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| Finally finished! Need to catch a plane now. |
My answer: No. And here is why: The race fee and lack of need for police support.
I will admit, I was initially excited to run on the Biltmore estate given that this is a place of American Royalty. If you live close to Newport, RI, then you can see the expanse of summer manse from families like the Biltmore's, Vanderbilts, and Drexlers. The race slogan is "run in America's largest back yard." It is a back yard filled with vineyards, ponds, and gardens. None of the vineyards are in bloom, nor are the gardens. I hardly think running through hibernating foliage is worth the race fee: $150.00.
The race expo was held in a hotel outside of the estate. It was small and well-run. I purchased a pair of lucky socks since the race was held on St. Patrick's day. The race expo has the usual packet pick-up and an additional station to obtain your shuttle tickets. Read the fine print with this race: there is a fee you have to pay for being shuttled to and from the estate. This is in addition to your race fee, folks.
Asheville is a cute southern tourist town with some posh buildings, ambiance of wealth, and funky restaurants. Caroline and I met up at the airport, went to the expo, then parleyed what to do for dinner. We agreed on tacos. Because, tacos. We had dinner at the White Duck Taco Shop where bonus: the pre-race beverage was a Cheerwine slushie. I considered this a win being a southerner displaced in the northeast. There are some southern-isms I miss that cannot be found above the Mason-Dixon line. But digressing, the food was great as well as the beverages.
Fast forward to race day, and here is where things go awry (at least in my humble opinion). Caroline and I wake at our usual 2 hours before the race, get ready to embark to the shuttles about an hour and a half before we need to be at the start. The bus ride was not so bad- it was a usual state of quiet except for the diesel motor changing pitch as we ride through the estate. Keep in mind this race starts as spring is starting so it is off to a cold start. The down side: there are not many places to access a toilet or warmth at this point. Hello shivering for an hour. Side note: I wore layers to shed and was too cold. We eventually found a covered are with propane heaters to hover around until it was time to walk to the starting line. There were several announcements (nothing unusual) about the race, then came the request to make donations to support the post run beer. OH HELL NO, they did not! I just paid how much to run, no police support needed, a portion of the race fee is a donation, and you want me to donate more? No.
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| Pre-race selfie. Sooo cold! |
The first few miles of the race were not so bad. There are a lot of out and back loops. No big deal - mapping out a USATF course with exactly 26.2 miles is challenging. But the off road areas of the course are concerning. I found the roads on the back portion - near the vineyards - to be too worn from work vehicles. They were so uneven that I treated them as if I was running a technical trail. One of the portions of the trail had bulky gravel - I tripped several times because I lost footing.
I also missed my original flight because I thought I could run faster than I planned. There were limited options leaving Asheville.
Breakdown of the expenses:
Race Fee: $150
Shuttle Fee: $20
Airfare: $500 + $150 fee to change flights
Hotel (split): $125
Rental (split): $40
Dining: $100
Running gear purchased: $50
Airport Parking: ??? Cannot remember if I flew out of Hartford or Boston
Total estimated cost: $1100 - $1200 plus donations for the post race beer 😉
Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:
Shoes: Topo Flylite 2
Compression: Sleeve purchased off a large internet retailer. Last use for this one! My legs are now too big. 😂
Pros: Race swag: great long-sleeved t-shirt and buff/gaiter.
Cons: cost, uneven dirt roads, asking for donations for the post-race beer, cost, lack of warmth pre-race, limited flight options to Asheville.
Race injuries: Recurring shin splints and toe blisters.
Rating: 2 out of 5 running shoes because of the cost, limited flight options, continual requests for donations, need to purchase additional shuttle tickets to enter and exit the estate, and lack of warm areas pre-race.
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