Registered for this race a couple of weeks ahead of time. It ended up selling out before race day. A good value at $40 for the half marathon distance.

Packet pickup was quick and easy. Packet pickup was next to the start/finish, and there were separate lines for the half marathoners and 3.5 mile racers. Included with the registration fee was a gender-specific, decent quality tech shirt. It wasn’t the greatest tech shirt in the world, but also not the crappy cheap kind either. It has a simple logo printed on the front and the race series that this company puts on on the back with some sponsor logos. I’ll definitely wear it on training runs. We also received a couple of Clif Bar samples. Bananas and water were available before the race.

There were a handful of port-o-potties at the start/finish, along with the park’s permanent restrooms. For about 300 runners, this seemed to work out fine.

Parking was tight, because the park isn’t very big. Definitely get there early, because overflow parking was about half a mile away, up a big hill. (We drove our RV down, so we parked in the overflow lot because it was the respectful thing to do. It hurt walking up that hill after the race!)

The race director was adamant that the race start on time, going so far as to count down by the minute. As someone who has shown up for a race early and then had to listen to long bouts of commentary before, I really appreciated the on-time start! No big fanfare to start the race, just a mention of sponsors, a quick overview of which signs to follow for which race, and an airhorn to get us going.

There was a bit of a bottleneck to get onto the trails, that added maybe 30-60 seconds to everyone’s time, but everyone seemed to be pretty settled within the first mile or so. The early part of the trails were wide enough for passing without too much trouble. The last 3-4 miles were single track, lots of roots to negotiate, and some steeper dips. Fun and challenging!

The trails at Harbins Park are well-maintained and the race course was well-marked. The half marathoners and 3.5 milers ran together for awhile, then split up onto separate trails. The trails were mostly dirt, occasionally getting technical with some tall roots (no wipeouts for me, but a couple of close calls), and some parts are covered in pine needles (so they could get a little bit slippery.) Very few parts of the race course were straight; lots of twisting and turning, seeing other runners going in the same direction nearby, but finding out quickly that they were on a different part of the course. I’m a fan of the walk-the-uphills-and-run-the-downhills method, and there were lots of both. The downhills were especially fast and fun; all the twisting and turning felt like a rollercoaster, in a good way.

One big negative (and something to be aware of) is that there are only two water stops on the half marathon course: one at about 6 miles, one at about 9 miles, and then we passed the 9 mile aid station again at about mile 12. This was something that was well-communicated by the race director, who recommended that we all carry some type of hydration system during the race, so it was not a surprise. However, this is Atlanta in the spring, so it was very humid, and I needed more fluids than usual.

As a slower runner, one of my biggest pet peeves is when aid stations run out of fluids. The first water stop had about 20 cups of water left by the time I passed it, and was unmanned. Just cups of water on the ground and a trash bag. The second water stop had just about exhausted their supply when I reached it the first time (around the 9 mile mark.) I don’t know if there simply wasn’t enough water to resupply them or if they just didn’t bother, but by the time I made it back around to them at mile 12, they had nothing left. On the plus side, the water stop folks were very spirited and encouraging.

Because this is a trail race, don’t expect to find any port-o-potties on the course. There wasn’t much room on the sides of the trails to get any sort of privacy if you require it.

The finish line was mostly disassembled by the time I made it there, even though I made it in well under the cut-off time. The timing system was still up and I was able to get an official time. No finisher’s medals at this race; finisher’s received a pint glass. (Personally, I’d rather have that than some of the more boring medals I’ve received!) The only thing left at the finish was some water and samples of beef jerky. Yuck. Would have appreciated some kind of fruit or other food and other drink (chocolate milk, Gatorade, anything other than just water) at the end of the race.

Overall, a decent race, particularly for the price. The course is what saved the overall score for me, and because of the course, I’d recommend it to a friend. I would definitely suggest bringing along your own fluids, particularly if you are slower and/or if you need more than just water to fuel you through 13.1 miles. The aid stations ONLY have water, so if you need GU or anything else, you’re on your own.

Not many races start in one state and end in another. I definitely don't know of any other race that starts in one state and ends in another, but the city names are the same. But this one does - beginning in Bristol, VA and ending in Bristol, TN.

