Latest reviews by Megan Vickery

(2024)
"An Unrivaled After Party"
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I've had the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon on my bucket list of races for a few years, so I was extremely excited to be able to finally run it this year!

I traveled in the day prior to the race to attend the packet pick-up, which was located at Louisville Slugger Field and consisted of a few merch booths and a bourbon sampling from Monk's Road distillery, which was a fun way to kick-off the race weekend! I appreciated the race being on Saturday as it allowed me to fully enjoy the rest of my weekend in Louisville and partake in the local bourbon scene.

Race morning was perfect conditions, sunny and in the low 60's (after sunrise). The start line was located in downtown Louisville on Main and was easily accessible. I left early as I was unsure of any potential traffic jams, but thankfully it was smooth! There were ample portapoties (although they were a bit tricky to find due to no signage) and a gear check located near the start line. As we lined up in our corrals, a local bugler played the Kentucky Derby song to kick-off the race, which was another uniquely Louisville touch!

We started the race running down Whiskey Row before turning past Yum! Center and Louisville Slugger Field. From there, the course began a series of rolling hills as we weaved through treelined neighborhoods on our way to the highlight, and most challenging part of the race, Cherokee Park. Thankfully I had asked a friend who ran this race prior what to expect from a hill standpoint as initially I assumed it would be flat. The hills in Cherokee Park were definitely a nice challenge, but the scenery helped to distract from the climb. We then began our turn back towards downtown where we finished just a few blocks away from the initial start. Heads up that there is a hill at the very end (mile 13), so keep a bit of gas in the tank. After climbing the final hill, the finish line and cheering spectators were a welcome sight.

The medal was again very unique to Louisville, shaped like a bottle of Monk's Road Bourbon! Sensing a theme to this race? Although the course was beautiful, the after party was my favorite part. This was my 104th half marathon (including repeat courses), so I've experienced a lot of post-race parties, but this was by far my favorite. It was held at the 4th Live Experience and featured an awesome local band, the Louisville Crashers, that covered a wide genre of music. To carry the bourbon theme through, all finishers (did I mention you must be 21+ to participate in this race) receive 4 bourbon samples from local distilleries. There were around 8 distilleries that had booths for you to select from, which made it a fun experience to decide which to sample. Another participant gave me two extra samples from their bib that they didn't use, so I was fortunate to try bourbon from 6 different distilleries. I am not a bourbon girl, but I absolutely loved this experience. I will say the post-race food was a bit of a let down. I'm pescatarian and so I could not enjoy the soup (chicken noodle) and the pizza was very underwhelming. We were also provided water, Powerade, trail mix and a banana so that held me over. In addition to the bourbon samples, runners also received a very generous glass of beer from a local brewery. I don't like beer, so I gave mine to my fiance and he said it was actually pretty good.

All in all, this will go down as one of my favorite races. Not because of my performance, but because of the beauty course, friendly people, and awesome finish festival. If you have the chance to run this race, I absolutely recommend it!

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(2024)
"Simply the Best!"
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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!

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(2024)
"Running in the footsteps of history"
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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!

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(2023)
"America’s Friendliest Marathon"
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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.

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(2023)
"The perfect way to kickoff the weekend"
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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.

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