Latest reviews by Jenny Banaszak Louzon
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Every now and then I like to get away from a big race, and go for a medium one. I also like to run somewhere new. I picked Richmond because some of my family members had recently moved there. and runners world gave it a great review.
Richmond has a great price, and I beautiful course. It goes thru downtown Richmond, as well as a colorful little street filled with fun little coffee shops, cup cakes places and candy stores.
The aid stations are wonderful. One had apple juice and grapes, another had doughnut holes and cola.
The course entertainment is also great. There were cheer leaders, choirs, and a cheese board of people.
Another thing they had was designated cheer stations, where they encouraged family and friends to be at so you knew where to look for them.
There were some hills on the course, I ran Chicago about a month before and I didn't think it was a hilly course. I also really loved the scenic miles along the James river.
I am not into race t-shirts at all, so I never even picked mine up. The medal was great. and the after party was also a great time. The last two miles did have some bigger hills then earlier in the course, but there was also danish and lots of people cheering you on.
One thing that did throw me off slightly. I was use to bigger races where the start is set up in advance. They don't line up the marathon till after the half marathon starts.
So when I got to the start area 40 min before the race. There was not a Marathon start set up yet.
However everyone during the race and at the expo was super friendly. I ended up running 12 miles with two women I had just met, and then ran up to mile 19 with one of the two.
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
I have done this race 3 times, and it is by far one of my favorites that I wish I would be able to do every year.
It has been going on for 36 years and is a huge race about 18000 runners and walkers, and is also a festival.
It is a slightly hilly course. you start going up the Brady street hill. Which unless you get into a fast corral expect a lot of walkers. I put myself in the 9 min pace one year and ended up with everyone around me walking up the hill.
The awesome part is since it starts going up hill and you finish on a downhill with a great view of the quad cities.
The crowd support is one of the best crowds out there, people offer you ice, Popsicle. It is a huge event for davenport. People out in their yards playing music and dancing, people will hand you shots, beer, bloody marys.
It is an awesome race. One of the really cool things they do, is beat the elite. So my best bix time was 1:02:07. Its in July so its usually really hot, making it hard to get good time on. What they do is. They take an Elite runner and give you a head start based on your finish time. so if the elite time was 34 minutes, they I would of had a 28 min start and if you finish before the elite you will 3500 dollars. There is a lottery for that and one person gets to try to beat the elite.
you also get a pin every years you do it.
They also have a costume contest, because running 7 miles up a hill on a hot day is not a challenge enough. lol.
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
So, when I ran this race it was my first marathon in 8 years. I had trained the previous fall and injured myself. It was before a lottery was needed to get in, I know two years later they added an lottery. The year I ran it was a pretty good price point, it was $75 dollars cheaper then the Chicago Marathon, which made the 11 hour drive worth it in my mind.
What I liked :
Scenery, awesome so pretty, my favorite part was right before and after George town where there were a few smaller hills, a river and trees. I even saw a joggler, a person running with juggling. People kept telling me it was hilly, I am from Chicago where there are zero hills, and I remember a few hills but nothing to stress out about.
I loved all the Marines cheering you on. It was so inspiring and added to the atmosphere It was on Halloween and many spectators handed me candy. I am not an expo person,and I remember really enjoying the expo.I even purchased t-shirt at it.
FYI no one can come to the starting line with you, you need to get there pretty early and you will be id'ed since it starts at the pentagon.
What I didn't love,running through the mall area there were a lot of spectators,and it got crowded, Then around mile 20 you enter this bridge with no shade or aid stations. I gave up on the bridge, I had been under my pace goal. I stopped sat on the bridge for a while and contemplated life. Everything up until that point in the race had been great but getting on the bridge, the lack of shade, the lack of crowd support right around mile 19 or 20 broke me a little.
At the end it seemed like I walked forever to gear check, bonus part or creepy part because it was Halloween when I passed the med tent walking to meet my family near gear check it looked like crime scene with melting clowns, and pandas and all kinds of injured people in costumes.
Overall I really enjoyed the experience, It was my first time to D.C. I found that walking 10 miles the day before so I could see the zoo a bad idea, but enjoyed walking around the day after. As a bonus DC has several great bakeries that are great for recovery.
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
I have down this race several times. I believe in 2002,2007,2008,2009,2010.
It has three different races a 5k,10k, or you may sign up to run both back to back.
I like this race, it is a 30 dollar 5k in a world where most 5ks are up to 45/50 dollars. It is old school in the sense that the starting line isn't very built up, and it is a small race.
The course is great whether you choose to do the 5k, 10k or both you run around the historic water tower.
If you are local to the Western Springs/ La Grange area there is a decent group of runners that you will see at all the local races.
Its not a flashy race with a great shirt or swag or even after party. but it has a lot of soul and a great community.