Picked up my packet the morning of the race. It took less than five minutes. The race starts at a school in Virginia and finishes at a school on the Tennessee side. Shuttle buses will bring people back to the start; I had family with me, so I can't comment on the shuttles.

We all knew things would be bad when the mayor of Bristol, VA opened up the race by telling us that he did NOT design the course. Yikes! They mentioned that they redesigned the course, because the inaugural race in 2013 was deemed to be too difficult. This area of the country happens to be very hilly, and I'm pretty sure this race made sure to hit every single one of the hills, even with the redesign.

Most of this race goes through residential areas. There are volunteers at every corner, holding directional signage, which is a nice touch. There wasn't a whole lot that was visually interesting except for a sliver of downtown Bristol, TN and a small greenway section. In fact, the downtown part of the course seemed to miss the famous Bristol sign at the state line. It would have been great to run right under it.

Aid stations were stocked with Gatorade and water and nothing else. Would have been nice to have some bananas and oranges, or even just some gummy bears. It was a hot day, so it also would have been nice to have a few extra aid stations near the end of the course.

Swag was...interesting. The shirt was a nice t-shirt-like drift with a great design. Definitely not one for the Goodwill bin. At the end of the race, rather than a medal, we got a medal-like thing in a ziploc bag that seemed to be missing the lanyard. The design is great - it looks like the Bristol state line sign - but I'm not sure what it's purpose is. It's too thin and flat to be a paperweight, it doesn't stand up on it's own to be displayed that way. I ended up hot gluing a ribbon to it so that I could have a medal to hang on the wall. I happened to run the last few miles with a woman doing her first race, and I occasionally motivated her by telling her to visualize the medal, and telling her that she had to wear it all day, and then...no medal. Sad face.

It was kind of an anticlimactic finish, in a parking lot at a high school, handed the weird medal-paperweight thing. Post-race food was limited - all I saw were bananas, muffins, and some chips and bottles of water.

We stayed at a Motel 6 in Bristol, VA that had been recently renovated and was immaculate. It was a couple of miles from the start line and cost about $60 for the night.

I'd run this race again, training hills a bit more beforehand. For the low cost, under $50 during the week of the race, it was a good value.

The Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon/Half Marathon is in the tiny town of Winchester, TN, between Chattanooga and Nashville.

Packet pickup (NOT an expo) was quick and easy, located in the downtown square of Winchester. Swag included a string backpack, a dry-fit hat, and a long-sleeved dri-fit shirt. The hat was beige with the logo embroidered on it, and it immediately got gifted to my husband, because while I love adding to my hat collection, that doesn't mean I'll wear an ugly one just because I got it for free. The dri-fit shirt was of good quality, but the screen printing wasn't done well, and I received a men's fit instead of women's, even though I was among the first 10 people to sign up for the race and requested a women's fit. I was told I couldn't exchange it. Packet pickup took a grand total of two minutes.

Race morning was quick and easy. Plenty of parking within a few blocks of the start line. I wish they had put a little bit more effort into fancy-ing up the start; it was just the timing mat on the ground. I don't even think they had a sound system out. No national anthem, no remarks from the race director, no gunshot. At some point, the people in the front started running and the rest of us followed.

October in Tennessee is a mixed bag - it might be cold and it might not. Race morning was mild, but it warmed up quickly. The first few miles are in a quiet residential area, around a hospital, nothing too exciting. Then there is a stretch along a large highway lined with the typical fast-food restaurants and retail stores. Following that, you are running through a string of residential areas before swinging back to downtown Winchester to finish up. The course gets pretty hilly at the end. Things started getting hot during the suburban highway portion (being on a four lane asphalt highway surrounded by asphalt parking lots certainly didn't help!) and it only got hotter after that.

There was plenty of traffic control; it seemed like anyone who worked for either of the cities this race went through was out on the course helping to direct traffic - animal control, utility workers, and the usual police.

