Formerly the Waddell & Reed KC Marathon, Garmin has stepped up to sponsor this race in conjunction…read morewith the KC Sports Commission. The verdict on the changes: a good race, but one that I feel has outpriced itself. I've been at this running thing for a long time, and the pureness of the local $10/$20 5K is long gone. Capitalism sunk its claws into running races, taking the world's most basic activity of picking up one foot after another and slapping a big old price tag on it. I say this part in jest, as I know many of these races put charity at the forefront, and of course they take money to put together. This one is impressive in that it covers such a core part of Kansas City and shuts it down for several hours. The newly revamped course takes one from the Nelson Atkins, through the Plaza, through downtown landmarks, and back during peak running season... well let's be honest, PEAK SEASON of Kansas City in mid-October. It's overall a beautiful course. The price tag for most half-marathons is often structured to reward early birds, but this one starts high and goes higher. Things I can get with $100-$130 in the running realm: - A new pair of shoes to last a season - Several pairs of nice, merino wool running socks - A new running jacket + other winter apparel - About 50% of the cost of a nice, new Garmin running watch that'll last years I get that the races cost money, I could simply enter into it if I choose to as I can afford to support my hobbies like these, but the juice ain't worth the squeeze anymore. There are several other good races around town that I will opt into moving forward, but I'm out on this one. A few stray notes from my run last year: -The corrals at the beginning need more entry points, as I was hoisting strangers over after the starting gun because there was only an entry in the way back -The sunrise view of Kauffman Center for Performing Arts is a highlight -Scooters are a cheat code to get to the starting line from nearby -If you're from out of town, KC is hillier than you think it is! -October weather can vary wildly, from heat wave to frost at this time of year. Hopefully for future races, it splits the difference with a nice, crisp morning and warm afternoon.

I finished the 2009 Waddle and Reed Kansas City, MO marathon way back in 2009. Not sure why there…read moreisn't a Yelp business listing between now and then, as of 12/28/2014. Maybe there is, but I can't seem to find it. Race day was 10/16/2009, started in downtown Kansas City, meandered through the surrounding residential areas, into some pseudo industrial areas before snaking back into the downtown areas to finish. It was my first real test to see if I could handle marathons within back to back weekends of each other. So a marathon within 6-7 days between, I chose Chicago the week before and planned accordingly. It was a whirlwind and wild experience. To be able to rock 2 marathons in a span of 7 days is pretty thrill, magical, and an experience that just can't be categorized, defined, or put into words. 2 years later in 2011, I embarked on 2 marathons in 2 days, but that's another story for another time. But in October 2009, I did just that and the 2009 Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon proved to be the lightning rod that sparked the marathon maniac in me to kick start this whole 50 States marathon project that I have since completed in 5 years since its creation. The Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon was pretty great, since it was a PR race for me, back in my formidable years. You can get to Kansas City through flying or driving, but for me, I chose to fly via United Airlines at the time. It was a direct flight at the time and made it with a week or so for relaxing and recovery before the big day. The Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon packet pick up was held at the Crown Center in downtown Kansas City. It was pretty cool to be there in luxurious surroundings. The expo was pretty nice, with a lot of vendors selling marathon and running related apparel and accessories, while there are others there selling their business' wares and services. Whatever you wanted, you probably needed for the marathon. Then again, you may not want to test out anything you have not tried out in training. That's a golden rule of marathon training for sure. But if you had forgotten something at home, best bet is to find it here at the Kansas City marathon expo for sheer conveience and possibly luck of the draw. The year that I ran it, I got really lucky to stay at the nearby Westin Kansas City Resort & Spa, which was price real nice at the time at under $125/night. Score! The Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon is a mid sized marathon, capping out at roughly 10,000 participants. The weather here can dip down into the upper 30's, but average from the lower to upper 50's and on up. The race start was very crowded and the sheer number of participants was pretty thick. I love large events, since there is usually always someone slower than you, so you don't have to be the last one. We left downtown Kansas City on the quest to run 26.2 miles with many others that chilly October morning. It was fun to run amongst other like minded individuals. We logged those miles and saw some pretty nice residential neighborhoods in the early going. It made me sort of think of moving to Kansas City at the time, but that's a story for another time. There were adequate aid stations and the course support was adequate for the most part. We didn't have much of a cheer section in the 2nd half, but that's alright though. For my experience, it was great, since I scored a PR, a personal best at the time. It was a great feeling to finish that time and pushed myself, even if it was just a 9 minute shave. If you like a mid-size marathon in the Midwest for your fall racing plans, do check out the Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon, put on by the Kansas City Sports Commission. They do a great job, year after year, and have fond memories of that race. The finisher medals are average in design, but who really cares. You just finished a freaking marathon! Checking off Missouri for my 50 states marathon goal was amazing here in Kansas City and hope to be back soon for the 2nd round. Best city ever. Finishing at Crown Center in downtown Kansas City was great. It was nearby to my hotel, so I didn't have to limp anywhere to get back. Great logistics and everything was great. Couldn't have been a greater script to write here for my PR at the Kansas City marathon! Run more! Support local! B+

