Registration was available online and on race day for either half marathon, 7 mile or kids 1 mile. Included with registration: Nike shirt, chip timing, virtual swag bag, & when you finish, a medal.

Expo: Packet pick up and expo was held Thursday and Friday before the race, hours to accommodate everyone. Expo had free stuff, information on nearby races, running apparel, & bourbon. Free parking.

Pre-race: Plenty of clean port-o-potties. 5 waves with pacers were set up for the half, each wave to start 2 mins apart. The 7 milers started after the half. When it was time to get the race started, there was no National Anthem, but the crowd was serenaded with a bugle player.

Race/Course:

For as far as the eye could see there was pasture, wood fence, homes, barns, and horses.
Course was run on paved or asphalt roads through horse country. No cracks or potholes.
There were about 4000 runners, but with a wave start and width of a road it was never crowded.
Dogs were allowed on course.
Each mile was marked with a flag.
7 mile & Half were on same course, but split to get extra miles.
There were plenty of hydration stations, about 7. Each stop had Gatorade, water, Nuun, and Sword. A mix of both plastic and paper cups.
All major intersections had an officer or volunteer
Not many spectators
HILLS! Rolling hills! For every up there was a down.
No food on course
Chip time mat at halfway point - tracking via text
Music groups - drum band, bands, DJ

Post Race: Buffet of post race goodies: bottled water, bottled Gatorade, M & M's, chocolate milk, Famous Amos Cookies, M & M cookies, Oreo cookies, bananas,& fruit snacks. Plastic bag was provided to carry all the food. There were also local products set up to try samples, Kentucky Ale and a slider with steel cut oats in the meat. Due to the weather, the festivities were moved indoors where the expo took place. Expo vendors were still set up and the JD Shelburne band was rocking! Finish times were available to view on computers. The indoor bathrooms were open. There was also the VIP option of a post race meal & separate bathrooms for those who purchased. The kids mile took place.

Overall: Great race, challenging course, due to last minute weather changes the race still went as planned.

It was about 50 degrees at the start with a slight mist, then the rain picked up and the temperature dropped to 43 degrees. The organization had a great race despite the rain.

The entire organization did an excellent job with promoting and keeping the runners informed through social media.

January 18, 2014. 1 pm. Scott Co. Park Long Grove / Eldridge, IA. Snowing, overcast 20 ish degrees with windchill.

Registration: Available online until 2 days prior to race. Only $20. Same day registration on site. Included was a koozie and a stocking hat (misprinted with 2013) Also entered into a drawing to win a bike.

Parking: Lot available near race start. Plenty of parking for everyone

Pre-race: Shelter open with heaters and fire. Park bathrooms were open, no port-a-potties. We (Friends Kelly, Laura & I) waited in the car by the starting line.

Race / Course: Race started with a “GO” and the clock was ticking. Course was on the paved surfaces through the park. However they were covered with snow, just enough to make running tough & slippery. Lots of hills. No major potholes or giant cracks in surface. All miles were marked. No water stops. Volunteers were at the one major intersection. Traffic cones guided the way. Finish was marked with the clock. No chips, volunteers grabbed the tag on the bottom of the bib.

Post Race: Hot chocolate and assorted store brand cookies available. As results were tallied, a random drawing for prizes was held. However it seemed Corn Belt might have been cleaning the closet and anyone with a bib was eligible for a prize. The grand prize was randomly awarded to a male and a female, a brand new bike. Award winners were handed a nice wooden plaque.

#Megsmiles: I also ran this race as part of Megs Miles. Raising awareness for runner’s safety. You can read about Meg’s story here, but she was killed by a drunk driver while on a run. Safety is very important as a runner. Here are some of my tips/ideas to stay safe out there: Wear an ID, ( I love my RoadID) tell someone where you are running & when, use an online tracking app, wear bright colored clothes, (I usually look ridiculous) wear reflective gear, use lights, always make eye contact with drivers when crossing intersections, run against traffic, use the sidewalk when available, don’t assume a driver sees you, and run with others.

January 25, 2014, 10 am, Amana, IA. Sunny 10ish degrees, negative wind chill temps, windy!

Race is part of the Amana Winterfest.

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 polish sausage, andouille sausage, dill mustard, Millstream brewing ticket and caramel corn puffs.

Packet pick up/Pre-race: Plenty of parking in lots near by. Only one, indoor restroom for each gender (long lines). Packet pick up from 8:30-9:30 in indoor warehouse. Bib number look up was posted. Could wait inside.

Race/ course: Chip time with gun start. Out and back. Patches of ice. One hilly section. All paved, no potholes or cracks to worry about. No water stops. No mile markers. No spectators, just runners cheering others at the end. Volunteers patrolling major intersections. 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 and hot chocolate, plenty for all. Awards given to overall winners and AG winners. Times were posted. Drawing held for random prizes, but had to register before the race to be eligible (I wasn’t told about this, didn’t get to enter)

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