Alaskan Adventure 2016

I'm only 3 1/2 months late on getting this post up... Our trip to Alaska from last September!

I could come up with a million excuses as to why I haven't finished this until now, but the truth is, I just hadn't gotten around to going through and editing the million photos I took until now! Nevertheless, I still wanted to make sure to post about this trip, because I love being able to quickly look back on my pictures and remember what we did!

We headed up to the 49th state right after our trip to South Dakota (where I got my big 100 DNF at Lean Horse), during the first week of September.

After spending our first day up there catching up on sleep and visiting family, Scott and I headed out on Wednesday and took a train ride on the Alaska Railroad to the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop. We then got to Kayak across a lake to Spencer Glacier, where we did some introductory ice climbing on the glacier. I was glad I had done some very minor rappelling last year because it was a little scary! But also pretty epic.

After the day of ice climbing, we took the train back to Girdwood, where we stayed a night at the Alyeska resort (and I got to see the Northern Lights for the first time)! The next morning we had breakfast at Alyeska and explored a little, including taking the aerial tram up to the top of the resort. Later that day, we headed down to Seward for the next few days.

A stop along the way to Seward!

In Seward we took a cruise over to an island where we then got to Sea Kayak for several hours. We saw quite a bit of wildlife while kayaking, including a very friendly Sea Lion, several Eagles, and some otters.

Hubs and I sea kayaking!

The next day, before heading back, we hiked to the top of Mt. Marathon. Mount Marathon is located 1 1/2 miles from the town of Seward - they hold a pretty famous race going up this mountain every July 4th (world's toughest 5K!), and so I've always wanted to check it out. There's a few different routes you can take to the top including the race course as well as a longer, but more gradual, hiking trail. I had originally wanted to take the race course...until I saw it. It was STRAIGHT UP the mountain. So we ended up taking the hiking trail instead - which was still PLENTY steep! And just as beautiful (if not more so, as you get to hike through the beautiful Mt. Marathon Bowl.

The Mt. Marathon Bowl

The hike actually ends at a false summit of Mt. Marathon - the actual top of the peak is the largest peak in this photo.

It was once again another great trip to Alaska this year! For some of my previous years visits, see here:

Alaskan Adventure 2013

Alaskan Adventure 2014

2016 RUNNING, ADVENTURING & RACING RECAP

And just like that, another year has come and gone!

To say I had BIG GOALS this year would be an understatement. While I put the "BQ" dream on hold, I went after a different, some might say "bigger" goal of attempting my first 100 Miler. Unfortunately it didn't go as planned and I ended up with my first DNF ("did not finish"). But that's the thing about big dreams, you have to be prepared to fail! So, no, I didn't get that 100 Miler finish this year, but I did run multiple 50 milers and my first 100K this year, getting more comfortable with Ultra Distances in the process.

I also took some epic road trips, and ended up with a new PR in visits to National Parks in one calendar year - in 2016 I visited Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce Canyon, The Grand Canyon, Capital Reef, Arches and The Black Canyon (and I was REALLY close to Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska, so that almost counts, right?). I also visited Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park  and, of course, the Colorado National Monument. To say I loved it all, would be an understatement! We have so many incredible places within a day's drive from here -

IT. IS. AWESOME.

In addition to all that above, I also kept up with my ridiculous amount of running and racing. Outlined briefly by month below.

JANUARY

201 Miles Covered on Foot, 196 of those Running

January is actually my least exciting month. I didn't do any races, and I didn't really go anywhere. I mostly just spent the month training for my spring marathon. One notable thing, is that I did unleash the monster that is Loki! My sweet, shy, scared black lab mix we adopted in November 2015...turned out to be a RUNNING MACHINE! He had a blast getting introduced to trail running off leash and I don't think he will ever look back!

FEBRUARY

212 Miles Covered on Foot, 211 Running

February was another slower month in terms of racing, although I did head to Denver to run the Snowman Stampede 10 Miler as my first race on the Runners Roost Race Team! I also went to Southern California for a work trip and got to meet up with an online running friend for a run at Newport Beach and go to Disneyland!

MARCH

250 Miles Covered on Foot, 238 Running

I once again ran Canyonlands Half Marathon this year - easily one of my favorites (and Moab in March has become an annual thing for me that I hope to continue!). The highlight of this particular trip to Moab, was getting up super early and hiking to Delicate Arch to see the sunrise! The very next weekend after this trip, I ended up joining a friend in Monument Valley where we volunteered at the Monument Valley Ultra's. After a day of volunteering, we ended up camping to the most beautiful views! It was pretty incredible to say the least!

