This year marked my 9th time running the Missoula (half) Marathon and I can say it’s simply the best racing weekend. Period! I mean I’ve been returning every year since 2015 (excluding the pandemic) and I’ve ran this race more than any other, even though I’ve never lived in Montana, so that says something!

The weekend isn’t simply about the half or full marathon, far from it! The race organizers have done a phenomenal job of making it a weekend all about running so you can make the most of your time there. Those eager to run every day can participate in the Big 3 Challenge, which is accomplished by completing the Beer Run, 5k and either the half or full marathon.

Things kick off Friday night with the free fun social Beer Run in downtown Missoula. This untimed run take you past the University of Montana campus and gives a glimpse into the 5k course, although the courses are different. Although it’s a beer run, it is open to all ages and all finishers over 21 receive a ticket for a free beer courtesy of Big Sky Brewing. They even offer a hard seltzer and a non alcoholic option.

The 5k also starts in downtown Missoula on the Higgins St Bridge. It winds through the surrounding tree lined neighborhoods, past the University of Montana campus and finishes on the trail along Caras Park. While there is no post race food or beverage for the 5k, participants receive a high quality finisher shirt and amazing medal.

They also offer a race for the kiddos with the Missoula Kids Marathon. All kids receive a cute cap, bib to customize and medal. This event is untimed to make sure it is fun and inspiring.

Finally, the weekend wraps up with the main event on Sunday, which for me was the half marathon. As this is an A-Z course, all participants for either the half or full have to take a shuttle from the University of Montana campus to the respective start line. Thankfully there is ample parking between downtown and the campus parking lot, although I highly recommend parking on the downtown streets to avoid the congestion on campus. It’s a quick walk to campus and is well marked. To be safe, you can walk from Caras Park to the campus the day before so you are familiar with the route. The shuttles are very well organized and I’ve never had to wait long. Once dropped off at the start area, there are porta-potties and gear check, however I’d recommend using the bathroom early as they get very crowded close to start time.

One of the benefits of starting early is the opportunity to watch the sun rise over the surrounding mountain range- make sure to have your camera ready for a photo!

The start of the race weaves through the beautiful countryside and along the river for the first few miles. The first 3 miles are a net downhill before it flattens out for the remainder of the race with a couple of very minor “hills”. The majority of the course is through the rural neighborhoods of Missoula and the community shows up every year to support the runners. The final stretch takes you on a right turn to the Higgins Bridge where you push to victory.

The finisher goodies include another awesome finisher shirt and medal, along with some post race food and another beer/hard seltzer for the 21+ crowd. They do offer pop and water as well.

A perk of this race is that they offer free course photos, which are ready within a day along with timely results.

There is so much to explore and do while in Missoula, it’s truly an amazing racecation to be enjoyed solo or with friends and family, there is something for everyone! I know I’ll continue to return every year!

On my mission to run a half marathon in every state, I was granted an opportunity to run the Delaware (half) Marathon. I had zero clue about the Wilmington area before this race, however I was so impressed with the city and the race organization. It’s such a beautiful area steeped in history!

Packet pickup was at the Tubman-Garret Riverfront Park and had a few small tents, including race merch. The packet pickup was smooth as the volunteers scanned the QR code that was emailed to runners and assigned the bib at that time.

Race morning was chilly (temps in the 40s), but it made for perfect running weather. I stayed at one of the hotels in downtown Wilmington through the race website (solid discount, definitely recommend!) and walked to the start, however there seemed to be ample parking in the surrounding area. There were plenty of porta-potties and the only minor hiccup was that gear check was slammed 10 minutes before the start, which made me a bit anxious. Thankfully the line went fast and I made it to the start with 5 minutes to spare.

All distances started/finished in the Tubman-Garret Park. The races ran along the riverfront path for the first half mile or so and it was congested, but once we transitioned to the roads it opened up. The race weaves through downtown, along the lush paths of the riverfront and through the beautiful neighborhoods. The entire race was scenic from the vibrant trees, lush parks and river. This helped as a distraction during times where the route hit inclines. Speaking of, I made sure to study the elevation map before the race so I could anticipate the climbs and know how and when I could push. The majority of the gains were after mile 3, 6, 9 and at mile 12. I always find climbs during the last mile to be cruel, but this was a brief incline before finishing on a steady downhill. It was not bad at all, especially if you reserved some energy.

One of the highlights of the race for me was the community support. There was a lot of support from spectators, but most notably was how supportive and encouraging the police members were. In most races there will be an occasional police officer that cheers on the runners, but I’d say 90% of the officers during the race were offering words of encouragement. It was really special and much appreciated!

Once crossing the finish line we were bestowed with the beautiful 20th anniversary medal, which is one of my all time favorite medals- and this was my 98th half marathon, so I have a few! The medal is not only beautiful and excellent quality, it also has the key areas of the route engraved on the back, which is really cool! The finisher shirts were long sleeved for the half and full marathon and short sleeve for the 5k and 10k. I prefer a more fitted shirt, so they are not my preference, but they seem to be high quality.

