This race was super fun! It was a beautiful course. The volunteers were great and having the central aid station provided a great chill vibe! You definitely need to watch for course markings and also prep beforehand to make sure you don’t get lost on some of the loops.

It is a community focused race but also welcomes people from other states. It is a runnable course but hilly and depending on the year it can be really hot. What I like about it is that it in very inclusive: it can be for beginners but also for pros. It is divided into 5 different loops (with the section with the 1 and 5 that are one way and the same, but 1 is out, 5 is back). You can run the whole 42km by yourself, or split the race between two people, or among 5 friends and then each of you run between 4 and 6 miles. The aid station is in the middle. All the loops end there. It is beautiful, but difficult. The best part is the whisky shot and swing on loop 2, and the burgers, food and drinks after the race that are all included (you don't have to pay extra for that).

Split the marathon with a friend. Didn't push race effort (working my way back from injury) but had fun on the trails. Beautiful, flowy trails (with a steep technical finish!)

See my race report here: https://donnerpartymountainrunners.com/2025/08/race-report-andrei-runs-his-first-marathon-at-pt-mariah/