Friday February 20, 2015. Orlando, FL. With the windchill it was 28 degrees, sun eventually shined.

Parking / Transportation: Free parking available at Epcot in lot near start. If you were staying on Disney property a shuttle bus was available.

Participants were encouraged to gather near the corrals, coffee available, DJ & dance party happening. 30-45 minutes prior to start time we could get to our corrals. Many port-a-potties. Gear check available. It was freezing after I dumped my warm clothes at gear check.

Approx 10,000 runners.

Start: Corral start, lettered A through E. Could start in your assigned corral or a lower letter. After the live National Anthem the first corral was off, on time, with a fireworks salute. The next corral started a few minutes later and so on, each with fireworks.

The course started on the roads to Epcot. We passed by the first character, Minnie in a snowflake dress, then entered Epcot near Mexico, revealing the first glimpse of the world showcase. Mickey and Goofy were out on the course as well. Most of the 5k is around the world showcase and the back lots of Epcot.

We then ran near the fountain where the Frozen characters were greeting runners, then finished up with a run by Spaceship Earth. The finish line was in the Epcot parking lot.

The course was crowded, it narrowed and widened without warning in some places. Water only stops on this course, in paper cups. Pavement was wet, some spots could have been slippery. Otherwise there were no potholes or road hazards that weren’t marked. Each mile had a marker with a clock. Lots of volunteers, most were cheering. Not many spectators, as you can’t get into the park at this time or need to pay park fee.

No official times, more relaxed about sweeping, very family friendly.

Finish clearly marked with a banner and clock. Medals placed around your neck, rubber medal. Table for bottled water and Powerade, however there was no red left when we finished. Proceeded to get finishers photo, then on to post race banana & snack box. (corn chips, processed cheese dip, applesauce, drink mix, Krave cereal, luna bar and dried fruit)

Characters available for post race photos. However they were not main Disney characters, just Frozen themed.

Overall: Flat course, crowded, laid back. This is a perfect race for running with the family. If you were in the first corral, you could have easily set a PR, if you didn’t want to stop for any character photos.

Registration: Available online through the website, I paid around $30 and the price increased as race day approached. Race day registration was also available. Included chip timing, bib, cotton short sleeve shirt, post race pizza and beer (bud products in a can)

Pre -race: There was no true expo for the race. You could grab your "packet" the day before or prior to the race. There was parking available in downtown Jacksonville on street for free - as it was a holiday, or you could park in a ramp. There were plenty of port-o-potties and a table had some drinks available. A count down clock was mounted above the starting banner. As it became close to starting some announcements were made, and runners were encouraged to line up according to pace, then the National Anthem was played.

Race / Course: The race started on time and was run on the paved streets along the water in Jacksonville

water stops in paper cups
paved streets
volunteers on the route
mile markers
flat
crowded finish area, traffic allowed on course due to some scheduling conflicts
photographers on the course
ran around the Jacksonville Jaguars football stadium, EverBank Field
no medics on course

Finish / Post Race: Finish line marked with timing mat. Finish chute with bottles of water, table with sports drink. Pizza and beer in swimming pools filled with ice. Awards to overall winners and AG winners.

Overall: Race was well organized, no problems. However nothing special about it, if I weren't in town for the bowl game I wouldn't make it a priority.

January 24, 2015, 10 am, Amana, IA. Sunny 30 degrees and warming

Race is part of the Amana Winterfest. This is also the 3rd year I have ran this

Registration: Available online until a few days prior to the race for $20. Same day registration for $25. Included with registration was a t-shirt or a “meat bag,” running coupons, race bib, and a timing chip. The meat bag included pfefferwurst, noodles, cheese spread and an ice scraper. Also a coupon to Millstream Brewery for beer or soda.

I really like the no shirt option, makes the race stand out from others.

Packet pick up/Pre-race: Plenty of parking in lots near by. Only one, indoor restroom for each gender (long lines). Visitor center open, a couple blocks away. Packet pick up from 8:30-9:30 in indoor warehouse. Bib number look up was posted. Could wait inside. There were signs posted around town to direct you to the warehouse, could have missed the entrance if you weren't paying attention.

Race/ course:
~Chip time with gun start.
~Out and back.
~One hilly section. Mostly flat.
~All paved, no potholes or cracks to worry about.
~No water stops or aid stations.
~mile markers.
~ a few spectators, mostly runners cheering others at the end.
~Volunteers patrolling major intersections. Not many intersections
~no points of interest, or nothing scenic to look at, just rural Iowa
~Finish marked with a clock and timing mats. Chips removed from shoes.

Post Race: Gathering in warehouse where packet pick up was held. Cookies, bars, bagels, bananas, clementines, bottled water and hot chocolate, plenty for all. Awards (medals & gift certificates) given to overall winners and AG winners. Times were posted. Drawing held for random prizes, but had to make sure to put your name in bowl for this drawing. Lots of prizes, lots of sponsors.

Overall: Relatively flat, easy to navigate course. Not crowded. Great race to keep the legs moving in the winter.

