Louisiana Marathon: Race Review and DISCOUNT!

This was the inaugural Louisiana Marathon this Sunday. You can read my recap here. 
The race: There is a full, a half, and a relay, and the day before there is a 5k and a kid's one-mile. The race was well-attended, with over 1800 runners Sunday and about 400 Saturday. There were runners from 46 states and several other countries. 

At the start

Registration and cost: This is a slightly pricey race, but if you register early you can find discounts. I got in for $50 with a coupon code. That, my friends, was a DEAL! Someone can pick your packet up for you on Friday or Saturday, but there is no race day pick up, which is not my favorite. 

Finish line 

Swag: Not much - the T-shirt is kind of cheap technical with very weird sizing, so that I had to get a men's medium to get one long enough (the smalls were very short and wide). There was a small expo with absolutely no free samples of anything. However, this isn't the kind of race you run for swag; you're paying for a posh afterparty and a well-run race instead. 

Course: Course was mostly pretty although there were some long, dull stretches; it was not a totally flat course but there weren't outright hills, just the occasional long grade. I learned the hard way that this is a majority full-sun course (sunburn!). My only complaint about this race is about the course: The half and full separate and come back together several times, which means that fast runners are hitting a wall of slow half-marathoners repeatedly. These sections were miles long. It meant I was dodging and ducking, and some of the halfers were tired out and stopping to walk or stopping at water stations. I assume that they will change this for next year - it's just part of the learning curve! 

This race picture kind of demonstrates the congestion, although this was on a wider section - still, imagine everyone around me was running a 10:30 mile, and you can see how this would mean a lot of dodging and weaving for several miles at a time.

Support: Support was really excellent. There were many very well-manned water and Powerade tables (both at each station) and there were Cliff gels twice (I missed the second one though). There was a nice crowd out, too. It's nice to see a community get out and spectate for a race, and only a few areas had no one out. 

The after party by the state capitol

Post race: There is an after-party with live music, plenty of food from vendors, and local beers. They charge $10 to get in if you didn't race, but it isn't roped off and no one was paying. David didn't pay; he just didn't eat the food provided for runners (poor man was starving, too). The awards were given too late for my tastes: 1 pm for the marathon, and it started at 7am! But they kindly let me pick mine up early.

T-shirt, poster, medal, and jacket

Awards: So kick-butt. Everyone gets a medal; overall and age group winners all get the same thing, a fabulous fleece jacket for girls or a sweatshirt for guys, and an art print (see it here). Since edition number affects the value of a print (did I tell you I took a print making class once? Loved it), overall winners were given prints from the top 25 editions (I got #11)! Cute idea. These are definitely the best awards I've ever won: I'd much rather wear a jacket around than add a plaque to the stack on my desk that I am debating throwing away. Plus, the top three overall got the aforementioned Whole Foods giftcard! 
This race catered to first-timers, and the top 25 first-time marathon finishers actually received a free pair of Mizuno's from Varsity Sports. Um, how awesome is that? 

Technology: This race had some pretty cool features I wanted to mention. Notice the QR code on the race bib: if you scan it, your name and results pop up on your phone! Loved that! I also liked that right near the finish they were running a results booth. They put your number in and printed you this handy receipt with your time and division place and even your splits (it could be improved by putting overall place within your gender).

QR coded, personalized bib and timing receipt

You can get info from the website, but most of the things I needed to know I got from Facebook! If you run this race, I suggest liking the louisiana marathon on Facebook. 

Etc - Everything went very smoothly for this race, so I'd definitely recommend it. You can already register for next year, and the time of year almost guarantees nice weather (I said almost). 
*NOTE right now you can register for next year using the code EARLYBIRD for $15 off. I got suckered in and registered for the full marathon for just $50!* REGISTER NOW, this coupon code expires Feb 5th at midnight! 
So overall? Almost a perfect race. Give them time to work on the course. 
Note: All pictures except the race picture courtesy of Louisiana Running Company.

