Latest reviews by Lisa Perry

(2019)
"Awesome local race!!"
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This was my third year running this half marathon and that should tell you something—-it’s an awesome low key race!

EXPO and pre-race— They send you a pretty detailed email a few days prior that explains everything you need to know about the race. The day before the race or early morning of you pick up your bib and your free shirt and that’s that- not overwhelming and easy! Don’t expect to find gels or anything else there.

RACE DAY- I have not taken the bus to the start but have parked outside of the park and walked down. There are plenty of bathrooms to use before the race starts. Since it’s a smaller race you just walk to the start and go once it’s time. In the very beginning it’s crowded but it thins out fairly quickly. This is mostly paved but there are many rolling hills and there is a section where you run through trail and need to watch where you are running. You then finish right back where you started! It’s stated a few places that this is not a race that you should run for a PR. Do it for fun as it’s not easy and it’s run in June when it can be really warm out. I’ve won in my age group and I’ve won first in the masters and they give really neat prizes! Everyone gets a medal that finishes and race photos are fairly inexpensive. All in all I plan to be a repeat runner of this race as long as my schedule allows for me to do so!

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(2019)
"Queen of Prussia 10k - A great race for women!"
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This was my first ever 10k race and I'm so glad that I picked this one!

EXPO and PRE RACE:
Bib pick up was super easy and located right at the Road Runner Store in the Town Center. I was in and out very quicly! Also, Road Runner was having a huge sale that day so I ended up grabbing a new paid of sneakers and getting a great deal on them! Having this at the store was nice because you could pick up any last minute items you may have needed for the race the next day.

RACE DAY:

Super easy to park and there were open bathrooms right at the Wegman's. You could walk right up to the start and move around easily. And you were surrounded by women only, which was awesome. There was so much positive energy flowing from start to finish! The course was flat and fast. The only downfall is the time of year that this falls in (June) because it got hot as we were running the race. I don't mind the heat so much but I know others do. There was plenty of water/aid stations and the race was run VERY WELL for it being the first year. I will definitely be a repeat customer of this race. Afterwards we could hang out right in the courtyard area and enjoy food and drink and massages. There was an area to take free photos with a nice background and email them to yourself. However, there were no 'race' photos or any one on the course to take your pictures. The finisher medal was sharp looking and one of my favorites! I ended up taking 3rd place in the masters and was rewarded a cute tiara and a small gift card to Athleta! All in all, I loved this race!!

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(2019)
"One of THE best 10 milers in the county!"
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This year was my 9th time running the broad street run. I ran my first one all the way back in 2001 and then ran it again in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. I then took a long break from it (10 years!) and ran again in 2018 because I won a free bib and finally did it again this year! The race has changed a bit since the early days... back then there were definitely not as many runners as there are now. It's insanely crowded but that can be a good thing. You will never, ever be lonely while running this race LOL!

EXPO: It's at the convention center and there are plenty of vendors, and space to walk around. You could spend a few hours there if you really wanted to. If you live near the train station you can take the train right there then walk upstairs- very convenient! Bib pick up was quick and painless.

RACE DAY: In the old days I would drive my car down to the finish and park then hop on the broad street line to the start, which is still a great option and a lot of people do that. Now I just have my husband drop me off a few blocks from the start and I walk up. It's VERY congested once you get to where the corrals are- so give yourself some extra time to get where you need to be. This course is FLAT and FAST and you get to see Philadelphia on foot- so very cool! There are spectators all along the way- so great energy flowing all over. Plenty of bathrooms.. and my favorite is when you are almost at the finish line.. you see the crowds and everyone screaming and it's just plain awesome! Back in the day you did not get a finishers medal but they have since changed that which makes me happy.. love my medals :) You also get a nice cotton t-shirt and food and water at the end, and a large area to hang with friends and family afterwards.

If you have not run this race I suggest you sign up- you will not be disappointed!!

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(2019)
"New Jersey Marathon- A flat, fast race in NJ!"
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This was my first time running the New Jersey Marathon.

PRE RACE/EXPO:

The expo was easy to get to but it was a bit crazy at the racetrack that day so to me that made it seem more overwhelming. Once you got inside and getting your bib was easy and then you walked downstairs to the expo with the vendors. There was plenty of NJ marathon gear to purchase, or you could get a coffee, talk to the race pacers, kids could make signs for parents, and there was a spot to get photos with your race bib. You could even try out the normatec compression boots- a nice plus!

RACE DAY:
Parking at the start was free, which was great. We got there a little early so I could warm up and run a mile before the race. Then a little before it started we walked up to the start and my daughter had brought her purse with her so they weren't allowed to come with me to the actual start. I didn't even think about that so my family was bummed of course. Getting over to my correct corral was easy enough as this is a pretty small race. Race took off about 10 minutes after it was supposed to. I was hoping to see my family on the course but never ended up seeing them. My husband said it took forever just to get out of the start parking lot and then they just had to make their way to the finish at that point. The course itself is flat and fast. The only thing I did not like was there are many turns in all the neighborhoods which aggravated my knee. You don't know these things when you sign up for race, it's only known when you run it :) The crowds were great in certain places and a little lonely in others, the price you pay for a smaller race. Overall, it's a great race to get a PR, which I did!

SWAG and AFTER:

It started to rain towards the end, and then was really raining when I finished and found my family. The volunteers put my medal on me right away and then snapped a few finisher photos with their nice race background. The race medal was AWESOME and it even spins! I was planning on sticking around after the race but the weather put a kaboosh on that. Maybe next time :) The shirt they gave you was a technical shirt, very light and I love it! I did purchase a parking pass for the finish so that my family could park easily and not have to worry. I think the cost was maybe $10, or $15 at most.

I'd definitely recommend this race to anyone that wants to run a smaller well run race that is flat and fast :)

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