Registration: This was available online as early as April. Price increased as race day approached, around $70. However a free hat was given to anyone with a code the last month of registration. Once registered online, there were emails sent with details, more frequently as race day neared. You could also register at the expo. Included with registration was a gender specific goodie bag (drawstring bag with zip up hooded sweatshirt - pink or green), bib with name, chip timing, and a finisher's mug full of treats.

Expo / Packet Pick-up: The expo was held at the Double Tree at Union Station on both Friday and Saturday before the race. There was no pick up on race day. Someone else could pick up your packet. The expo was average size, a handful of vendors, race information, a DJ, race merchandise, hot chocolate and marshmallows, a place to try on your sweatshirt and lots of inflatables.

The pick up was part of a hotel, mall area. One entrance had a sign directing you all the way around, when you could have just cut through.

Pre-race: All parking on the streets of St. Louis is free on Sunday, there were also ramps available near the start. There were plenty of porta-potties. Racers were told to get to the race area by 6:15 and the corrals would open at 6:45. Gear check available by bib number. A guy with a microphone roamed near the start making announcements - around 9,000 participants. Corrals were fenced off, with one opening, however fencing allowed for people to sneak through, not heavily policed, but corrals was not crowded. The 5k and the 15k started together. The National Anthem was sung live.

Race / Course:

Race started on time, each corral started 3 minutes after
Course on streets of St. Louis. Cement & asphalt. Lots of potholes, cracks, cobblestones
Water & "Sports drink" stops in separate colored paper cups. Water in blue, ahem.. lemonade in yellow
4 Treat stops; chocolate chips, strawberry marshmallows, Tootsie Rolls, and chocolate marshmallows
Mile markers with clocks
no medics on the course
a few spectators, mostly those cheering for people they knew
ran by St. Louis landmarks, Capitol building, the Arch, Busch Stadium
The race was not flat, but there were no steep hills, some nice inclines & declines
The 2 courses split after mile 2, clearly marked
Photographers near the finish
Bathrooms on the course
I only noticed one intersection no monitored by a volunteer
Tracking was available to all participants via text or social media

Finish / Post Race: The finish line was clearly marked. A volunteer handed you a medal. Only the 15k had a chocolate bar shaped medal. There were cups with "sport drink" and bottles of water available. About a block long finishing chute, marked with signs to not stand around.

Proceeded to tent marked "Finisher's mug" Where you redeemed the tag on your bib. Included in the plastic mug was chocolate dipping sauce, a banana, pretzels, a candy cane, Rice Krispie treat, marshmallow, wafer and a wet nap. Lots of trash cans and plastic bags to discard and then wrap your mug up to take home.

There was a DJ and the awards podium was set up with a backdrop where participants could snap pictures. A merchandise tent was also set up.

Overall: As far as a "gimmick" or themed race this one was fun, and a 15k was a nice distance to race. However with these style of races, no one is actually racing, they are fun. I did enjoy my time in St. Louis, but I am not sure I would do another one. I would recommend this if you want to have some fun and eat a lot of chocolate.

Make sure to check out my blog for pictures, personal story and video. www.marathang.wordpress.com

This is a trail run through the park where you run through nature’s obstacles.

This race is also named after a pub in the area, Governor’s. It is a fundraiser for a scholarship, and is organized by the Corn Belt Running Club. The race has been ran for many years, and there isn’t a lot of information online.

Pre-Race: Registration was available online for only $15, long sleeve t-shirts were extra. You could also register minutes before the race started in the park pavilion, only $17. Lots of parking available, but the later you arrived you needed to take a shuttle from a far away parking lot. Many port-o-potties available, the park toilets were closed for the season. Videos from the course were playing in the lodge to pump you up for the adventure.

Race: The National Anthem was performed live, and we were off. There were 2 courses a 2 mile route and a 4+ mile. I believe the “plus” is due to the nature of the course and where ever race organizers decide the route to go. We choose the 4 + mile route. It was marked with red flags along the way and yellow flags marked short cuts.

The course was a challenge, up and down hills, trails covered in leaves, the leaves hiding rocks, roots and hazards. downed trees and water crossings. While trying to navigate all of nature’s obstacles there were prizes located along the course, they were ribbons attached to trees with numbers on them. If you spot one you bring it back to the pavilion to claim your prize. There were also things on the course that don’t belong, if you find one of these big prizes you win a bigger prize. (more on this later)

The course is for fun, even though there are few who actually race to win trophies. No chip timing. 3 water stops along the way. The miles were to be marked with flags on the course, but I never saw one as I believe they were mistaken as prize flags.

Post race: The finish had a clock and was well marked. There was food available for purchase. Beer, water, pop and cold cider were available for runners. Flag prizes were to be claimed, they were older shirts, candy and lotto tickets. Awards were then given out. There were the overall winners, the wounded warrior winner, the youngest participant, muddiest, and then there were the awards for the items that didn’t belong on the course. Found this year: speed bag, a 10 pound dumbbell, a kids bike, and the grand prize was an exercise ball. Those prizes had to be carried all the way back to the finish from where they were found, in exchange for gift certificates to the local running store or Governor's restaurant.

Overall: For the price and the challenge, I will always try to make room for this race on my calendar, you should too if you like a fun time.