If you want a challenging, frozen excursion through the PA tundra consider the Squirrelly Tail. Wow. This course was an absolute ice field. About 5K into this race I am seriously regretting wearing Nike trail runners. I needed some monster Hokas or skiboots for what I was about to pass through. Literal miles of punching through ice holes, slipping, sliding, it was brutal but a lot of fun in a trail runner sort of way.

The registration process was beyond simple and I think this race cost something like $30. The Expo featured a guy selling gels and GU waffles. Getting a race bib was also very simple and there is no chip timing or anything of the sort. In fact the results are hand timed and posted on a wooden board near the finish line. If you like this kind of experience this is exactly the race you are looking for.

As far as aid stations go, I vaguely remember seeing a guy in a truck with his son giving out water. There were also a few better run aid stations at 2 points and 1 with food you would expect to see at an ultra. They were few and far between so be sure to bring your own water.

Afterwards there was home made food of all kinds, and people were sitting around a campfire and warming up. They even had shirts from previous years to give out if anyone wanted one. Believe it or not I still wear this event shirt.

There is nothing fancy about this race. If you're looking to get a hard winter workout in and stomp around a frozen lake in February, this is it. There are some pretty tough climbs in the middle of the course but otherwise the elevation is pretty manageable. I recommend this race for anyone who likes a tough trail race, this one isn't for the faint of heart.

Marathon Ryan
@marathonryan

This race jumped out to me because the idea of running a race in Central Park sounded pretty awesome. The Fred Lebow 13.1 lived up to the hype and I will certainly do this race again at some point in my life.

Let's start on race day morning. Due to having a young one at home, I decided to forego getting a hotel in NYC the evening before the race and making the 2 hour drive from the Philly area the morning of. This ended up being doable but I will say it was pretty close timing wise. It took me longer to park and find the race then I expected. There are streets with free weekend parking a few blocks away from the Central Park entrance that I was able to find in about 10-15 minutes of circling around. I ended up being able to walk from my parking spot to the race in about 15 minutes.

Once I got into Central Park it was a bit difficult to navigate to the registration tents with the sea of people going to bag check and getting in lines for their corrals. Overall there were plenty of volunteers and things were well organized. Just give yourself plenty of extra time to get into your corral. The race bib pickup was extremely well organized and moved quickly.

There was no Expo for this event, but this race still gets a 5 for SWAG due to the amazing winter hat the race provided BEFORE the event (pictured). I love that. It was freezing so I actually wore it for the first half of the race and chose to lose an outer layer. It ended up being a good call as the weather warmed up significantly as the sun came up.

The course is extremely fun. The rolling path winds through Central Park and you get to explore familiar sights you have seen in countless movies. It really is very entertaining and is one of the most scenic courses I've run on. With that said, you do end up doing 2 loops which I enjoy for focus but loses some of the scenery appeal in the second half.

I will put this simply... if you do not like hills, do not run this race. The entire course is rolling hills and Harlem Hill is a MONSTER. Do not underestimate this hill. In this case, the course was changed due to ice and we had to climb it a third time at the end of the race. It made for a challenging course that broke some runners (including myself) down to a walk and complaining loudly that we actually had to go up this thing a third time.

Once the race finished you get all the typical NYRR fanfare which includes as many food options as you could possibly want. There is an after party of sorts that I did not stay for this time around, but it seemed like there was a large number of people who stayed to socialize after the event.

Overall, this was a fun race because of the amazing rolling course and beautiful scenery in Central Park. Highly recommend this one if you have never run in NYC, it's a great experience for any level runner.

Marathon Ryan
@marathonryan

The Philadelphia Half Marathon is a fantastic race experience from beginning to end. 2019 was the second time I ran the event and it is to date one of my favorite race experiences.

Let's start with getting into the city. I lived in Philadelphia for about two years and already know that Philly is pretty much a parking nightmare on race day. I had my wife drop me off a few blocks from the start. Word of advice: ARRIVE EARLY. There are massive waves of people and security check points, so it can take some time to work your way up into the corrals.

