This race is a gorgeous weekend-long "Wicked" Triple Challenge for those up to it. Run in October in a coastal Florida town through a winding road along the water, this race is anything but "wicked." At the time of writing this, I have only completed the half marathon, the challenge is to run all three races, the 5k, 10k and then half-marathon giving this gorgeous ghoulish race the "wicked" title.

Fort Walton's Wicked Triple Fun Run is put on by it's beloved running store downtown, Run With It; which if you have never been there, it's a really wonderful and helpful store with some of the lovliest people in our town.

Out of all the races I have run, two which were in rural Montana, this is by far the smallest (least amount of participants). Overall, I rather enjoyed that because it gave this race a rather intimate feel and navigating across the start line wasn't overwhelming and everyone is very friendly and driven to compete.

The Wicked Half is anything but "wicked." The course is serene and you'll literally run breathing in fresh salty air the entire time. Starting at the landing in downtown Fort Walton Beach directly on the water, this is a fast out and back course run almost entirely along the edge of the bay. For the duration of the course, you'll run through one of Fort Walton Beach's most darling neighborhoods adorned with boat docks, yacht clubs, parks, and beautiful old trees and lovely mansions. Visually, the course is calm, serene and absolutely lovely and you can watch the sun sparkle off the water throughout much of it.

At the half-way point there is actually an aid station serving beer, this was the first race I ever saw this. A race volunteer encouraged me to take some and sip it for the carbs. I'm not a drinker but I admit it did help me!

Throughout the course, the elevation is consistent at sea level so this course is rather fast. Traffic is limited to one lane during most of the course so you have to be mindful of motor vehicles. I would also recommend using Nike Running Club or a Garmin to track as it's not chip-timed, but this doesn't take away from this small, intimate race what-so-ever.

The race concludes where it began at the landing in downtown Fort Walton Beach. Families are there waiting and cheering for all of the runners. Honestly, there wasn't a lot of post-race support but there are dozens of places to eat and grab a coffee or good, wholesome food right there on Miracle Strip behind the landing so this isn't a negative for me at all.

Overall this race is peaceful and really lovely. It is small, fast and intimate and you'll breathe in warm salt water air the entire time. The community of runners is small and friendly and you'll feel welcome and they'll even cheer you on.

I sincerely recommend this run to runners near and far, especially anyone looking for a new PR!

Turkey Trots are all the rave anymore, especially to those of us who want to ease the guilt of the feast we'll park-take in just hours later!

Fort Collins puts on a lovely Thanksgiving Day run on a fast 4 mile course through downtown and nearby neighborhoods. Better yet, this race is partnered with RamStrength who support cancer survivors so your entry fees go towards a great cause!

I ran this race only once, in 2015 and it snowed, creating this incredible winter wonderland scenery. The snow was coming down so much it accumulated on the streets as we ran and froze to our eyelashes. Even better, they served hot cocoa after the race was over, it couldn't have been more perfect!

I was very surprised to see the turnout, there were countless participants in this run despite it falling on the morning of a major holiday. The run is the perfect family event, in-fact, according to their website, "the Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day Run has become the most popular family 4 mile run/walk event in Northern Colorado! " and I certainly believe it.

Despite the number of people, the race was very organized and it was a lot of fun. I've run a lot of races and maybe it was just the snowfall charming me but I honestly will say this is the funnest race I have ever run!

The race is not chip timed at all, the technical tees they give away are wonderful and the top three in each age group receive a pie as a reward (how unique!).

If you are in Fort Collins for Thanksgiving I would definitely participate in this event. It's downtown, easy to get to, centrally located and a wonderful community event. You'll feel so satisfied warming up your chilly legs with a turkey roasting in the oven later that day knowing you crushed 4 miles earlier that day!

I have run this race 4 times as well as several other half marathons and there are none better than the Missoula Half Marathon!

The expo is wonderful, organized and really helps you prepare for what's to come. Even though the amount of people who participate in this event is overwhelming, nothing feels stressful or chaotic; everyone is happy, positive and in very high spirits.

Nobody deserves more credit than the race volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the entire weekend to support this event. They are absolutely delightful and they ensure this event lives up to the epic hype that everyone claims it to be.