I ran the 2019 edition of the Gobbler Grind half marathon in Overland Park, KS. Race morning was…read morethe Sunday before Veteran's Day in November. The Gobbler Grind half marathon used to have the marathon distance in previous years, but starting in 2019, only the half marathon, 10km, and 5km distances were offered. Not sure what happened though. I found this half marathon event on runningintheusa's race calendar. I carefully checked the dates and registered online for the race on their website. Race fees vary, depending on when you register. As it gets closer to race morning, the fees increase. Best bet is to register as soon as you know you are able to. I ended up registering about 2 months prior to race day, which ended up to be a sizable increase. For the most part though, this race marked a milestone for me. While I didn't know the course too well, it added about 10 minutes to my overall time to figure it all out. The 2019 Gobbler Grind half marathon was my 50th lifetime half marathon and 16th state in a bid to run a half marathon in all 50 US states. This was my race for the state of Kansas. Recommended if you stayed in the Corporate Woods area of Overland Park, as the start and finish line are in the Corporate Woods Park North. The nearest hotel would be the Doubletree by Hilton on College Blvd, about 1/2 mile away and walkable for sure. The overall experience here at the 2019 Gobbler Grind half marathon was annoying & stressful (getting lost), but interesting and fun (once I realized I wasn't lost anymore) at the same time. 3/4 of the course was basically run on the Indian creek trail, whereas the other 1/4 was on the roads of Corporate Woods and the surrounding areas. Race weekend started with packet pick up at the Gary Gribble Running Sports store at the Ward Parkway shopping center in Overland Park. It was short process that took about a minute. It was the first time I've seen that they do the bib assignments at packet pick up with a pile of race bibs. It was neat though and different than the usual practice of assigning them electronically first prior to race weekend. The race started at 8:30am, which was kind of late in the morning, but at least I got to sleep in some. Not knowing the course made me second guess where I was going and that costed me about 5 minutes. And some random guy stopped me mid race and told me I wasn't going to make the time cut off at mile 3.5, which totally blew my morale at the time, but I soldiered on and made it, even though the race had a soft cut off policy. I saw the same random guy near the finish line that morning and I told him that he freaked me out about not finishing. He apologized and thought I'd be like over an hour after the published time cut off. Needless to say, I was annoyed after crossing the finish line, even when I caught up to the event sweeper at mile 8 and beat them by 15 minutes. Still blessed that I got to come to Overland Park, KS to run my 50th lifetime half marathon here. The Indian creek trail was scenic and the roads used in the race seemed a little hilly, but thankful for the volunteers and the traffic control for keeping us safe during the race. Post race was nice and casual. They had served up chili and I had a cup full and a bottle of water. The finisher medal was pretty cute though. It was a nice day for a run, especially since the next day proved to be in the 20's F and sleeting. Lol Perfect timing actually! If you want a nice half marathon event in the Midwest, consider the Gobbler Grind half marathon as your next race. If you are passionate about running a half marathon in every state in the United States of America, this one can be the one for Kansas. Overland Park sets the venue for scenic views along the Indian Creek Trail and it was beautiful. For the most part though, it was an experience. 13.1 miles is long enough to ask yourself, why am I doing this? You reply, because I am strong and because I can! 4.5 stars for the overall experience, despite getting lost and the random guy. 4.0 stars for the medal. Race fees hover around $70 per entry. Thank you to the volunteers!!! Support local! B+

