This year GHR celebrated their 20th anniversary -- which is pretty astonishing. I've been attending…read moresince 2011 and could really see the growth in the event just between then and now. Since moving it to Northgate, they are able to leverage the convenient parking as well as plenty of space for the various nonprofits, sponsors, and vendors. Not to mention the big soundstage and the kids festivities area they've introduced. The coolest thing about this event is seeing all the varied Triangle nonprofits come together in one place, and raise money/support/awareness for their cause. But the race itself is not bad. The course has changed somewhat, but it generally loops somewhere around the Watts-Hillandale neighborhoods. They have good on-course support, with cops monitoring traffic, volunteers signaling the turns, and a water stop or two. LOVED the post-race Core Power milk drinks. I was in a hurry to get to an appointment, so wasn't able to check out the rest of the race food, or the after-party. But I love participating in this event and hope it sticks around for another 20 years -- or more!

This race was a blast! This was a great route around Northgate and through the historic Watts…read moreHospital and Hillandale neighborhoods. The nice drizzle kept us cool; only thirty minutes of running and afterward we all looked like champions. Out and about on this race were Durhamites and other Triangle residents of all ages, shapes, and sizes. I am pretty sure I got beat by a little kid running in basketball shoes. (Little dude was fast!) Along the course were tons of nearby residents cheering us all on, not that we necessarily need it during such a short race, but it was nice to experience that strong sense of community. The post-run entertainment was such a great time! The Divas 'n Dude, a troupe of cheerleaders in their golden years, rocked it with their impressive dance routines to catchy tunes. This was followed by a dance-off of sorts, featuring the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle. Tons of freebies and info were available at exhibitors' booths there on site---the Yelp booth in particular was bumpin'; everyone wanted a chance to win a swag bag!---and the Kona Chameleon truck was there to provide us with delicious ice coffee. YUM. Then we had our team photo snapped to commemorate the day, before heading off about our respective days.

This was a very nice race (I ran the half). It's not too big, so the most awesome thing is that I…read morewas able to leave my hotel and be in my corral in five minutes. Also, the race ended right at my hotel so that was great. Corrals were very orderly. Music along the course was good but not as much as other Rock N Roll events I've run. Volunteers everywhere were outstanding. They really did a good job there. Plenty of course support from spectators, policy and EMTs. Really pretty well organized. The weather was perfect the day I ran so I won't even bother to complain about the hills, although the one before mile 7 and the little one right before mile 12 I thought would kill me. Expo was small but efficient. On the not so great side, I don't like the company that did the timing for this race. It was hard to navigate on mobile and if you were a runner they made you sign up to get data (so just pretend you're a specator) and even then, the data was bare minimum. They need to look at how timing is done at other races to see it done correctly. Another thing I have to say is that Rock N Roll races make their websites overly complex and hard to navigate. To find info about the start corrals, I had to click a lot and then I just got a map. There were no instructions that said how you should enter the corrals, which would have been helpful since the bag check was in front of the start line across the course and the corrals went around the block. Make the logistics easy to find with one or two clicks. Especially on mobile. When people are traveling around they are more likely to have a phone or tablet than a full PC so optimize your website for mobile. Very poor mobile experience. I don't advocate traveling to NC due to their regressive and repressive governor but if they ever get their act together and decide to join the 21st century, this would be a fun race for everyone.