The morning of the event should be completely crazy and chaotic but it's not. Everyone is under a very clear direction of where to go, which bus to board and despite bussing thousands of people to the starting line, everyone is very quiet, calm and friendly.

At the starting area for the half marathon, everyone is preparing, you start to feel the energy rising. You'll stand with thousands of others as the sun comes up, the announcers do a great job keeping everyone informed, completing a morning warm-up and playing music.

Next is my favorite part, the actual firing of the cannon to signify the start of the race. The beginning of this race is the most exhilarating of any race I have ever run in my entire life! Once that cannon fires, they will shoot off fireworks for so long, you'll literally run far enough away to not be able to hear them anymore. It literally takes over 5 minutes for all of the participants just to pass over the starting line (don't worry, it's chip-timed!).

For the next 13 miles, but particularly the next 2 miles, you'll be running in a huge pack of runners. You can hear thousands of feet hitting the pavement like a stampede of horses running into the sunrise all while fireworks blast away behind you. You'll feel like a feral human running amongst others, carried along in a huge pack. It's a wonderful feeling I look forward to every year I run this race.

The entire course is scenic and iconic, from the man playing his grand piano in his front yard to Caffe Dolce's epic aid station, the course doesn't contain a single dull moment. It is almost always sunny and cool and the spectators and inspiring and wonderful. The streets are littered with sidewalk chalk messages to cheer you on, neighborhoods spray their sprinklers into the streets to cool runners, children applaud and high five runners, you can literally run this entire race off of the good vibes of a beautiful community.

After 13.1 exhausting but inspiring miles, the finish line is a welcome sight! The entire race is chip timed and you can quickly get your official results upon completing the event. The spread of food from the Good Food Store and other local shops is to die for and absolutely hits the spot after your run. Of every sporting event I have ever partaken in, none has a better food tent than this one, hands down.

If you've never run a half marathon before and you are thinking about it, I would absolutely start with this one (this was my first half marathon in 2011 and I was 25 weeks pregnant!). This race is so organized, has a ton of community backing, lots of support and amazing race swag. I've now run 5 other half marathons in other states and none are better than this one!

This is a bucket list race, in my opinion, I wish everyone in the world could experience this race and love it as I do.

Happy Running!

**** Also note, my kids have participated in the Missoula Kids Marathon (1.2 miles) and it's also a really wonderful event! Each kiddo receives a medal and swag bag with a popsicle at the end. The course is along the river on the Kim Williams trail and ends in Caras Park. Parents are encouraged to participate with their children and run alongside them, it's a lovely family event, I highly recommend it!

This race truly is "Snow Joke."

I'm not kidding, no I'm really not kidding, this race kicked my butt!

This half marathon is run in February in Montana around a frozen glacial lake. I've only run it once in February of 2014 and it was about 18 degrees out. For this race I brought my camelback as I was concerned there may not be as many aid stations as I like and as a result, I was forced to take sips the entire run because if I didn't, the water in the tube would freeze (haha, no kidding!).

The run is beautiful, the course runs around Seeley Lake and it's charming. There are some hills, frosted trees and plenty of other chilly runners to keep you motivated.

The run encounters its first moderate climb around mile 3, there are several moderate climbs along this course. In total, there are 3 aid stations so plan accordingly! Traffic is also open but monitored throughout this course so be mindful as you run.

Overall, this race severely kicked my butt. Admittedly, I wasn't conditioned as much as I should be but I did this as my first entry to preparing for the Missoula Half Marathon several months later, it was my training kick off. I intentionally wanted this race to be rough as I believed that if I ran a really difficult race it would make all other races so much smoother and easier; fortunately I was right.

This race was very cold, there wasn't a lot of support but the community of runners was incredible. Snow Joke truly challenged me and as I've stated, that was exactly what I expected out of it. If you are daring and searching for a challenge, I highly recommend this race.

As far as swag goes, I was disappointed, I got a cup and a ribbon for getting my butt brutally kicked by the course and the elements. GREAT NEWS though, they do give medals these days so you'll have your shiny race day reward to hang on your rack. I will literally re-run this race for the medal and the challenge!

If you want to truly be awesome, run this race, literally, everything in life will seem easier afterward!