This is my second time running the Marathon Relay at a NFECS event. For those that don't know, a Marathon Relay can be split between as many as 4 runners, or as few as 2. This year at the ECSCA event, I ran with a team of 4 runners from my local November Project Phx crew. This event has become a small "mini-summit" for the November Project tribes on the west coast (although it's such a great event that many come from the east coast to just to run).

You don't have to be a part of November Project to have fun at this event (though if you do attend, I recommend visiting the San Fran November Project tribe for a pre-race or post-race workout and to make new friends). But having all of my NP friends with me and meeting hundreds of runners from other tribes really made this event special for me.

But let's break down why the event itself is amazing:
--Easy Access. There are a few shuttles from different parts of San Fran that will take you to the event start/finish area (Marin Headlands).
--Out and Back. Whether you're running the 50 miler, 50k, Marathon, or Marathon Relay... all distances start and finish in the same spot. So race-day logistics are fairly easy and you can cheer other runners in as you wait or after you finish.
--The Scenery. Just the start/finish area was beautiful. Amazing trees and all the greenery. A really awesome spot. But the REAL views were during the run! Views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
--The Energy. I think the crowd of energized runners and the beautiful city and course really brought out a positive attitude in everyone. High-Fives were everywhere. Thumbs up, cheers, laughs. Really made any race nerves, concerns, or struggles disappear.
--Course Volunteers. I know the NFEC races are always well marked but I was surprised to see the number of volunteers and course marshals out there. I never had to worry about taking a wrong turn or not knowing where to go.
--The Food. I know the aide stations were all well stocked, but in the Marathon Relay I didn't need to really stop at any. However, at the finish, there were those amazing nut butter-filled Clif Bars, Electrolyte drinks, and a variety of natural meat jerkies from bison, chicken, and pork. For those that ran the 50k or 50 miler, there was actually a full meal available. And of course, a Beer Tent for everyone!
--The Stars. The ultra distances sell out b/c there is some big money on the line for winners of this race. So to be running the same course as so many amazing elites out to break records, was so much fun. And seeing people like Dean Karnazes out there... I basically just walk around star struck.
--Weather. I was expecting it to be freezing, especially coming from the desert, but the weather wasn't that bad at all! It was perfect when you started running, but chilly when you were done. Just enough for an additional layer and you'd be fine. Plus, there were small fires throughout the start/finish area to keep you toasty.

I do want to warn you, the hills are killer. The one hill never seemed to end, and the downhill was brutally steep. But don't let that scare you or deter you from running this race. It's merely a warning you might should hit a few hills in your training runs. ;)

There was only one thing that I would suggest to the race managers: the return shuttle lines/organization was a little chaotic. I understand you've got hundreds of runners trying to leave at once, but the two volunteers there leading the area seemed a little confused themselves. Instead of lines for shuttles it was more of a mass "shoving to make it to the proper bus" crowd. I feel there could have been a little more guidance there. Word of advice for runners: leave as early as you are able to beat the crowds and the traffic to get back into the city.

Overall, this race was amazing and I really want to do it again next year. I'm thinking maybe even the marathon or 50k? Aaaahh! Lord help me but after running this event, I totally can't wait to return and up the challenge even more!

The Scottsdale Half Marathon is really an all around amazing race. It's managed by a local race management company housed in a local running store. So those putting on this event really know the area and the community well. Let me break down all the great things I love about this race:

THE COURSE
One of the flattest half-marathons I've ever done. I even surprised myself how fast I could push it on this course. Along the way there were plenty of aide stations and porta potties. Plus dozens of cheering volunteers.

This was also my first race where the mile markers were exact. When my GPS beeped with a new mile, I would look up and could see the matching mile marker on the road. Was surprised this was the case for EVERY mile.

This race is also an out and back, so it makes race-day logistics and parking a breeze. So if you're looking for a stress-free race at which to PR, this is your race!

THE WEATHER
It's early winter in Phoenix. So you can almost always expect a chilly start but a sunny, warm finish! I just wore a long-sleeve 1/4 zip, shorts, and compression socks and was perfect. How many races offer that in December? Not many. ;-)

THE SWAG
All participants receive a soft cotton-blend shirt and a beanie with the race logo. I know that may not be as many as some races hand out, but they're pretty premium items that I will wear throughout the year.