RnR Mardi Gras Marathon: review remix

I reviewed this race in 2010, but that was the inaugural year and since then things have changed - enough that I think it deserves another review.

Pre-race information, logistics, organization
Pros: It's a Rock 'n Roll race, so they're all pretty much the same. You know what to expect.
Cons: No race day packet pick-up. BUT I did talk to a runner who actually picked up his packet on race day. Apparently there is a table at the start village marked "solutions" and he just went there and picked it up. I wouldn't recommend this, of course, but I was intrigued to hear that race day was a possibility. 

Lodging and transportation:
Pros: Tons of hotels near the start, and they're all nice. It's New Orleans!. Or you could just stay with me and sleep on my sofa. Shuttle services available and improved from the first year, when apparently they picked you up miles and miles from the finish after a long race! There is parking near the finish, too, but you kind of have to hunt for it if you want to park for free.
Cons: Navigating is a little hard for spectators. This race shuts down all the major roads.

Swag: Kind of standard. Shirt quality was way down this year (and really, really ugly) and there were fewer free samples and useful coupons in the bag. Expo was typical Rock and Roll. Like all RnR races it was EXPENSIVE but you can always get a deal - coupon codes, %off, early registry, etc.
The after-party doesn't have food for non-runners (and not real food for runners, either, mostly snacky stuff - although this year Snickers was trying to unload more bars and was walking around the party handing them out) so if you have people meeting you they should bring a picnic. I mean, if they care about food. Obviously I do and I had David bring rolls and cheese and apples.

Heading to the after-party...yum, mandarin orange cups!

Course:
Pros: Course was much improved over last year - it avoided the nonsensical long loop into an empty, flooded neighborhood around the end of the full course. Instead, you do a loop along the lake - hot, sunny, windy, but very pretty. This was a big plus. The rest of the course is quite scenic. New Orleans is a beautiful city and I was proud to show it off! I expect this race to garner some good reviews and start attractive star runners: it's completely flat and very fast. It's also held at a beautiful time of year; both years I ran it the weather was ideal.
Cons: As some of the winners mentioned, the roads in New Orleans suck. Very rough ride. Be prepared.

Aid stations:
Pros: Gu, electrolyte drink, and water on course; well-staffed with cheery and efficient volunteers. I loved that some of the volunteers were letting you grab your own Gu, but were offering to open for you. Opening is the hard part!
Cons: I don't like Cytomax at all, but I lived.

Scoring: Chip timed/scored. Wave start with MUCH better start than last year. Last year the waves started so slowly and sporadically that the race dragged on. I waited in my back corral for almost 45 minutes last year; this year I was only about 20 seconds off the gun.
Abe and I were distressed that they messed up his scoring this time, and it took them ten days to correct it (they gave credit to a runner with his exact number ... PLUS an extra zero in the middle. This guy was in the tenth corral rather than first so I'm pretty sure he was thrilled with his temporary time!). This would not be a problem except for the fact that Abe needed his time to register for nationals, and because Abe won his age group. RnR sent him an email that implies that he will either not get his award or it won't be personalized, but they're still proud of him for his finish. Um, ok.

Suggestions:
- Get over here and run this race. If you don't PR it's your own fault for being out too late in the French Quarter.
- Totally stay a few days. And visit me.
- Be aware that the road surface is rough, bumpy, and potholed. Choose shoes accordingly.
- Don't pay to park at the convention center for the expo. You can almost always find free parking on the street if you don't mind walking and you go at an off-time.
- Print the road closures list.
- Get in touch with local runners on Dailymile and find out the scoop on after-parties, if you're interested. I know of two with free food and drinks for runners after this one. We're a party city.
- Fly in right before the race but stay a few days after so you can eat all the yummy food without worrying about how it will affect your race.
- Check the weather. Mid-Feb is when our weather begins to change - usually - so you might get cold weather or really hot.

The Wall 30k race review

For some reason this race is always held on the grayest day in January. Last year it was bitterly cold; this year it was humid and rainy.

