I ran the Manhattan as part of the NYRR 4 of 6 to gain entry into the 2020 NYC half. The course was hilly but lovely shade throughout a lot of it. As always, NYRR did an excellent job with aid stations. Two negatives: the park course was still open to cyclists and they nearly ran down runners (you needed to watch out or hug one side and mess up your tangents) and walkers did not stay to the sides- especially on the hills. That made it difficult for runners to maintain their pace. It should be noted that there are no medals (it’s the only of the borough series to not have them). The after race was fun with ice pops, music, yoga, and a photo op with the ghostbusters hearse that lead the race. Would recommend it for a fun morning in NYC.

If you’re looking for a local race for a good cause, look no further. The annual Harvey Cedars Dog Day race is a flat 5 mile course that supports the Harvey Cedars Volunteer Fire Dept. It is known for being in the dog days of summer and with a start time of 9:30am, it is HOT! The town pride makes this a race favorite for me. While it is a chip finish, it is a siren (gun start) so your time may be off slightly as it is not a chip start. There was plenty of water on the course and afterwards. Fruit & hot dogs after the race as well. Definitely a family friendly event for runners and walkers alike.

This was a challenge race day because of the rain. I was soaked in less than 5 minutes! In assessing the race, there were some things that were done extremely well and other things that could use improvement. I personally enjoy corral starts and organization. This was a self placement corral system with one start. It felt a bit cramped and crowded in the beginning. There were a few pockets during the first handful of miles with spectators. These were the best part of the race and a local running group really brought the enthusiasm! As the race went on, the course became much more hilly with beautiful views. While this was lovely, those water stations ran out of Gatorade- which is problematic when you’re relying on the aid stations for liquid fuel. As a mid packer, I was disappointed that they didn’t even have enough for half of a somewhat small race field. The finish line was a little minimal and after the race, there wasn’t much celebration. After a half, I definitely appreciate some celebration opportunity! The race photographers were excellent (aside from no finish line photo 😢) and the pictures were expensive but I did splurge. Overall, I would recommend it to those that are somewhat local and are looking for a scenic and slightly hilly course. Make sure you bring your own fuel and make brunch plans for afterwards!