Make sure you enter your estimated finish time because this is a big marathon with a pretty significant wait time between each wave. If you are fast and in a corral in the back, center city where the race starts can get pretty crowded. With that said, the views of center city at the beginning of the race are spectacular, even as a local. Out of staters will love seeing the historic architecture near City Hall.

The race experience is wonderful with lined streets that take you through a number of neighborhoods in Philadelphia. There were drum lines, live bands, people cheering everywhere, it is a really exciting race to run. The run is relatively flat for the first half and as you get into mile 6 and 7 there is some minor elevation. The real concern for those who don't like hills comes near the end of the race as you travel through the park. This is a relatively difficult climb compared to the rest of the course. It's nothing crazy but be ready for it.

Post-race had everything I wanted including a Philly pretzel and hot broth. There is a good selection of food and drink items and you also get a Heatsheet when you finish which is a nice touch in late November. The race has plenty of opportunities for pictures including a race line finish photo. Photo prices are a bit on the expensive side but still reasonable for the quality of the photos. Another option is to swing over to the Art Museum steps behind the race finish for some classic Rocky photo ops.

This is a race that I love. If you have never been to Philly, check this race out. Even if you are from Philly, check this race out. Great management, great course, great support for the size and all for a great cause supporting the American Association for Cancer Research.

-Marathon Ryan
@marathonryan

The Caesar Rodney Half Marathon is a classic event in the state of Delaware and is one of the oldest running half marathons in the country. Whether you are from Delaware or not, this is a fun event with a small race feel, fun course, and a good after party.

This race is fairly easy to get to starting near Rodney Square in Wilmington. There are multiple places you can park on the street near the race start, or there are also parking garages available within walking distance. Bib pickup is fairly easy and was straight forward. The SWAG bag is pretty decent including a 20% discount to NB, however, the race shirt seems to always be a bit dated in the style department.

The race starts fast with a large downhill portion of the race at the very beginning, so be careful not to go out too fast on this course because it can be pretty inviting. The second part of the course moves through the Wilmington Riverfront which has been massively renovated in the last few years. It's a scenic run along the Delaware River and then up towards Trolley Square for the hilly section of this course.

There are a few long manageable climbs leading up to the top of the hill around mile 8. There is also a decent climb at the end of the race coming up to the finish. Overall the course is pretty fast and I know a number of runners who have a PR here (including myself).

Post race food options weren't anything on par with larger races but that was to be expected. The after party was at a local bar with a large number of runners staying for live music, food, beer. My wife and I hung out and it was a good time! This is a relatively small race that is actually a lot of fun. Give it a shot if you need to cross a Delaware Half off your list!

Marathon Ryan
@marathonryan

This race was my first half marathon and I couldn't have been happier with the course and management for my first 13.1!

The Expo at this event left a lot to be desired. There were a few booths set up with free samples but other than that there wasn't a whole lot going on. The Expo is only open the day before the event and there was no morning of bib-pick up. This is typical of larger races than this but I do understand why they do this, it makes it a bit tougher for out of state runners to participate.

On race morning, make sure to arrive early. The race start was 7am for the half and Rehoboth Beach fills up for parking FAST. You can park on side streets this time of year without paying generally but you will need to walk to the race start.

The race itself is an absolutely beautiful course. The half runs up to Cape Henlopen State Park and back to Rehoboth beach. As a native Delawarean I can say that these truly are some of the best views in the whole state. This part of the race features crunchy flat gravel paths which may throw some runners off that bring race flats. Mind your Vaporflys!!!

The race finishes right on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk where you get your medal and an awesome blue camo BOCO hat. The after party was one of the biggest I've seen, with food and beer for all participants in a private area at Grottos. Overall, this is a great race. If you love the beach in the Spring (who doesn't) this is a race to put on your list.

Marathon Ryan
@marathonryan