3/15 runs for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 2015!…read more WHERE IS RALEIGH? jk. If it weren't for this Rock n Roll thing, I would have never even considered Raleigh as a travel destination, running destination, or anything destination. I'm from sunny San Diego, and we have everything. lol. jk. THE EXPO If you've been to one RnR Expo, you've been to them all. There were a bunch of booths promoting some type of fitness food, gadget, destination, ect. Outside of the convention center, I loved how they dressed up the statue of Sir Walter Raleigh with racing gear. It was cute. I love the community spirit. THE SHIRT Also cute. Loved the squirrel! Wish the medal and the shirt would coordinate because they were two completely different designs. RnR should probably consider that for all its races. And you Raleigh folks, someone should have dressed up as a squirrel, or even Sir Walter Raleigh. Show your pride in your city. lol. THE ROUTE It was a little challenging, but doable. There were hills, and a lot of trees. Raleigh is known for being "The City of Oaks" thus a piece of bark flew into my mouth and it made me choke during the race. lol. Considering that this was a spring race, and with things starting to bloom... hello allergies! Pollen levels were HIGH. In addition to choking, I was sneezing a lot, and my eyes kept watering up. To my allergy-friendly friends -- start taking some allergy medicine prior to the race, and make sure it's the non-drowsy kind. You don't want to look drunk on the course. Despite the hills and the allergy attacks, I actually did fairly well. THE SOUTH You need to remember, you are in the South, home of the Chick-Fil-A. lol. jk. (They were everywhere though!) Sunday's in the South... prepare for closure! A lot of restaurants, grocery stores, sightseeing places were closed. Surprisingly, the half marathon was on a Sunday, as opposed to the typical South hosting races on Saturday's. The places I had in mind to check-out were all closed -- especially the restaurant I had plans to pig out at after the race, and unexpectedly, convenience stores for allergy medicine. I was hungry with a runny nose. Luckily Jimmy John's (gourmet sandwich joint like Quiznos) were handing out free sandwiches after the race, so half my problems were solved. It may not seem like I had a good time in Raleigh, but I did. A lot of funny stories came out from this mini vacation. (ie I ALMOST DIED VIA UBER. Well not really, but I had the potential to. And, weird people asking for my number... are Asians non-existent in the South or something? lol. jk.) Would I probably do it again? No, but you gotta do what you gotta do for the bling-age. lol. **If you run the 3 out of the 4 Rock n Roll marathon/half marathons in the same calendar year - New Orleans, Raleigh, St. Jude Country or Savannah you will earn the Southern Charm medal!

In my limited racing career, the Florence Forth Road Race definitely ranks at the top of the list…read more This is a very local race with not many bells and whistles, but that's what makes it so great. Sign up early for a discounted rate but the most you'll ever pay is around $50.00 after fees (for the 10k). Registration is quick and easy and this year, in addition to the athletic tee, they included post-race metals. Race options include a 5k and 10k, both starting simultaneously at 8am on the first Saturday in March. The weather is usually chilly, but very manageable for the later morning start and the course is wonderful. With small rolling hills and a path that takes you through some of the hot spots around Durham including Trinity Neighborhood, Duke East Campus (running parallel, not the actual trail), past Brightleaf Square and into Lakewood passing by Lakewood Montessori School and up past the Nasher Museum and Sarah P. Duke Gardens. You begin and end the race on Ninth Street and it's hard not to feel part of the great community that comes together each year to remember a little six year old who lost her battle to autoimmune encephalitis disease and may others who are still fighting. As you race you'll see your fellow racers in capes and super-hero gear, because we're fighting this disease together. Race-packet pick-up takes place at the Hilton Gardens Inn just off Ninth Street, where you're in and our with nothing fancy (no vendors, just bibs here). Post-race you'll find a small assortment of vendors (Big Spoon Peanut Butter, H&R Block and some fitness studios). This is one of the best organized races I've attended, I was able to easily arrive and park within less than 30 minutes to race time and the course is lined with volunteers and police officers. Two aid stations at mile 2 and 4 offer water and power-aid and you can even choose to compete for the USATF NC 2016 10K State Championship. Highly recommend the Florence Forth if you're looking to be apart of a great community race!

Have run, paced and cheered. Great route - topographically challenging with famed rise Laurel Hill…read moreat the end, which has it's own timing mat to cross. Also available is the 4 miler. Very crowded and good support so it is a total fun buzz. DO IT!