I sign on for at least one half-marathon a year, and Rock The Parkway is by far my favorite of the…read morebunch. Being an April run, it gives an incentive to stick with cardio throughout the winter, and the weather is often good for this one. If it isn't good, it's typically cold which you'd rather have then hot, so it's a winner either way. Adside from the overall practicality, it isn't everyday that they close by far the most beautiful road in Kansas City just for a big group of runners. When I first did this half-marathon back in 2012, it was good if not a tad messy. There were mobs of people at the start, no wave times, and it made for organized chaos. However as time has gone on, they've adapted and made this as easy and manageable as a half-marathon can be. Wave times, good support throughout, and good fan support* (more on that in a sec). What separates any good run comes down to one main thing: The course. It's no secret that Ward Parkway and the surrounding neighborhoods are the most beautiful in KC, so why not run by them and wonder what it would take to live in those houses? While there are rolling hills with slight inclines, it's a relatively flat course compared to the KC Half Marathon or Hospital Hill. You can really fly here, and there's something nice about not having a million twists and turns. You dip into some neighborhoods on the north end, around Loose Park, and then from there it's straight back down Ward Parkway and you know you're not too far away. In fact the last mile or so is mostly downhill or perfectly flat which allowed me to hit a PR in 2018! One quick note; the spectators really show up in droves for this which overall is great, but this is one of the few races where it caters more to the spectators than the runners. The fans create a massive logjam when trying to get to the corral, it's tough to leave at the end, and they almost always drink up all the coffee and some of the other goodies by the time I'm done which is usually under two hours, so right in the middle. We had to fight to find any sort of carbohydrate at the end of the 2025 race because stuff was picked over. Just some feedback if anyone sees it. Overall, it's a great half-marathon whether you've never done one or just want to be a part of a beautiful KC classic race. PS: This race is somewhat priced fairly, if you're early to sign up. The fact that these races have crept closer to or above $100 is insane, but there are manageable deals to be found with this one.

I ran the 5k in 2013, and basically kicking myself for not springing for the half marathon! (I was…read morein the best shape ever at the time of the 2013 5k, but I hadn't done a 13.1 in maybe 2 years so my butt was afraid) Why am I kicking myself? Pretty much the baddest-assed bling ever. I like bling, what can I say. And no, you don't get bling for the 5k (which is fine, I don't believe you should have to) The race itself was nice. I didn't know what to expect...being not from the area (The Ben Franklin Parkway in Philly is like a major city street whereas the George Washington Parkway in DC is a quiet trail with trees and a river and lovelyness) This parkway was more like the GW Parkway in DC. Very doubtful I'll be back unless I go to visit my friend who lives out there (the whole reason I did the 5k last year anyway) But if you're in the area totally worth checking out :)

We volunteered for Bodies Race Company over the weekend for their Cupid Shuffle…read more It was a little chaotic in the beginning, I had never been to the park before and the address took me to the other side of the park that the race wasn't on. Thankfully, we found a nice couple who helped guide us. I tried several times to reach out to the company via messenger and email with no success. After driving around for forty minutes we finally found the race check in! We signed up to volunteer from 8 am till 10 am per the email. We left at 10 am but the race was still going on and they still needed help. So, keep in mind you may need to stay if you're able to longer than the quoted time. You can race afterwards when everyone else is done as well. You get a cute swag bag to take home after volunteering. The kids had a good time. The other volunteers were so nice and helpful!

