Phoenix 10k and Half Marathon

THE SWAG: This race featured a nice blue unisex t-shirt with the logo for the race featured across the front. A random note, but this t-shirt was super soft and is really comfortable, definitely one of my favorites in my collection!

THE RACE: This entirely flat course zooms throughout downtown Phoenix. If you are into the urban landscape then the "scenery" this course provides will appeal to you. I personally enjoyed running through downtown areas I hadn't seen before and scouting out new places to eat. A fun feature of this races was the live music stationed throughout the course, I enjoyed taking out my earbuds entirely to cheer on local bands and hear a variety of unique styles of music. There was a decent crowd throughout the course cheering on the runners and a large number of runners participating in all three events (5k, 10k and Half Marathon). Aid and water stations were spread out about every 1.5 miles or so which was ideal. I consider myself a "mid-pack" runner but definitely felt this way with this crowd, there were so many racers - things were a bit congested at first but spread out pretty evenly throughout the course. The expo before and after the race was extensive, and featured a few dozen vendors, samples and booths to checkout. Transportation to downtown Phoenix from the light rail is recommended but street parking throughout the city it relatively easy to locate.

THE BLING: The medal for this race changes year to year, this year it was a large rectangular medal featuring the year's orange color scheme and showcasing that it was the 43rd annual event. This medal was really cool and pretty size-able (size doesn't always matter of course but I enjoy a flashy medal after the hard work of a race).

FINISH LINE: The finishers chute of this race was amazing! Large crowds, tons of volunteers and an almost overwhelming amount of energy. It was so fun finishing this race! The finish line had plenty of snacks and water just steps off the course so it was easy to refuel upon finishing. Vendors and booths from before the event were still set up so there was plenty to explore. Overall a really great race, I would consider doing the Half Marathon next year!

Running Lungs Half Marathon

THE SWAG: This race featured a plain white t-shirt with the race's logo on the front. Plenty of sizes were available as the race was VERY small. Also included with the race was an at home lung testing kit. A nod to the Linda Wortman Lung Cancer Foundation who sponsors the race.

THE RACE: A entirely trail-based event, this race took place in the McDowell Mountain Park in Fountain Hills AZ. For those who may be familiar with the park, the race took place on the Pemberton trail. An "out and back" style race for all the events the half marathon itself was an out and back then out and back again. I was not a huge fan of this particular style of race as it became a little monotonous after the first complete lap. The race course was also marked incorrectly so I ended up running 14 miles instead of my intended 13.1. The race lacked volunteers so all the water stations consisted of water and gatorade packs alongside the trail in random locations. Although the park itself was beautiful, I found the race route relatively challenging with a variety of uneven surfaces, holes and hills. The race website did not specify that this was a trail run, so I was relatively unprepared for this terrain and race style. There was plenty of snacks and water available after the race and a small crowd of race volunteers cheering on all the finishers.

THE BLING: The race medal was extremely simple and featured the race logo on a basic medallion. I was a little disappointed by this medal after running in the desert for over 2 hours. But still felt a feeling of accomplishment since this was my first half marathon in over two years.

FINISH LINE: As I mentioned, this race was extremely small. With maybe 30 runners total the finish line was pretty empty by the time I arrived. There were however a small group of dedicated volunteers who cheered me on as I arrived at the end.