THE EXPO
The pre-race weekend expo is located at the local running store, Runner's Den. Awesome store, highly recommend it! Getting my bib and swag was super easy and quick. On race day, you could pick up your bib and swag as well before the event began. After the race, the expo was small but fantastic. Muscle Milk, Dunkin Donuts, etc had booths for you to stop by. Really well managed.

THE MEDAL
The medal is pretty hefty for a local half marathon. And if you placed in your division, they gave additional large medals that we either bronze, silver, or gold, depending on your placement. Very cool.

THE FINISH
Above all else, one of the things that really stood out about this race were the bottomless mimosas at the finish! How awesome is that? It was really the icing on the cake for a really great event.

I highly recommend the Scottsdale Half Marathon and 5k for a PR-goal race at the end of the year, or even just an easy recovery race for the whole family. I'm definitely working this one into my early "must run" events!

Why run this race? For the amazing positive energy, the swag, and THE BEER! Craft Classic Phoenix was sponsored by one of my favorite local breweries, Huss Brewing. And everything from the swag to the medal was "beer themed". Swag included: a Huss Brewing jar/pint glass, an "On a Beer Run" shirt (tank for the ladies), a pair of knock around sunglasses, and a really awesome bib made to look just like a 6-pack of beer.

The expo/packet pickup was at the local Road Runner Sports store. There was no day of race packet pickup, so you have to make time either Friday evening or Saturday (the race is on Sunday). While the expo itself wasn't large, it was extremely easy to pick up packets. I think it took all of 60 seconds to gather everything. I even was able to try on my shirt and trade it for another size there on the spot. And Road Runner Sports offered a pretty sweet coupon that you could use on gear/clothes/shoes while in the store. I caved and picked up a brand new Nike long sleeve.

The race-day email sent out earlier in the week not only had a list of places to park for race day, but links that would take you directly to your google maps. I thought all parking spots would all be a little bit of a walk to the start/finish, and was ready to utilize the gear check. But I realized when I arrived I was parking within sight of it all. I didn't need to use gear check at all! So parking was fantastic, and there wasn't even a line to try to get in to the lot!

Another big surprise was the porta potties. I had arrived an hour early just to make sure I had time to stand in line for the bathroom. THERE WERE NO LINES! They had an abundance of porta potties for everyone. When it was about 15 minutes before the race a small line started, but I discovered another small section of porta potties with... surprise again.. no line! So impressed.

The weather was fantastic. I was chilly at the start, but I'm from Arizona. Anything below 70 is "chilly" to me these days. The temps at start were around 66-68 degrees. But things warmed up rather quickly and it was in the 80s by the time myself and all of my friends had finished.

***WARNING*** This won't be a PR course. It's a FANTASTIC race, but it's got some HILLS! You're going to have to work for that beer at the end. Fortunately, Craft Classic had a little fun with the fact that there are some unforgiving hills on the course. There is one big one that starts at mile 4.5 and doesn't end until mile 6. Adidas announced they would give a FREE PAIR OF SHOES to the runner with the fastest time up the hill, and the runner with the slowest. They called this the "King of the Mountain Climb". But alas, that was only the largest hill. There are more rolling hills after that. It's definitely not the hardest race I've done, so as long as you train for hills, you can crush this course no problem!

There were tons of aid stations out on the course. And tons of volunteers (including November Project friends). Was great seeing so many friends out on the course and getting high-fives along the way. All aid stations had water and Nuun. Was so glad to see Nuun out there and best yet, each cup I was handed, from the first to the last station, was ice cold! I'm used to the water or electrolytes being warm towards the end, but cold all the way and it was just what I needed. I will still advise that you bring a small bottle for your own hydration. While there were plenty of aide stations, those hills left me thirsty and I wish I would have had just a handheld for some water or Nuun in between.

At the finish, I was greeted with friends, music, and dozens of booths with snacks, water, and more. The medal is pretty sweet. It's a bottle opener, but also in the shape of a beer tap handle. Love it! The finish wasn't congested either. November Project friends and I were able to cheer and create a "tunnel" for other runners to run through as they finished.

The Beer Garden was at the end of the finish. And it was a pretty happening place, of course. I mean, we all came for the beer, right?! Cold cans of Huss Brewing"s Scottsdale Blonde was everyone's "free drink". And you could buy extra tickets for the other kinds. (Tip: If you go for a second beer, I highly recommend their Koffee Kolch!)