From my loving partner who doesn't have yelp:…read more I'm not someone who typically leaves reviews for negative experiences, but I think it's important for other people to know what they might expect if they participate in a race with this company. I completed my first half marathon at the Spooky Sprint in Grand Rapids. It was poorly organized, under staffed, and did not deliver on promises. For starters, no portapotties! They relied on the park bathroom which resulted in a huge line and the bathroom flooding with waste water, rendering it unusable before the race even started. Portapotties were eventually dropped off (2!!) after the race. The race started late because of alleged issues with accessing the park on time, but I've run races at this same park that started an hour earlier. There was no photographer - they asked for a volunteer the morning of. There was no "after party" as promised, and definitely no band. There was a single speaker and complete lack of energy. Truly the least exciting atmosphere of any race I have run. There was supposed to be a costume contest, which sort of took place for like five of the kids? There were only two aid stations on the course which only offered bottled water. No Gatorade or electrolytes on a half marathon route. The snacks after the race were trash - twinkies and whopper candies. The route changed to a double out and back the night before the race. There was nobody at the turn around, just a cone. We had to cross an intersection at a road with high speeds and there was no volunteer or police presence. No medic/PT available for anyone that may have incurred an injury. No decor to hype up the theme of the race. The only positive thing I can say about this race is that the medal was cool. Looking at reviews, it looks like very similar complaints have been posted in other locations. The company usually responds and explains away the problems, it seems. I would highly suggest sticking with locally organized events. I know I will be in the future.

Good moderate sized race. Start and finish is at Garmin HQ and parking is plentiful. Portalets are…read morealso plentiful, which makes race prep nice. The course is quite hilly, but I would call it rolling hills. Bearable and challenging only in a few places. Water and cup supply was an issue at a few of the aid stations but volunteers were nice and tried to develop work arounds. I think they could have dropped some portalets at aid stations as well because that was a long haul with nowhere to stop. All in all a nice race with excellent sponsorship support.