The aid stations were the biggest disappointment in this race for me. As a slow marathoner, I look forward to the aid stations, probably more than the fast people. When races are particularly difficult, as this one was due to the heat, those aid stations are like an oasis in the desert. The volunteers working the aid stations were WONDERFUL. Full of spirit, decorated with themes, some people were in costumes, and everyone was incredibly nice and helpful. Unfortunately, they were not well-stocked for this hot of a race. There is no Gu at all throughout the course, there was no ice (and, thus, the water and gatorade were not cold), no bananas, and no salt or salty products. I always carry my own Gu and salt pills, but for a race put on by a hospital, I was surprised at the lack of salt and ice on such a hot day. The only time there was ever anything other than Gatorade, water, and orange slices at an aid station was at the very last one, at mile 25, where I was offered a trail mix bar. Luckily, I had family leapfrogging throughout the race, and they not only supported me with ice and salt and pretzels, but they also helped out a number of other back-of-the-pack runners.

There are very few spectators for this race (which is surprising, particularly because it goes through so many neighborhoods), but those that were out, along with the aid station volunteers, were great.

Port-o-potties appeared to be plentiful throughout the course. Post-race food was pretty basic - chocolate milk, pizza, cookies. There might have been more food throughout the day, but that's all that was left by the time I finished.

Being in a small race meant that my kids were allowed to run the .2 with me and cross the finish line, and my husband put my medal around my neck, which is always fun!

Also, I never "got" why this race is called the Southern Tennessee PLUNGE Marathon, unless they mean that you are plunged into the heat. The logo has a runner splashing in water. Where was the plunge?

I judge races by whether or not I would run them again, and whether or not I would recommend them to a friend. This particular race, I would not run again, nor would I recommend that a friend run it. I appreciate tough courses and tough races, so long as the race organizers are prepared for tough conditions. I also appreciate small-town races, but many other small towns get the details right.

Overall, this isn't a bad race, it just wasn't one I'd want to do again. That makes me sad, because it's in a great city that's close to where I live, and I was hoping it would be an annual race for me. With a few tweaks, it could be a solid race that people would want to come back to year after year.

Overall: Solid race, quality swag, great volunteers, stocked aid stations, fun finish! We'll be back!

The Details:
Expo - We didn't make it to the expo until the last hour it was open. It wasn't easy to find parking around the convention center (which is odd...since it's a convention center.) Many of the exhibitors had packed up already, which was disappointing, but saved us some money. Packet pickup was fast and easy, swag included a string backpack, a dry-fit shirt (that isn't ugly and I have worn multiple times since the race - always a plus!), and a do-rag type thing. We bought a couple of t-shirts and were out in about 10 minutes.

Race morning - runners took over part of the convention center, as it was a little bit chilly outside. There were lots of port-o-potties outside, as well as restrooms inside, but there were still some pretty long lines, but they were on par with the lines that are typical at this size race. Great send-off with national anthem, commentary from race organizers, and some good music at the start.

The Course - The half marathon is a good mix of residential, commercial, and greenway/parks. There are some serious hills, but that's what you're going to get in this part of Tennessee. There are musical acts sprinkled throughout the course to provide a little bit of entertainment, but this isn't a Rock N Roll race, so don't expect to be able to hear the music until you're very close to the performers. Some spectators along the course route, but not many. Finishing at Neyland is definitely fun, whether you're a UT fan or not. They broadcast the finish on the big screen and announce your name as you are coming across the finish line.

Aid stations - Well-stocked, well-staffed. Most were just regular aid stations, although a couple groups got creative and themed their aid station with costumes, music, and other fun stuff.

Post-race - After finishing on the field at Neyland Stadium, we received our medals from a football player (nice touch!), took a post-race picture, and then went out in search of food. Marathoners have the benefit of food and drink on the field level (and they deserve that perk!), but half marathoners must climb the stairs at the stadium to the concourse level to get to the post-race goodies. Typical food was available - pizza, large muffins, fruit, cookies. Then you can go out into the stands at the stadium and watch the other finishers. The concession stands were open for spectators to purchase food and drink.

Hotel recommendation - We stayed at the Sheraton, which is within walking distance of both the start at the convention center and the finish at Neyland Stadium. They offered complimentary late checkout for runners, which was very much appreciated.

The Knoxville Half Marathon is definitely one to try!