Destrehan, Louisiana: "We have a big bridge".

The race is supposed to be timed as a training long-run before the Mardi Gras marathon, but this year I think it is a little close - just two weeks prior.There is also a 10k option.
It's a cheap race - $20 - and you get some kind of souvenir (last year it was a beer glass; this year it was a drawstring backpack). It is held in Destrehan on the levee, which means it is a straight out and back with a few rolling hills and generally some stiff breezes. The course is nothing awesome. You can see the Mississippi River, but the view is partially blocked by industrial plants and tankers loading up. It's not really a pretty place. Some areas are stinky with chemicals or partially fermented grains being loaded into huge ships. There aren't any spectators since it's on a levee in the middle of nowhere, but you do get to see other runners since it's out-and-back.
There is water and Gatorade on the course, and this year there was also a Gu stop, which I think was a fantastic addition.
After the race, there's beer, CheeWees, red beans and rice, and fruit. Pretty decent spread.

Post-race party...under the interstate overpass. Nice.

The awards are bricks! Abe asked, "Do you think these are from the actual wall?"

Carrying a brick home is very awkward.

I found this amusing but the girl we were talking to didn't get it at all and we had to explain at length that this was a joke.
So overall, a good race for the price. I liked that there wasn't ANOTHER T-shirt; I like the small size, and I like the low price. I think it's worth it.

Gulf Coast Marathon review

Boy, this is going to hurt me. I really hate to do this. But I have to do a negative race review.
I didn't want to dislike this marathon! I wanted to be able to say, "this is a teeny tiny hidden gem race that only costs $5 and the finishers medals are real gold oh and by the way Brett Favre happened to be in his hometown on a bye week and personally cheered me on and asked for my autograph." Alas, no. I want to love this marathon: I PR'd, won first in my age group, and it's close by. I should be infatuated. Instead I'm unimpressed.
So here's the deal. The Gulf Coast Marathon is tiny, it's cheap, and it's totally flat. Those are the good things. But it is the most boring course ever. The gulf coast is pretty, but for some reason this race is run around the Stennis Space Center instead of on a beach or in a quaint town. So if you like looking at the backs of ugly buildings, this race is for you. It's a double loop (dullsville) and there are so few runners you're often by yourself. You don't have any fan support (literally there was not one single spectator in 26 miles; I was alone for so long I practically lost my language skills and used pigeon sign language for the rest of the day). This is because the space center is a secure facility - you have to go through security and show ID and insurance and explain why you're there, blah blah. Who's going to do that just to watch a race?  It's nice that you get a long sleeved T and a medal, although there have been misspellings on the T or the medal for the past two years *tacky*.
My real gripe, though, is the course support. Yeah, not only am I insulting a small-town marathon, I'm actually insulting the VOLUNTEERS. Now I totally feel like a turd. See, before the race we were promised a Hammer-gel stop. There was none. I spoke to five of  the top six finishers and none of them had seen any at all (Abe actually asked for gel on the course and was told "All we have is hard candy."). There was some gatorade on the course, but it was 50% water because one of the volunteers bringing the gatorade didn't show. Frankly, half-water isn't enough calories if you don't have gels either. Now while I'm talking about gatorade let me talk about the water stops. OMG what a cluster. It seemed that none of the volunteers had worked a water stop before. No one was holding out cups - they were just standing there. I would kind of call out, "Gatorade?" and they MIGHT hand me one (I usually drink two) or they might just motion me to the table! And in many instances volunteers were actually in the race way, blocking the water, and I had to stop and go around them to reach a cup. I've never seen anything like this. At several stops people were getting backed up and having to completely stop, especially while the half was still going on. Lest you think I am making this up, I actually got this pic straight off their website: See? Not lying.