Wickedly Fast Half 2014 I originally signed up for the full…read moremarathon, but ended up dropping to the half. Best. Decision. Ever... but let me back up. The expo for this race is just absolutely horrendous. Situated inside the teeny tiny Hilton Garden Inn, you have to topple over everyone to get your packet. You also have to pick up your bib, then backtrack through the line of people to go and get your t-shirt. Annoying. I thought about browsing the merchandise, but it was all just crammed into the tiny hotel lobby. Bah. (They do, however, offer race morning pickup) The morning of the race went really well. Since we had run last year, we arrived early and entered through the back of Garmin. We parked easily and had plenty of time for potties. This year, they had a unique set-up... they had put up caution tape between every 3 potties... I'm still torn on this idea. It is more or less genius, but if you get stuck in a slow line, you don't have the high hopes of getting the stall 3 down instead when someone isn't paying attention. The start was nice.. in 2013 they had a really cool hot air balloon that I was hoping would be back, but perhaps it was the weather that nixed that one. Now for the race: The course calls itself "Wickedly Fast", but clearly there is no governing body over false claims like this ;) This course has rolling hills and they were no joke! I was able to stick with the 2:05 pace group for the first about 8 or 9 miles. They were really hauling it! My 10k pace was 8:44.. that's 1:54! Dang! I was having a great race! I was worried I might burn out, but I was feeling very good the entire time. Unfortunately, the day had other plans for me. Around mile 8 it started drizzling and by the time I got to 9 the heavens had opened and it was a downpour. I have never run in rain this hard and it even hailed a tiny bit. I was drenched. My shoes were soaked and they felt like they weighed a billion pounds. The course at this point, also veers off of the roads and onto a paved trail that was just a tad slick with tight turns. Argh. It also wasn't possible to really pass on the narrow trail either.. Especially tough when you are trying to stick with a pace group. I lost a lot of time here because I was trying to be careful of my steps on the muddy trail and I kept getting stuck behind people I wanted to pass. I ended up getting really frustrated at this point. I was definitely on track to PR, but now I'm struggling to keep up with the pace group, I'm nervous about slipping, I'm drenched and I can't get around people. Grr. The aid stations were also understaffed. I completely lost the pace group around mile 10 once I stopped to wait in line for water at an aid station. There was no Gatorade either which would have felt really nice at this point...(those poor marathoners..) We eventually got back off the trail and into a residential zone. They had coned off a path about the size of the trail for us to stay on, but the roads were flooding and unless we were going to run single-file, the section was way too small. At this point I was thanking my lucky stars again that I dropped from the full!! Finally the finish line: they had a cute yellow brick road set up (which was SUPER slick when wet) and even though the rain had tapered off, there wasn't much of a crowd cheering. Even the announcer wasn't really saying much. I got a medal (still in the baggie) and a water. They did have the best beer tent I have seen at a race! And the beers were free! 312, Shock Top.. great selection. THIS was a major win! But I was still soaking, so I got in a long line to get a mylar blanket. Just as I get to the front, they ended up turning everyone away. I was FREEZING. I may or may not have had a few choice words for the guy turning us away. I feel bad for it now, but that was kind of the final straw. I was so cold and we had another 45 minutes or so to wait for our last friend to finish. I know the race can't do anything about the weather. I wasn't mad about the rain, but I was mad about having to wait for water on the course, having no Gatorade and now having no blanket. Afterwards I didn't hear anyone else complain afterwards about waiting in line for aid stations or being told they ran out of Gatorade. I think the 2 hour pack is often the busiest, so I think they just weren't ready for a rush. As for the mylar blankets, it probably wouldn't have been an issue if it didn't rain.. and I also think they weren't expecting so many new participants for the Heartland 39.3 series... but I'm still a little miffed. Overall, I will probably run this race again despite my beefs this year. I do wish they would play up the Oz theme a little bit more. They do a great job of making little touches for the theme without going overboard, but I think they could really make this a great destination race and garner a lot more participation if they live it up a little. Course: B- Medal: A+ Organization: B- T-shirt: B+ (kinda cheapy, but cute)

A week before the 2012 Hyde Park Pilgrim Run was to take place, I was getting some minor repairs…read moredone on my car and my mechanic suddenly asked me "Do you want to run a 5k on Thanksgiving?" I thought he was just messing with me so I made some smart ass comment and thought that would be the end of it. But no...turns out he was one of the race sponsors so he had free passes to the event. I had only gotten back into running for about a month prior to this due to an extended period of knee problems so I figured I would be pretty slow in the race but why not?? The last time I had participated in a 5k race was in 2004, when I was 100% injury free and had many fewer years of smoking under my belt. Fortunately by the time this race came around I hadn't smoked for nearly a year and it definitely paid off! Although my goal was to just match my 2004 race time I ended up beating it by 3 minutes, which really motivated me to continue with the running! Anyhow, I thought the race was very well organized and extremely fun. It was also the perfect 5k race to start back on because the temperatures that morning were in the mid to upper 50's and the race course is quite flat...perfect for runners of all fitness and skill levels. Although there was a much larger, more competitive 5k going on in town on the same day, I'm really glad I came to this one and will definitely be back next year.

You like the smell of race fuel? You like fast cars? If you said yes to any of them questions this…read moreis the right place! Good environment and good racing!

Local drag strip. This is always a great time if you love cars especially fast ones. 1/8 mile strip…read morerecently improved. Wednesday night is usually test night so go dial in or just watch the fun. Five bucks to watch Twenty to use track. Saturday night is race night. Come early so you don't miss any fun and get your spot. People have always been friendly and helpful. Check them out on Facebook for more details.

