There is a little marathon in a coal-mining, farm-country area of West Virginia (and Kentucky) that hosts a marathon with a theme of a famous feud: the Hatfield McCoy Marathon, run by the Tug Valley Run Club. Things I did not realize going into this race: it is small, the expo fits into a gym, and don't expect luxuries, such as cell phone coverage, in this area.
I wanted this to be my first marathon and am grateful it was not for many reasons, including solo traveling.
The drive from Southeastern Connecticut to the Tug Valley area was over 10 hours. Traveling solo for a few is not so bad. But driving that long is just insane at my stage of life (I'm not one for sitting for too long). Then there is a lack of Starbucks coffeehouses en route to said rural area. Yes, I am one of those! But then you get to the race town, and it is a small town in West Virginia with Kentucky next door. There aren't many Yelp! listings on where to eat, either. So plan ahead with this one.
I was a rookie with race planning on this one and recommend if you want to run it, sign up early, book your lodging early, and look at the area plus surrounding towns for lodging and dining. This is is not to turn you away from the race - which I enjoyed very much- but to prepare you for not having conveniences we love and difficulty deviating from if we cannot use them.
Fortunately, I was able to book lodging at a local hotel run by Wingo's restaurant. Not my first choice and not somewhere I would stay again because I love having luxuries when traveling. I was able to shower and sleep in this place, so basic needs were met. The cost was great: $70 or $80 for three nights. I was a little prepared knowing ahead of time there was no mini fridge and thank goodness for a big box store being in town and traveling with a cooler. I brought my pre-race beer with me and was able to purchase some instant coffee to start running the next morning.
For the run: the directions the Tug Valley Run Club. I ran with a total race crowd of less than 800 people. You are bussed to Food City: the location of the starting line. Then you run for a few miles. And OMG that hill at mile 7 followed by little bumps. I mentioned there was not much for wifi or in this case, cell coverage and was all flustered the subscription music app would not play. Oh well. Now there is music stored on my cell phone for races like this.
The race coordinators have a competition for all the water stops in the race. This is fantastic because of the entertainment you get for 26.2 miles. Not all water stops are equal. My favorite was the wiggly bridge because those ladies had sunscreen. This brings me to another point: this race can get HOT. Do not expect a PR, and take the cooling towels when offered. Back to the race stops: you get to see miniature horses, a golf course, and a few tourist attractions, some railroad tunnels, and bridges. So, not bad.
I mentioned earlier this race is hot. The day started off with a humid 70-ish degree temperature and rose from there to something in the 90s, clear skies on this particular race day, and more humidity. The reviews from this race said not to expect a PR. Don't expect a PR if you're a #teamnotraining kind of runner. There is a reason there is no time limit with this race. Wait, a race with no time limit? Yes, this is one of the reasons I chose to run this one! No runner left behind!
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| Saturday looks promising |
There are also a lot of hand-made signs along the route to serve as motivation. Were you a past runner? Great! Someone made a sign for you? The only runner from Connecticut (I was not - I met a fellow nutmegger while taking a run break) - chances are, there is a sign for you. Lost a toenail, that toenail has a sign. Most of the runners completing this race wanted to do this for whatever reason. Mine was to do a challenging race, for others I met and talked to on the course, it was to accomplish a goal of completing a marathon in all 50 states. One of the runners I met was on his second time around completing a marathon in all the states (WOW!!!).
I also met some great runners from the Chicago area who serve as inspiration because no matter how old or your stage in life, running brings people together in a different way. I cannot explain it other than a truly judgement-free zone. Hey, you finished a marathon in 6 hours. Awesome. You are a bad-ass because you too, are crazy enough to do this same feat as an elite athlete. Okay, digressing back to the road race-y stuff.
The finish line is in the middle of downtown Williamson, WV. There is access to cold showers post-race, a few local dives, and pulled pork sandwiches. Don't forget to pick up your race-themed mason jar. Mine is sported on a shelf in my office at work - along with the stuffed race pig. I feel like I was the most excited to cross this finish line than I have been with all my other races so far.
Consider yourself a bad-ass if you completed this race - the half, or double-half. The elements, you know, heat & humidity.
Would I do it again? Maybe. But not solo.
Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:
Shoes: Topo Flylite 2
Compression: Sleeves purchased off a large internet retailer
Pros: Rocking a medal post-race that shows a town that you are in fact, a bad-ass (or crazy) for a human-paced road venture of 26.2 miles in a mountain valley, race support, water stops, number of bathrooms en route, choice of two states to pick from if you are on the journey to running a marathon in each state, no time limit, met some great runners from across the country.
Cons: Lack of cell reception, humidity, sweating off sun screen
Race injuries: Blisters. I was able to keep all my toenails this time.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 running shoes because of limited wifi and local conveniences.
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