APRIL

213 Miles Covered on Foot, 200 Running

In April, I ran the Salt Lake City Half Marathon (originally planned to do the full, but felt like I needed more training under my belt, so dropped to the half). Scott and the pups came with me and we had a great time exploring a new place! I really liked this race a lot, and found I liked Salt Lake City a lot as well. We hiked to a pretty cool Hot Springs on the way back home as well!

MAY

147 Miles Covered on Foot, 119 Running

May is ALWAYS one of those crazy busy months and this year was no different. I started the month off running the Colorado Marathon. It was my goal Marathon for the year, and of course, it didn't go as planned (so many of my races don't these days!). I didn't end up with a PR like I had hoped, but it did end up being a BEAUTIFUL race with fresh snow falling in Poudre Canyon! I also ran the Black Canyon Ascent again (another favorite), and at the very end of the month headed up to Jackson, Wyoming to start my first ever solo car-camping adventure as I explored Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks!

JUNE

222 Miles Covered on Foot, 202 Running

My car-camping adventure covered the very end of May and first part of June, and ended with a meet-up with my mom and brother in Jackson to run the Grand Teton Half Marathon on June 4th! The very next weekend after the Grand Teton Half, I hopped in the car again and made my way to Denver for the Skirt Sports Ambassador Retreat Weekend and 13er Race. I had a blast getting even more involved in the Skirt Sports community and meeting so many awesome women who I've known from Social Media!

JULY

274 Miles Covered on Foot, 263 Running

July was my BIG month getting ready for my 100 Miler attempt. I ran my highest mileage month EVER, at 263 miles (274 including hiking). I ran the Leadville Silver Rush 50 Miler, Chase The Moon 12 Hour Night Run (covering 31 miles in about 8 hours in the dark) and the Grand Mesa 50 Miler! These were all HARD, challenging trail races, but so awesome and rewarding and they definitely got me more comfortable with true ultra running, and feeling a little more prepared for August's big adventure!

AUGUST

154 Miles Covered on Foot, 154 Running

In early August I ran Mt. Sneffels Full Marathon for the first time (after running the Half several times before), and then it was time to taper for the big one! At the end of August, Scott and I loaded up the car and made our way to the Black Hills of South Dakota for my attempt at the Lean Horse 100. I ran really well for the first 40 miles until I ended up with fueling issues (couldn't keep food down) and had to call it quits at 56.6 Miles. Of course, I was super bummed, but it is what it is. The course was absolutely beautiful though and I'm so glad I got to see that area of South Dakota, including Mt. Rushmore!

SEPTEMBER

143 Miles Covered on Foot, 117 Running

Mileage-wise, September was pretty lacking compared to other months, BUT, that definitely made it no less epic! Right after our trip to South Dakota, Scott and I headed up to Alaska for a week to visit Scott's family. This was just what I needed after my sad DNF at Lean Horse. We had lots of fun taking the train for the first time, as well as ice climbing, Kayaking, and hiking! We visited Alyeska/Girdwood and Seward, and I saw the Northern Lights for the first time!

In the middle of September, I also hiked my one 14er for the year, Mt. Massive, with my friend Kellee - putting me at eleven total 14ers down (and I have officially hiked at least one 14er every year since I started hiking in 2011!).

At the end of the month, I also decided on a last minute attempt at a 100K comeback race (not quite as good as 100 miles, but better than nothing), finishing The Bear Chase 100K as the second place female in a time of 14:33:07, and getting a HUGE PR in the 50 Mile Distance by over an hour! I was a pretty happy camper about ending my ultra season on this note!

OCTOBER

140 Miles Covered on Foot, 132 Running

The second week in October marked another great solo adventure for me - heading to Kanab, Utah for The Grand Circle Trailfest. This was three days of running and exploring around Bryce Canyon, Zion, and The Grand Canyon (North Rim). I had never been to any of these parks (except Grand Canyon South Rim as a kid), and had a blast checking out this area! My only disappointment was not having enough time to see more! I will definitely be heading back this way in the future to explore more!

I also ran The Other Half, a Half Marathon in Moab, and had a lot of fun staying with local friends in Moab for the weekend!