FINISHER! Woo hoo, I can't tell you how happy, relived and excited I was to cross the Tar Heel 10…read moreMiler finish line and put that shiny medal around my neck; I DID IT! What you should know about me: I was a collegiate athlete (crew) so I know what it means to train and train hard, I haven't done much since college other then a handful of 5K's and YMCA workouts. I started training for this race one month in advance after a friend (Katherine L.!) had an extra entry, at that point I was running indoors about 3-5 miles at a time. I started training hardcore once I had decided to race, following the Hal Higdon 15K plan. I trained on the American Tobacco Trail, Al Buehler Cross Country Trail, Duke Forest, Duke East Campus and of course indoors at Durham's YMCA. Before race day, my longest run at 7 miles before tapering. This was also my first LONG race. As far as pre-race information, the weekly e-mails that were sent out were very helpful. Everything from parking information to reminders about race bib pick-up, etc. was included and the week before the race coupons to various vendors and races were sent out. Bib pick-up was located at University Mall (technically in Chapel Hill, but convenient to Durham) between 11am-7pm. At an additional cost, you could pick up your bib at another time. Bib pick-up was fast, I was impressed by how well it was organized, and there were plenty of vendors around if you wanted to peruse a bit, I was even able to pick-up an extra t-shirt from the previous year for $5. Which brings me to the actual race... parking was a bit tiresome, but honestly, they did a great job warning people of this, giving them routes to take and times they should arrive. We left Durham at 6am and were parked by 6:45am or so. The 4 mile race began at 7:20am while 10 mile began right on time at 7:30am. When you're running with 4000+ people, you feel some empowerment. It's nice because you don't kill yourself right out the gate (you can't because it's too crowded). Things start to get less congested about a mile into the race and you're running 50/50 sun to shade and mostly flat with some slight hills until about mile 8.25. One of the best moments for me was running up Franklin Street, there are people running as far as you can see, and it's just the greatest feeling. Laurel Hill hits right after mile 8; I'd heard tales and really expected the worst. While it's not a fun hill, it definitely wasn't as bad as I thought, just keep tell yourself you've already got less then two miles and don't stop running! They also time you for the duration of the hill separately. There is also one other "steeper" incline right at the end going back toward the stadium, be warned. Most of the race takes place through neighborhoods in Chapel Hill, so you have families, volunteers, etc. cheering for you the whole way and they've got four or five water/goo stations, about every two miles or so. I really hope they get more volunteers at the water tables, it definitely slowed you down if you wanted water. Also, they should get some more bathrooms next year, I personally didn't need one, but felt really terrible for five or six people deep lines in front of every bathroom I passed on the course! Once you cross the finish line you are corralled into the stadium where you receive WATER, your medal (a magnet too this year!) and your pick of bananas, bagels, pretzels and gummy bears. There's more vendors inside the stadium and lots of room to stretch on the bleachers. I would definitely run this race again!

3 April 2016 The…read moreboyfriend and I decided to run the All American Marathon this year as we cumulatively ran around 26 miles over the month of March and should be fit enough. I tried, but the boyfriend tried harder and was subsequently injured due to massive blisters developing at mile 3. I had my no-rub glide stick, and applied liberally every few miles to my feet and chicken wings. I was told there were food (banana, shot bloks) on the course but I ate all my shotbloks and starved from miles 19-26.2. Then I stuffed my face with muffins at the finish line. - Expo: The health and fitness expo was your typical runner's expo. Not really much to do expect make a loop around, check out the non-deals and head home. + Shuttles: I signed us up for the morning shuttles at 11pm the night before the race, but nobody took our names when we boarded on the All-American side. - Parking: Park on the Riley side of the hospital or in the neighborhoods around Iron Mike. The walk from the finish line to the All-American side parking lot of the hospital is, the boyfriend claims, really, really far. + Start: The shuttles dropped us off a short ways from the start with enough time to stand in line for the porta-johns and then head to the start. Apparently there are plenty of clean bathrooms at the stadium, but most people opted to wait for the porta-johns closer to the start line. - Temperature: Cold, terrible, but not raining. I brought a foil, others brought old sweaters to throw away during the course, boyfriend brought nothing and suffered. I didn't ditch my foil until maybe a mile out but then regretted it because it didn't get any warmer. - Wind: Head winds alert - Course: Start at Downtown Fayetteville's Festival Park to historic downtown Fayetteville to Veterans Park, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, then hills and pavement until the All American highway. Halfers turn right onto Normandy once onto Ft Bragg and Marathoners turn left and prepare to zig zag through walkers on the scenic barracks route. We pass one Exchange on the way on Butner but otherwise for the hungry, you're SOL. I drank a U-can and a water at every water station, basically every mile cause I was desperate. + Finish: Nice neighborhood areas make for an enjoyable last mile. The finisher's medal was heavy and the duffel was great. I stuffed my face with granola bars, bananas and muffins. PDQ was on the scene, but it's not for the penniless. Overall the course is not hard if you're okay with a 5 hour marathon time. The scenery does get boring so bring a fun audiobook (I brought Harry Potter!) and if you get hungry during runs, bring money and look very hard around mile 10 for bananas. On to the next race!