Overall, I highly recommend the Craft Classic Phoenix (or any Craft Classic race for that matter). The positive energy and laid back atmosphere helped ease race jitters or concerns about "a good time". I was able to just focus on having fun and that is exactly what I did! I will definitely do it again next year.

This is one of those runs where you go with the family or friends to just have fun. There's an option to go without chip timing, or to pay an extra $5 for the chip. Those who do decide to go for the timing, there are small medals for age division and overall winners.

So many people come dressed up in cowboy hats, skirts, costumes, and more. I ran the entire thing in a cowboy hat and with a toy horse. The horse was hit on the run. :) Since it is such a "fun run" and many chose to go without the timing chip, there were a lot of walkers and slower runners mixed in the crowd. So if you ARE running with a chip, I suggest making sure you are up towards the front so you don't get stuck behind slower runners.

The out and back run takes place at Rawhide Western Town and you literally feel like you're in the old west! We run through some dirt at first, and through a horse corral, then back on pavement. It was all very flat and not a single hill in sight. The last mile is the most scenic, running along the canal before back to the start/finish line.

There were 2 aid stations with plenty of water, but it was 8:30am in phoenix and getting pretty warm (especially if you're running in costume) so I would recommend drinking plenty of fluids before the race start.

All finishers received a medal made out of ribbon, much like you get a country fair. But the REAL attraction for this event was the post-race fair. You go inside the Rawhide Western Town area where booths are lined up back to back with freebies. And we're not talking free-stuff like you get at most expos nowadays. We started with a drawstring back at the entrance and it was so heavy by the end it was nearly exploding. They even were handing out homemade whoopie pies (I had two!!).

There were homemade pretzels and corndogs, coconut water, energy drinks, sodas, iced teas, orange juice, all bottled so you could take with you for later. And of course plenty of snacks. There was also a beer garden at the end where all participants received one free beer ticket. You could purchase more if you'd like as well.

All in all, a very fun event and I would highly recommend it. The only suggestion I have for the race management is to give the chip-timed participants a head start (like a 2 minute wave start) so they can get ahead of the non-timed participants.

I ran the XTERRA AZ-McDowell Mountain 7k and had a blast! The expo/packet pickup was smooth and pain-free at Road Runner Sports. I also had originally signed up for the 15-miler and was able to drop down to the 7k without any issues. The shirts were pretty awesome too! I noticed each XTERRA AZ trail race has a different animal on the logo and the shirts are each different colors. Mine was a pale yellow with a lizard. Very "arizona".

Race Day was warm but not too bad. Perfect for a trail run! PLENTY of parking and tons of restrooms and porta-potties. They even had FREE COFFEE and HOT CHOCOLATE. There was also a great local coffee stand selling iced coffee, mochas, etc. Definitely could've hung out there all day! Perfect for before, after, or both.

The trail was incredibly well marked. It was a single track trail so there was a lot of trying to sprint ahead and weave in and out of the slower runners until I found my right pace/rhythm. I wouldn't recommend going out in the front though unless you are for sure a speedster b/c there are plenty of fast runners in this group!

The trail definitely has some hills.. even on the 7k! It lead to some great views though as you climbed. Pretty rocky and somewhat technical on the climbs so best to not focus too much on the scenery and watch your footing. I did manage to surprise myself and went faster than I thought on this trail!

The finish was pretty great. Live streaming results. And TONS of awesome *food*! We're talking scrambled eggs to muffins. Pretty great for a smaller trail race. Still plenty of coffee around for me too! The Black XTERRA logo makes for a pretty awesome finishers medal as well. Age division winners also received pint glasses!

The only "con" to my XTERRA AZ race experience was that I *technically* came in first place in my division! While that's AWESOME, I am 29 turning 30 later this year. And XTERRA puts you in your age you will be at end of the year, because they have a points system for those who want to qualify for regionals, nationals, etc. So unfortuantley, I was placed in a different age division and placed fifth. ~womp womp~.

Nevertheless, that's not really a race problem, just more of a heads up for those who are on the verge of going up an age division. Be aware it's your end-of-the-year age!

I still very highly recommend this race! Incredibly well managed, great trails, and they have different distances and different races in various spots across the valley all year round. Check em out at aztrailrace.com!