NOVEMBER

165 Miles Covered on Foot, 157 Running

My highlight in November was running the new Rim Rock Downhill Half Marathon - which was a BLAST. I crushed the downhill running my second fastest Half Marathon in a time of 1:41:44. I also ran the local Grand Junction Turkey Trot (Turkey Trots are now an annual requirement) in 23:42. It was nice to see my speed coming back after all the slower-paced trail and ultra running I'd been doing over the summer and early fall!

DECEMBER

189 Miles Covered on Foot, 187 Running (as of 12/26)

My long distance racing always comes to end by December, and this year was no different. I once again ran the Winter Sun 10K - in my second fastest 10K time of 47:46, and also ran a new local race - the Santa 5K. Slick conditions kept it a bit slow for me, but I still managed 3rd Female overall in 25:10. This month was also spent really ramping my mileage and training up for The Houston Marathon which I will be running on January 15th, 2017!

Overall it was a pretty great year. I once again achieved a new mileage year PR - covering 2310 miles on foot, 2175 of those specifically running (as of 12/26). I had some awesome adventures and got to see some amazing new places, and dove into the Ultra Running world even more!

So, what's next?

I'll be heading down to Houston to run the Houston Marathon on January 15th and after that, I'm free! I've been planning races and runs non-stop since I started running, so I'm looking forward to taking a little bit of a break after Houston. As of now, I honestly don't know how long of a break I will take. I'm sure I will continue running and maybe doing some races here-and-there, but really who knows! This latest marathon training cycle has been exhausting and I haven't been super motivated, so I'm looking forward to not having any running commitments for awhile. That being said, I'm a huge planner though, so I'm sure I will eventually have some definitive plans again!


2017 Ambassadorships

While I loved being a part of the Runners Roost Race Team this year, I found it was just a little too difficult to keep up with my team duties from this side of the state...so I decided not to apply for 2017. I still love Runners Roost though and will definitely still continue to advocate for and support them when I am in the Denver area (and I'll keep holding out hope that we'll get a store here someday!).

I am, however, hoping to keep my Skirt Sports Ambassadorship and my membership on Team Beef, so long as I get accepted again (2017 hasn't been announced yet for these two). As I'm sure you're aware, I'm pretty much ALWAYS wearing Skirt Sports - not only do I love their clothing, but also the awesome community of active women that the company supports! I also applied for a few new ambassadorships - Boco Gear and Balega Socks - so fingers crossed I get onto those teams! Boco Gear is based out of Boulder and makes all of the awesome accessories for Skirt Sports! Balega makes the primary running socks I've been wearing since I starting running 4 1/2 years ago, and I LOVE them!

Rim Rock Half Marathon {Race Recap}

The Rim Rock Marathon is one of the more well known events in Grand Junction, and in my opinion, one of the best. It showcases the Colorado National Monument by running through it - starting on the Grand Junction side and ending in Fruita. I ran it last year for the first time, and while it was TOUGH (it has over 2000' of elevation gain in the first half of the course) and slow-going, I loved it and knew I had to do it again this year. That being said, I was definitely open to doing the Marathon Relay option as opposed to the Full Marathon.

So...when the race officials announced over the summer that they would be offering a new Downhill Half option, where you run the second half of the course, losing 2000' of elevation gain in about 13.1 Miles, I knew I had to do it! I have a love-hate relationship with uphill races (love the feeling when I'm done), but I have a pure love-love relationship with downhill races. They are seriously, SO much fun. You literally are flying, at a pace far faster than you could sustain on flat ground. It's fun. Seriously, try it sometime if you haven't!

I also love that this race is local, so there's not a whole lot of logistics to figure out. On Friday night before the race I drove to Fruita for packet pick-up (although I could easily go Saturday morning as well - but for a 10 minute drive, why not get my bib the night before?), and then Saturday morning I was up a little after 6 and out the door by 7 to catch the 7:30am shuttle that would take us up to the top of the Monument.

My only hiccup was that when I was about half-way to Fruita, I realized I forgot my Garmin! I've never done more than a 5K without a watch, so I was a little nervous to be flying blind for 13.1 miles in a race...but ohwell, I guess I would just have to see how it went! (In all fairness, I probably would have had time to run back, but it made me a little nervous, I would've been getting back to Fruita right as the bus's were taking of - and you never know if they will leave on time or not!).