It was the first time signing up for a Race 13.1 half marathon series, so I didn't know what to…read moreexpect. They're a relatively new race series that have set up shop in various race cities across mainly in the central and Eastern Time zones. I thought that I should give them a try, especially when it's a half marathon. A little surprised that there's no previous reviews posted on Yelp for Race 13.1 Raleigh, but there are previous photos for Race 13.1 but for Fayetteville, NC, not in Raleigh. It's kind of weird and disappointing, but what can you do really? I entertained the notion of racing a half marathon in Raleigh, NC as an integral part of my own personal goal of running a half marathon in all 50 states, especially when I've done a marathon in all 50 states already. I love new goals and the extensive traveling, so I was like, why not grab North Carolina for my 50 states half marathon goal in 2016? Race 13.1 series is a growing brand with some name recognition there, which is how I got to choosing this race. They kind of operate like Competitor and the Rock n Roll marathon race series, in that they tout themselves as being awesome and superior to other races out there, promising a great experience to everyone. Then they offer bonus bling aka finisher medallions to those participants who do 3 or more races in a calendar year within their series. They operate in 11 states right now, but surely as the years go by, they may be in more and more places as popularity in the half marathon distance continues to grow and mature. For me, it was just another half marathon event for me in a growing list of achievements that started back in 2007 with my first half marathon and first marathon. Pretty cool on where life takes you when running leads the way. Race 13.1 Raleigh sets up shop at the 4120 Main at the North Hills shopping mall complex, at least in the 2016 edition of the race. I The race venue is the surrounding areas that included bike paths at Shelley Lake Park, which was very picturesque, scenic, and beautiful. Running around a lake and shaded bike trail / walking path was quite nice and very quiet. You never know a race was going on there, unless you are a local, who happened to know what was going on that day or are a participant in the race. Race 13.1 offers their signature headline half marathon, as well, as offering a 10km and a 5km race distance. There was the long out and back from mile 6 to mile 11, which I didn't particularly enjoy, but it was scenic and quiet to tend to my thoughts. While I was out there, I met up with a dude who was sort of struggling and I ended up chatting to him. Turns out he was doing his very first half marathon event and he had gone only 10km this far, so it was inspiring to see him go 13.1 miles for the first time. We both made it, of course, but the weather conditions were borderline warm hot and the hills didn't make it seem anything but easy. We had to work those miles to get to the finish line, which we did. Race 13.1 registration fees are reasonable for a half marathon, averaging around $50-$65 per person. Everything is usually online registration nowadays, so they do accept major credit cards, which is always a great thing. They did offer late registration at packet pick up, which was at the Omega Sports store inside the North Hills mall complex. Not too shabby, but all I cared about was finishing and getting another half marathon under my belt. I believe right now, it's 28 half marathons so far and just 5 states for my 50 states half goal. There is plenty of parking for race morning. The race advises participants to park inside the underground parking garage, which I did, arriving around 5:30am for 7:15am start to secure prime parking. You never want to be that guy or gal to a race and there's no parking to be found. Better to have that piece of mind rather than scrambling around that morning. For what its worth, this race has plenty of hills to be shared with everyone. Be wary of the weather conditions, since it's in early June and can get warm really fast, even though the morning temps can be a soothing low 60's. It can climb up fairly quickly. The finisher medals were nice and quirky. I don't mind it, although the cardinal was kind of cute in a way. While I've race in better venues, I did enjoy the mile around the lake front here at the Shelley Lake Park. The bike / walking trails that serve half of the course miles were safe and you would only have to worry about those rogue cyclists who think they own the road when they zip by you at a fast clip. I'd rate the Race 13.1 as a 3.5 stars, bumped up to 4.0 stars. Scenery was great, but please try to have less hills! Maybe move race day to early May so that it'll be in cooler weather? Just a thought though. Race more! Support local! B-

Race 13.1 is really does a great job... I've run both Raleigh races and Wilmington. They say that…read morethey provide 'Big Race Perks with a Local Race Feel' and I think they do just that. Their customer service is better than any other race I've ever experienced. You can actually call them and talk to someone on the phone!