The finisher food was your standard water, banana and snacks (cow tails, Utz chips, granola bar and energy drink). Runners over 21 also had the option for beer, but I gifted mine to another runner as I’m not a beer drinker. They also had a local band playing in the park, which if it were warmer I would have stayed around to watch.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this race to anyone looking to check off Delaware or that’s local to the area. I’m glad that I selected this run for my Delaware half!

The Richmond Half Marathon was a great intro to autumn racing on the east coast. The temps at the start were brisk, in the upper 30’s, and I found my hands to be frozen for about the first two miles. Nothing I have not experienced before, it’s just been awhile. Once my hands defrosted, I was eager to snap a few pics to share as the race course was scattered with beautiful fall colors.

Logistically, the race is easy to get to, however having to pay $10 for a parking garage was a little annoying. It’s a quick walk to the start area and there were plenty of portapotties.

This race begins in downtown Richmond and runs the first few miles in the city before transitioning to the surrounding neighborhoods. Even though they utilized a corral wave start, the first mile was very congested.

The transition point from city to the suburbs is a loop through Bryan Park, which takes you out of the hustle and into nature for a while. The course is mostly flat, with some small rolling hills throughout. The course is designed to finish on a downhill for the last ~1/2 mile of the race. This downhill is absolutely appreciated, but is steep at times, so I found myself having to pull back a little to make sure I didn’t lose my footing.

This race was named “America’s Friendliest Marathon” and I can definitely see why, there was crowd support along the entire half marathon course. There was rarely a gap where there was not someone cheering us on, which was really cool and much appreciated.

After crossing the finish line, we were greeted with a beautiful medal and bottle of water before heading to gear check. I usually take awhile to cool down after a run, however the lines for gear check were massive and took about 20 minutes to get through. By the end of that, I was starting to get really chilled, which is something I try to avoid as it’s really hard for me to warm up after that. I’ve never had to wait more than a couple minutes for my bag, so that was unexpected. In overhearing other runners who have ran this race before, it sounds like this year was an anomaly, so hopefully they figure it out for next year!

After throwing in my jacket, I headed over to the finish festival on Brown’s Island. The half and full finishers were gifted a blanket and hat, which I thought was unique and cool! We were given a slice of pizza, banana and some yummy trail mix along with the option of either a beer or Tito’s vodka drink. Kudos to the race for offering a non-beer option! The finish area was not large enough to comfortably host all of the finishers and their supporters, it was very crowded!

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this race for someone looking for a PR or to check Virginia off their list.

They changed up the course a bit this year, but it was still beautiful! We started on the bridge across the Clark Fork River before weaving through tree lined streets of Missoula and past the University of Montana campus before finishing in Caras Park. They do not provide any finish food/refreshments, which after a 5k you don’t really need, but it’s always nice to receive something. The medal and finisher shirts are always top notch!

The expo is held in the same venue as the 5k, so it makes it super convenient to pick up your packet after! All of the volunteers were incredibly friendly and excited to be there. As always, the finisher shirts are amazing- can’t wait to rock those after my races!! I had to buy some extra Missoula Marathon branded swag because they really do have the best designs. I wear my Missoula Marathon swag more than any other race.

My weekend kicked off with the free Beer Run (5kish) that isn’t timed, but it’s a great warm up and you get a free beer/hard seltzer from Big Sky Brewery after! This year they also gave finishers a cool bottle opener (they always have some fun item). I ran the 5k the next morning (see separate review) and then did my annual hike up the “M” before grabbing huckleberry ice cream from the Big Dipper. This weekend is about more than just racing for me, it’s about the beautiful scenery and community of Missoula!

The expo is held in the same venue as the Beer Run & 5k, so it makes it super convenient to pick up your packet after! All of the volunteers were incredibly friendly and excited to be there. As always, the finisher shirts are amazing- can’t wait to rock those after my races!! I had to buy some extra Missoula Marathon branded swag because they really do have the best designs. I wear my Missoula Marathon swag more than any other race.

It was gorgeous day for a the half marathon. It was slightly warmer than usual, but a nice layer of clouds kept me shielded a bit from the sun the majority of the race. We were treated to a stunning sunrise over the mountains, which was capped off by the traditional fireworks at the start.

The course begins in the beautiful countryside of Missoula, running amongst pastures and the Blue Mountain forest as we wind along the Bitterroot River. I was a bit sad as there are usually horses that run along the fence line about 1/4 mile after the start, but this was the first year I didn’t see them. I also noticed the pianist that was usually setup with a baby grand piano on a property around mile 3 was absent this year. That being said, the rest of the course remained as beautiful and majestic as always.

After crossing a bridge over the Bitterroot River, the course begins to weave through the beautiful neighborhoods of Missoula. The final stretch takes runners across the Higgins Street Bridge over the Clark Fork River toward the finish line. Runners are cheered on by spectators lined on both sides of the bridge, giving us the final push we need to finish strong!

The volunteer and community support for this race is exceptional! I really cannot capture how special the Missoula Marathon weekend is, you have to experience it to feel the magic of this beautiful town and amazing races. I’m already counting down the days until next year! This is the one race I will continue running annually ✨