I hopped on the shuttle and we made our way up to the start of the race, which was at the Highland View overlook in the Monument. Once at the top, I quickly got into the bathroom line (there were 3 porta-potties for 200 or so runners...not cool), and then found a few other local runners to talk to while we waited for the start. It was in the 40's, but cloudy and drizzling rain. This would actually be perfect running weather, but it was definitely chilly to start! Right before 9am we lined up at the start and headed off!

View from the starting line.

{NOTE: Because I was running this for time, I did not take any pictures. For some really good course pictures, check out my post from last year, where I took tons!}

From the very get-go it was a very steady downhill. Not super steep, but a pretty decent grade to keep me moving. Based on The Other Half from two weeks prior, I was hoping for under 1:50. I had ran 1:55 at that race and I knew this was a much faster course, so I had a pretty good idea that I could swing that... but now, without a watch I was just going to have to run hard and hope for the best!

The first mile marker was definitely off, as we passed by it only 5 minutes or so into the race. After that they seemed to feel more accurate (of course I didn't know for sure without my GPS). I felt like I was running at a pretty good pace for Miles 1-6, which are the steady, not too steep (but not that gradual either) miles. I tossed my long sleeve about 2 miles in and kept at it. The other nice thing about the Half Marathon portion of this race, is that the best views of the park are in the second half - so you still get to run by the Coke Ovens, Kissing Couple, and Independence Monument (rock formations).

Free race pictures - that's Independence Monument in the background!

I didn't take any pictures, so I stole this from my friend Joni who ran the full!

Around Mile 6 is when the fun starts! Very steep, winding downhill from the Visitor's Center to the Entrance of the Colorado National Monument. During this section you get to go through two tunnels as you make your way down. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. Seriously, if you like downhill running, this race is for you. I loved it. I did my best to keep my pace up as fast as I could, just hoping I was running an okay pace.

Once you get down the steep section is when it gets a little tougher. You've got about 3 Miles from the Monument exit to downtown Fruita. You go from having an entire traffic lane blocked off, to being coned off on the side of the road... but the good news is that it is still mostly downhill. Mile 11 was still pretty speedy, and then the closer you get to Fruita the more it flattens out. Once I hit 12 , I knew I was almost there, but I also knew it was going to be tough. You have to run over the Highway which, while not that much elevation gain, can feel like a lot when you've been running downhill for 12 1/2 miles.

Nevertheless I did the best I could, got to the top of the bridge over I-70, and then tried my best to pick up my pace. As I rounded the corner, I could see the finish line. The clock read 1:40:XX, so I sprinted it in as best as I could, finishing in 1:41:44 - WAY faster than I had predicted.

Finishing!

RACE STATS:
Race: Rim Rock Half Marathon
Location: Fruita, Colorado
Distance: 13.1 Miles (many people said it came in short - 12.8 or so)
Bib Number: 407
Date: 11/05/2016
Weather: 40's and drizzly
Official Time: 1:41:44
Average Pace: 7:45/mile if you base this off of 13.1, 7:56 if you base this off of 12.8
Overall Place: 35 of 213
Gender Place: 16 of 144
Division Place (F 29 & Under): 8 of 20 - my Age Group was TOUGH because I got lumped in with all of the college track students I think!
Spits: Unknown (this is what I am most bummed about missing without my Garmin)
Swag: Finishers Medal, Pint Glass, T-Shirt, and free race pictures!

All Finished! (And changed into warmer clothes!)

Elevation Profile that I stole from a friend on Strava.

After I finished, I was mostly spectating and cheering local runners into the finish, so I didn't partake in a lot of the post-race festivities, but this race does seem to have a nice finish line area with beer (and a free pint glass for all finishers - new this year!), some food, and hot soup. After we spectated and saw all of our local runners come in, a few of us went and got pizza at The Hot Tomato (best Pizza in the area!).


POST RACE THOUGHTS:

So, as I mentioned above, I really do love this race. I am constantly torn between my love for trail running (which I'm not very good at, but enjoy more), and road running (which I am slightly better at, but which has a very different atmosphere as it is always more competitive and thus less fun for me), but I love that this race is a road race, but has some amazing views similar to trail running. I honestly think this is the best event in the area and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a good race.

