I drove from WV to NH!
I made my pitt stop in Philadelphia! It was perfect since I have a college and graduate school friend still in Philadelphia, so she let me stay with her.
Philadelphia wasn't halfway since it was slightly 5 hours from Morgantown, while to Conway was slightly under 7 hours
There were only two race options
Half-marathon and marathon
There weren't any spectators and crowd support since we ran along the highway. At least there were tons of volunteers to make the course doable!
The only time we had spectators was when we were within a mile from the finish line. I didn't expect crowd support since Conway is a small town in NH
The course is extremely downhill since it's a Revel race. Revel races are known for their insane elevation drops!
We started at 2812 ft and ended at 462 ft (total of 2350 drop in elevation)
We had to be bussed to the start of the race since no one would be allowed to drive up themselves
Buses left the Settlers Green Outlet Village (marathoners) between 3:15-4:15
We started at the C.L. Graham Wangan Grounds Scenic Overlook, which is part of the White Mountain National Forest
I wasn't prepared for the top of the mountain since I thought I would be fine with the cold weather (I WAS VERY WRONG). Fortunately, there was someone with a spare trash bag/emergency blanket, and he gave it to me since I only had my shorts and tank top. Additionally, someone gave me a long sleeve jacket as a throwaway, so I had it under my trash bag
There was a lot of snow at the top of the hill! What made it colder was the wind and the darkness, so standing around definitely was hard
The first 5 miles were the steepest and I felt the fastest
I knew I couldn't get carried away, so I didn't try to go fast. The only hills were between miles 10-12 (approx 250 ft)
The rest of the course wasn't as downhill as the first half, so I still let gravity take over my running
There were plenty of aid stations and they had water, Nuun, and GU gels! The later half of the aid stations had deep blue rub for muscle soreness and oranges
The finish area was at the Ham Arena
Runners received a donut from Dunkin Donuts and a beer from Tuckerman Brewery
Since there were tons of extra donuts, I was able to take a dozen strawberry and sprinkled donuts back home with me!
The expo was also at the Ham Arena the day before
Check in was easy and quick
Runners received a map, a shirt, a couple of snacks, electrolyte powder, and a sticker!
I ran this marathon since I needed a NH marathon. Additionally, I ran this because it was the inaugural race, so I wanted to be part of history!
I have zero complains about this race and how it was produced!
This is a good race if you want to PR and/or BQ!
Race Website: Revel White Mountains
Some pictures along the course!
Some pictures at the start of the race! The group picture is with some Marathon Maniacs!
Some post-race pictures!