Last weekend I ran the Leadville Heavy Half Marathon. It was great! Let me start by saying I am from the flat plains of West Texas. I signed up for this race because my wife and I love to travel, and I wanted a challenge. It was great seeing this part of Colorado, and it was a challenge!

We drove to Leadville on Friday and checked into the very old but nice Delaware Hotel. We walked around town and hit a few shops and local hangouts before going to the expo, which was held from 4:00-8:00 pm. We went early, but a line had already formed. However, it went very quick and they had friendly volunteers. Besides the vendors at the expo, they also have a Leadville Race Series Store if you are interested in merch. After grabbing my packet, we headed back to the room to rest up.

The race starts in Leadville at 8:00 AM on Saturday for both the full marathon and heavy half. Our hotel was very handy, as it was only one street over from the start. The race begins in town and goes East into the mountains. The course had to be changed a couple of weeks before the race this year because of the excessive amounts of snow that was still on the course. However, the race did a great job of communicating the changes and having a new course map available. I was disappointed that I did not get to see Mosquito Pass, as that was the part of the course that was changed, but this gives me a reason to come back and run the race again.

I am far from an elite runner, but run a lot of races. However, with the altitude and elevation gain, this race was tough. According to my Strava data, the race was just at 15 miles and I gained 2,603 feet of elevation and we topped out just below 13,000 feet on the revised course.

I was initially worried about how I would do compared to the other runners, but once again I was pretty much middle of the pack, which is fine by me. It was an out-and-back course with the first 8 miles mostly going up with a few downhills. There were many of us run/walking the uphill portions and running the downhill the parts of the course. The last 7 miles were much easier going back downhill towards Leadville. There were two aid stations on the course that you visit twice for a total of four. It was well stocked with drinks, fuel, and water. I enjoyed a small cut of a PB Sandwich that gave me some much needed energy towards the end.

Overall, the race was so much fun with the great views. It was tough but a rewarding challenge. I took the course slow and ran by feel, and had no time goal other than enjoying the race and feeling healthy afterwards.

You finish back where you started in downtown Leadville. This race has a great finish line. After receiving your medal and coffee cup for finishing, they had chicken fajita tacos and two free beers from the local brewery. Since I stayed so close to the start/finish, I went and showered and changed clothes and then went back to the finish line to cheer on all the other finishers and enjoy the atmosphere, food, and drinks. After spending some time at the finish line, my wife and I went for dinner at a really cool place called the Treeline Kitchen. A lot of runners were there celebrating and they had great food and drinks.

I would highly recommend this race if you want a challenge or want some nice views from the top of Colorado.

I typically race on roads, but signed up for the 17 Miler at Possum's Revenge as my May Race. It did not disappoint.

There were multiple distances to choose from, and I was pleased that I signed up for the 17 Miler, as it was one complete loop of the course. Again, this was a different experience racing since it was only my second trail race ever. However, the course was great! Beautiful scenery and the lake is nice if you haven't been. Moreover, the race was well marked, well managed, and plenty of information was on the website and lots of correspondence during the days leading up to the race. The race director was awesome, and the swag was excellent. Who wouldn't want a shirt and finishers medal with a possum riding a unicorn!

This is the second race I have participated in that this group does, and they have both been great. Highly recommend if you are looking for a trail race done right in Texas!

I used this race as a "tune-up" for a later longer race. Despite it being a smaller event, it was very well managed. Midland, like my city, doesn't have a lot of scenery, but the course was well marked and nice. My one complaint is that the course was a little less than 13.1 miles, so I made a final loop on my own after crossing the finish line.

The on course support was good and the volunteers were really excited and helpful. Finally, the finishers' medal was very unique in the shape of sunshades, which I thought was fun. If you can't travel to an expensive location and want to do a smaller, but well organized race, check this one out. I do hope the course gets an extra turn next year to make it a complete 13.1.

I have wanted to do this race since I first started running. It did not disappoint. This was my first trip to central California and Carmel and Monterrey lived up to the hype. Being from Texas, the ocean, mountains, trees, and the entire area was amazing!

I ran the 21 miler and it had some of the best views on a course I have ever witnessed. Running along the coast was great, but running across the Bixby Bridge was epic. I will admit that this was a tough course and the incline of Hurricane Point was no joke, but it was worth the pain. This was one of my slower races with the elevation gain, but it was so much run running along Highway One and stopping to take photos.

The Expo was well managed, course support was great, and I loved the finisher's medal. One of my favorite destination races ever. I highly recommend, and would love to run this race again.

This was my first visit to Washington, DC so this was a fun way to see the city. We stayed near the White House and the start line. It was a cold start, but the starting line had a good energy. The beginning of the race was great running by the White House on one side and monuments on the other side going down Constitution Avenue. The next portion of the race along the park was nothing great, but the last part of the race was cool seeing the brownstone houses and other parts of the city. Finishing at RFK Stadium was just ok. When you finish, I highly suggest using the metro to get back to where you are going. It was cold and wet and I did not know this and walked for almost an hour while trying to get an Uber. However, I know now that the metro is the way to go. I loved the city and I have always had good experiences with the RnR Races. I am sure putting on a race is a logistical nightmare, especially in the nation's capital. However, I would have liked to have seen more of the monuments and sights along the course. Still, it was a fun race that I would recommend if you are in DC in March.