The addition of the Half Marathon was a very smart move by the race committee. This is a fundraiser for the Colorado Mesa University Track & Cross Country Teams, and for the first time ever, the race actually sold out. The Full Marathon has always been gorgeous, and I'm sure I will do it again sometime, but adding the Downhill Half just attracts a lot more runners. Half Marathons are much more attainable for a lot of people, and it being downhill as opposed to uphill, also appeals to a lot of people as well (although I will warn you, this was VERY downhill, so if you have trouble running downhill, be prepared!). I really hope that with the addition of the Half Marathon, this event will continue to grow and start attracting more people from all over the state!

The SWAG was also awesome this year - nice finisher's medals (although I actually think I like last years better because they were shaped like Independence Monument), a Pint Glass (new this year - loved it!), nice shirts, and pretty good finishers line area. My only wish is that it would actually be warm enough to enjoy the beer... of course, being in November, I'm not sure that's going to happen (plus then it would probably be warmer than I like for racing!).

My only major complaints are:

1. They need to add WAY more porta-potties at the starting line with the amount of runners they had this year.
2. As mentioned many-a-times, I didn't have a watch, BUT from what I heard, the course measured very short - around 12.8 Miles. The race's reasoning is that we have to start where the Busses can turnaround. While that does, of course, make sense, I've been to several races where you get dropped off, and then have to walk 1/4 mile or so to the starting line - which I think would work perfectly fine in this situation. I did mention that in the post-race survey, so we'll see if they listen to me or not! :)
3. This isn't really the race's fault, but I wish this race was not held on the same weekend as the Moab Trail Marathon & Half. It seemed like our local runners were about split 50/50 between that event and this one. We have such a limited number of good, quality running events in this area, it would be nice if they could be on different weekends so we didn't have to choose between the two. That one has been on my to-do list, but I love this one so much too, it's a tough decision!

The Other Half, Half Marathon {Race Recap}

Here I am, WAY behind on blogging, as usual... Good thing winter is here and race season has slowed down, so I should eventually be able to catch up - hopefully. Nevertheless, here is my recap from The Other Half, Half Marathon which I ran back in October.

One of the best parts about living in Grand Junction is it's proximity to Moab...and thus, all of the cool races in Moab I get to do! My very first Half Marathon back in 2013 was Canyonlands Half, which takes place every March on Highway 128 - a scenic highway, mostly through a canyon, that runs from I-70 into Moab (not the traditional route - this one is a little bit longer, but more scenic by far!).

Well the same people who put on Canyonlands Half also put on a fall race in October called "The Other Half". It's run on the same road as Canyonlands, but further north - or on "The Other Half" of it. The main difference is that instead of ending in downtown Moab, you end at the Sorrel River Ranch resort.

I've wanted to give this one a try for several years now, especially since a lot of local friends say they actually prefer this one to Canyonlands - so I was really excited to FINALLY do it this year! On top of all of that, I will finally get the "triple crown" award this year for doing Canyonlands Half, The Other Half, and The Winter Sun 10K in one calendar year!

My only reservation going into this one was how slow I had been feeling lately. I had tagged along on a few runs with friends - they were running easy and I felt like I could barely keep up. All of my months of trail running and training for ultra's left me feeling like I had NO speed whatsoever. Nevertheless, I figured this would be a good opportunity to assess my fitness level and to just enjoy the beautiful views.

I ended up joining a bunch of local Grand Junction friends who had all rented a condo in Moab for the weekend. I met them up there Friday night, and then Saturday morning a few of us went into Arches National Park for a hike to Delicate Arch - one I've done a few times before, but never when there were this many crowds, it was pretty crazy! But beautiful nonetheless. Saturday afternoon was spent relaxing and then we all had dinner with some other local runners that night before heading to bed for the race the next morning!

Hiking to Delicate Arch

Pre-race Dinner!

We were up nice and early and headed to the gravel parking lot, which was located about 1/2 - 3/4 miles from the finish line. We hopped on a shuttle and headed to the race start. As we were on the shuttle I quickly realized that this was definitely going to be a hillier Half than it's counterpart (Canyonlands).

Moab Half Marathon does a great job with race organization and when we got to the start line, there was, as with all of their races, trash-can fire pits, tons of porta-potties, coffee and hot chocolate. While we were waiting around for the start, I went and met David, a (fast) friend who I knew from my online running group (who I will be meeting up with in Houston next month), but had not met in real life yet, who would be pacing the 1:40 group. We took a quick picture and then I headed over to drop my warm layers at the bag check and head to the start line. It was probably in the 40's by this point, so still very cool, but I knew it would be great racing weather!