Need a new Labor Day tradition? This is it…read more This very-well-organized bike ride hits all the boxes: - It's for a good cause, raising money for Mental Health America of the Heartland with an overall focus on mental health. - There are numerous routes to choose from ( 10 mile, 34 mile, 50 mile, and a 65 mile course) - Plenty of volunteers and even a nice police escort through the first few miles of the race - Friendly people throughout - Fun SAG stops with snacks and good views all around the city. Having not gone out on many leisurely rides of late, this was a breath of fresh air on summer's heels. We opted for the 34 mile route, which starts in Mission, KS and makes it's way through Prairie Village, through the heart of Brookside, north on the scenic Paseo, into the wooded and relaxing Cliff Drive, before twisting around the East Bottoms, River Market, and back towards MIssion. It's a unified mass at the beginning, with riders of all abilities, and then slowly breaks up into a more spaced out ride as people stop at the SAG stops and go at various paces. I rode with a group of friends and really enjoyed almost every part of this. There's one long stretch on Southwest Boulevard that is less than ideal (broken glass, sun beating down, etc.) but overall they really do a great job plotting and planning this route. I'm going to download their GPS routes from their website because they clearly put thought into both bike safe routes and scenic routes. Biking through a city is easily one of the best ways to experience it, and I was happy to reacquaint myself with some neat spots, beautiful architecture and overall good vibes that KC has to offer.

What a course; Beautiful shots of the KC skyline, historic tree-lined neighborhoods, and hills,…read morehills and a few more hills. It might seem strange to Yelp a half marathon, but I have to say I read through each and every review while training for this course and I'm glad I did. For instance, Andrew M. called out a gradual, potentially pace wrecking surprise hill around mile 11 so I was ready for it. I headed in to this race for my first time hoping to just finish under two hours and felt surprisingly good throughout it, finishing in 1:56 and change. It thunderstormed in the wee hours of the night before the race making for a crazy humid morning for my first HH experience. However, a little breeze and a light summertime cold front moved in during the race...what timing. The Hospital Hill itself comes so early on in the race, and was also included in the fall KC Marathon course in 2015 that it didn't really phase me much. It's not super steep, it's just a long slow hill around mile 2. From there you get a nice reprieve down Gillham through the midtown area. The next hill is by the Nelson and at that point, the sun was well up in the sky and I noticed this short, steeper hill. Luckily they had a hydration station at the top, which was a nice recurring theme throughout the race. Right when you're coasting after that, bam, the hardest hill of the bunch in my opinion. The hill that snakes around UMKC and goes on for days up Rockhill at mile 5. Not. A. Fan. Aside from some other short bursts here and there, it surprisingly flattens out a bit after that. If you're familiar with the CCVI Trolley Run, you essentially join up with Brookside Boulevard that has a nice mild decline to it all the way to the Plaza area. This is where I saw people start booking it, but knowing that a challenging, long finishing hill was coming, I saved my energy and just kept an average pace. Then came that long slow hill up by Westport and through Midtown. Pay heed to this damn hill, it really is annoyingly long and a bear to tackle. I just made a point to keep jogging no matter what my pace and get through it. It starts to feel like the home stretch followed by one 800 foot climb that opens up the KC skyline, Liberty Memorial and beautiful view. What's even more beautiful is that the road starts winding downwards to the finish at Crown Center and you can practically hear the cheers and smell the Gatorade. All in all, a great, challenging, beautiful and rewarding Half Marathon in KC. I also want to give props to the organizers and volunteers who all did a wonderful job with it. It's a race I'd hate to do if it were 10 degrees hotter, but one I'm penciling in again to kick off next summer.

I ran the half marathon in June 2018 and it's by far my favorite half marathon. People told me that…read moreit's hard and it's hard to conquer the hill....I conquered the hill and it busted my running confidence by letting me know that I was in good shape( I had ran 3 other half marathons in 2018 prior to Hospital Hill). I finished the half marathon without walking and I did a personal record that day. Train, Sweat, Conquer, and Repeat for this race. :)