I have no idea what was going on with this, but David reminded me that when we ran a 10k last year hosted by the same group, the water scenario was the same.
My other complaint is that at one point I got lost because a volunteer was sitting on the arrow-cone, so I asked for directions. He looked confused but told me to go straight, which was not correct. But worse is that when I and another lost runner asked for directions once we realized we were off-course, FOUR volunteers could not tell us where to go. They did not know the course at all, and the one who had been sitting on the cone could not remember which way the cardboard arrow had been pointing. So we got lost and then had to guess the correct direction! This wasted a lot of time - not just running the wrong way, but standing around debating what was the right way (I studied the course map before the race but since most of the roads aren't marked, it didn't help a lot).
So those are my gripes. I love the idea of a small, close-by marathon, but it really really needs better organization and effort. If that means upping the price, I'll pay it.
PS - the race director himself has won his own race two years in a row. Is he encouraging poor course support to give himself an advantage? Something to think about. Right after I think about who really shot JFK and consider if we ever landed on the moon or if those pictures are photoshopped.

Harrisburg Marathon: Race Review

I already posted the recap of this race, but for those of you who might be considering running it, here's the review:

The Harrisburg Marathon takes place in mid-November each year in Pennsylvania's Capital.
I ran it this year and I have to give it 5 stars!
The race: It's a small marathon, about 1000 runners, with a relay option. Next year will be its 39th year, so the organizers have pretty much worked out all the kinks.
Registration and cost: Cheap! $55 with early registration, but registration is available on day of the race for $60. You can pick up your packet the night before or the morning of the race, which is nice (and the process, which I observed, is completely hassle-free).
Swag: Long-sleeved tech T (with a zippered pocket, cool) which I discovered runs pretty small as race T's go. Basically order the size you'd order if you were buying a fitted blouse. I was so impressed with the swag bag - for a tiny marathon with no expo, I got Gu samples, fruit and yogurt bites, a magazine, a gift card, granola bars, chips, a handful of candy,and a cytomax sample. There's a finisher's medal, too, if you collect those.
Course: It's the course that makes the race. The website advertises the race as mostly flat with a 2 or 3-mile hilly section. This is pretty true, except the flat part is not completely flat. There are enough hills for a New Orleanian to notice anyway! But the happy part is that the course is varied enough that you can't get bored. It goes through a college campus, the city of Harrisburg, an industrial park, several bridges, a wooded area, a gravel trail, along the river, and in a neighborhood. It is mostly a beautiful course and it keeps you interested. I was worried about the course being confusing - there are lots of turns -  but it was very well marked and volunteers called out directions.

Harrisburg PA

Support: The volunteers were pretty great and the race went off very smoothly: started exactly on time, plenty of aid at all the stations, well-organized. Aid stations had water and most had Cytomax, too. Cytomax makes my stomach cramp, but I dealt with it. There were two Gu stations, although the website only mentioned one, plus volunteers who I don't think were associated with the race were giving out pre-opened packets at mile 15. As far as fan support goes, I was surprised by how many spectators were out on a Sunday morning. In fact the only empty sections were in the woods and in the industrial area.
Funny story: I saw a few kids trying to get high-fives on the course and all of the runners were passing them by. I decided to give them their desired slap and I knocked the kid over. He was like, twelve. I guess I was running really fast, haha!
Post race: Dunkin' Donuts coffee and donuts, chicken broth, sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, more granola bars and chips,cytomax and soda. No beer, shocker. This is the first non-alcoholic race I've ever run.
Etc - There is a pasta dinner the night before, a gear check, a walking option, and a relay option. There isn't a half option or a 5 or 10 k. There are plenty of porta-potties at the start. Runners can use their number to get into the YMCA and shower after the race. Race is chip-timed (disposable) and there is time on the course. Parking is easy and plentiful. If you're traveling, there are several sponsor hotels with great deals. There is a heated, sheltered area at the start so you don't freeze before the race. Of interest, the marathon starts at 8:30 - I thought that was late, but it would be ideal for those of us who aren't morning people!
So overall? I highly recommend this race if you're even slightly nearby. It's obvious that all the kinks have been worked out over the years and these guys know how to run a small successful race. I was so impressed that I might consider doing it again, especially since we have friends nearby.