Picture with David before the start!

Waiting for the Start!

As I mentioned before, I really wasn't sure how this would go pace wise, so when the gun went off I just set out at a hard, but sustainable pace. I was hoping for under 2:00, but with the hills, I really wasn't sure. As always with big races (there were about 1000 runners), Mile 1 was a little slower than I wanted as I wove in-and-out of people trying to get into a good rhythm. I also stopped for a quick picture (the only picture I took on the course), and ended Mile 1 in 9:09.  After that, I managed to get into a nice groove over the next few miles, running a bit faster than I had expected - 8:23, 8:20, 8:18, 8:37, 8:33.

The one photo I took along the course!

Mile 7 was when the hills started. And they were tough! Mile 7 was an 8:53, Mile 8 was the longest, toughest hill, and I ended up with my slowest mile of the day in 9:43. After that, I did my best to just hold on as best as I could, running Miles 9-12 in 8:55, 9:04, 8:36, 9:17.

Photo from MoabHalfMarathon.com

Finally, after Mile 12, it is all downhill to the finish! It's a good thing too because I was DEAD by this point. David, who had been pacing the 1:40 people, said he would come back and run me into the finish, so I was waiting to see him, which I did with about 1/2 mile to go. He was super motivating and I did manage to pick my pace up a fair amount, running Mile 13 in 7:57 - my fastest of the day. As I entered the finishers shoot, I gave it all I had left and finished the last tenth of a mile at a 6:46 pace, and finishing the race in 1:55:02. Definitely not my fastest Half, but my first hard effort in a race in a long time! And with the amount of hills on this course, I was very happy with this time!

David running me in for the last 1/2 mile.

Finishing!

RACE STATS:
Race: The Other Half
Location: Northeast of Moab, Utah
Distance: 13.1 Miles
Bib Number: 133
Date: 10/23/2016
Weather: Started in the 40's, ended in the 50's, but the sun was out and it felt HOT by the end.
Elevation Gain: 589 feet
Gun Time: 1:55:25
Chip Time: 1:55:02
Average Pace: 8:47 minutes per mile
Overall Place: 173 of 845
Gender Place: 70 of 526
Division Place (F25-29): 10 of 73
Splits: 9:09, 8:23, 8:20, 8:18, 8:37, 8:33, 8:53, 9:43, 8:55, 9:04, 8:36, 9:17, 7:57, 6:46 (last .1)
Swag: Finishers Medal, Pint Glass, and Long-Sleeve Shirt

Course Map

Elevation Profile

After I finished I jogged back around and watched as a lot of my friends came through, snapping some pictures of everyone. Then we relaxed in the Beer Garden for a bit while waiting for results and age group awards. We all got a picture together before we all made the Death March back to our cars... You know how I had mentioned that we parked about 1/2 - 3/4 mile from the finish area..? Well we had to take a dirt trail that seriously felt never ending, and which we ended up getting lost on and having to backtrack. It seriously felt like it took us FOREVER to get back to our cars!

Once we finally made it, we headed back to Fruita where we all had a late lunch before heading home for the day!

Most of the Grand Junction runners!

The Death March

So, post-race thoughts on this one:

Overall, I did really enjoy this one, especially the social aspect of staying with friends, enjoying time in Moab for the weekend, and just another great event put on by Moab Half Marathon. This organization really does a great job putting on events - everything is so well organized and thought out. The courses are closed to traffic and the views really can't be beat. I wish I could have gotten some more photo's on the course, because it really is beautiful!

Now, as far as this race being better than Canyonlands?! It's a tough call. On one hand, Canyonlands will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first Half Marathon. I also do like ending in downtown Moab, where you can easily walk to various lunch spots, and Canyonlands is an easier course as it only has one major hill, as opposed to the many hills in this one. But, I did really like this one as well. The views were great, and offered a little more variety than Canyonlands (Canyonlands is in the canyon the whole time until you get into Moab, whereas this one starts out in a canyon, but opens up with gorgeous views of Fisher Towers and Castle Valley). I think it's a toss up - they are both great races and great Half Marathon options. With Canyonlands being in the Spring and this one in the Fall, I just recommend doing both!

Race Swag: Shirt, Pint Glass, Finishers Medal