. The expo is fun if you're in to race history, because they have a display of all of the prior years' buckles, articles on past winners, etc. It was very interesting and worth taking the time to look over.

Race day did not disappoint. We had perfect weather. The start/ finish area is large enough to accommodate racers, friends/family, drop bags, etc. The first 13 miles of the course is a 6.5 (or so) mile out and back along the Ice Age Trail. This section can be a little dicey in some technical areas, and the trails are not very wide, so when the faster runners are coming back from the out and back, while slower runners are still headed out, it can get crowded. The views from the bluffs are beautiful. After the initial 13 or so miles, runners then complete two 9-mile sections of the Nordic Trails. The loops are well-groomed, rolling hills. There is nothing technical about this section of the course, but the numerous ups and downs can wear out the legs, especially a couple of the steeper and longer climbs.

All-in-all, this was a wonderful experience for my first 50K, and I am definitely planning to go back some day. I sustained a hip injury in a prior race and it started to bother me during this one, so the last 18 miles were slower than I had hoped. I plan to go back some day to get a better time on this fun course. If you're looking for a fun trail 50K in the area, I would highly recommend this race.

I ran the 2018 Cowtown Marathon as my very first marathon. It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend this race. Everything about it was excellent, from the expo to the finish line festivities. I was injured during December and part of January, so I was afraid I might not finish. But that was never an issue during the race because the course was awesome, entertainment was a great distraction, and the water stations were plentiful. I traveled there from Wyoming to run this race and the trip was definitely worth it!

Although I now live in Wyoming, I am originally from Central California, so in November 2017 I traveled there for a visit. During the two weekends that I was there, I ran a 5K in Fresno, a 10K in Porterville, a Spartan Sprint in Sacramento, and this race - the Two Cities Half Marathon.

This race offers two half-marathon choices, one is the Fresno version and one is Clovis. They both start at the same time and place, but follow different routes in different directions. I ran the Fresno half marathon. This race event also offers a marathon option.

The race expo was easy to navigate, but also had a good supply of vendors. I was able to get in, get my bib/ timing chip, look at a few potential purchases, and leave the expo all in less than 20 minutes. Race morning went off without a hitch, although you should be aware that parking is 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile from the race start/finish area.

The course was easy to navigate, as it was a road course. The water stations were plentiful and although I carried a hand-held water bottle, I never really needed it. The course I ran was not flat by any means, but the hills in it were not too terrible. In fact, of the 13 or so half-marathons I have run, this is the only one I was able to run in under 2 hours. The 1:59 and change finish earned me first place in my age division, and a very nice stainless steel finisher's cup.

This race was well-organized, well-staffed, and is run through areas that are populated enough to give runners spectator support but also a little bit remote so we had some tree-lined streets and pretty views along the way. I saw runners there from all over the US, so apparently this race has earned a reputation, and with good reason. It's certainly worth your time. :)

The Rock 'n Roll Denver Half Marathon is a fun event, and definitely worth doing if you have the chance. As with other Rock 'n Roll races, they offer a 5K option the day before the half-marathon, if you are interested in doing 2 races, for a third "Re-mix Challenge" medal.

I ran the half-marathon event in 2017. It was cold. Really cold. But once we got running, and the sun came out, the temperatures were great for running.

This was my second Rock 'n Roll event of 2017, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was surprised that the turn out was not larger. The Nashville event had a lot more people, and considering how many runners live in and around the Denver area, I expected more.

Still, it was a nice-sized crowd, the on-course entertainment was good, the water stations were well-stocked and frequent, and I would definitely recommend this race. The expo was easy to navigate, the day before the race, and parking for both the expo and the race was easy enough to secure (although you should plan to pay for parking at the expo and at meters or in a parking garage during the race).

I will definitely be running this race, again, in the future.