This was a really fun run hosted by The Oatmeal himself!
The race was really fun. Along the way there were lots of treats and sights to see. It was a small enough race where you could actually run the whole thing, but big enough where you never actually lost sight of the pack. This was the Mr’s first big marathon. I was very much out of training at the time, so I stuck to a stretch goal distance of 10K. I used it mostly as a litmus test to see how much my HIIT workouts at elevation have been helping me, and after the race I felt great.
The course began/ended at Raley Field, and the 10K course was pretty solid — paved roads or well maintained urban running trails. The marathoners and half-marathoners had some dicey spots like cobblestone and wooden decks but all in all I didn’t hear too many people complain about it.
The most endearing part of the race was seeing the blerches on site handing out treats, like bacon-wrapped dates. There was an aid station with cupcakes. I missed out on a lot of the birthday cake unfortunately.
The strategic placement of couches were also appreciated by many, but it made me wonder how much work it took for someone to wheel them out around the field and course. Overall, this was a really fun race and I would run another Oatmeal race again. I just saw that there will be a race in Las Vegas in October so I will definitely sign up!
Amara in Training 