I've done around half of the Tennessee Running Tour races, and this one is definitely up there as one of my favorites. For the price of admission ($22 w/ a shirt, or $10 w/o), you really can't expect much, but they definitely go above and beyond. *Disclaimer* If you do any of these races, you have to know that they are bare-bones... don't expect a lot of swag. You do these to travel the beautiful state of Tennessee, see some fantastic state parks, and run with a group of people that after a few weeks, you get to know. Oh, and the competition is pretty sweet, too.

The Race: It is hard to settle into a nice routine, as the first few miles are on a paved narrow path that winds through the woods. The scenery is a breath of fresh air compared to the city streets that most races wind through, but the narrowness makes it difficult to path. You're essentially running single-file. A few times I stepped off the path to pass some slower people, but that's a risky proposition running through the woods. Once you get off the path, you go onto a two-lane road that now feels as wide as the Great Wall is long. Again, though, it's hard to settle into a nice pace, because after a quarter mile or so, you begin a long, steep downhill, under a wooden covered bridge (cool!), then up a long, steep hill that never seems to end. A few years ago I was in fantastic shape and killed the hill... this year, I'm not in as good of shape. Add in the 80+ degree temps (I love that these start times are at 11:00 on cold, winter days - not so much on these hot fall days), and I had to walk a good chunk of the hill. It's a tough one. After that, you make another turn onto a long, mostly straight out and back for 2-ish miles total. Rolling hills which are made tougher after the beast of a hill. If you are feeling good, you can gain a lot of time here that you may have lost in the woods or on the hill.

Post-Race: Some of these Running Tour races have excellent post race options. For example, it's worth it to do Bigfoot Scramble just for the post-race BBQ that they have or Johnsonville Charge for their chili. This one just has bananas, cookies, and water. Still, as I said at the beginning, you don't do these races for the swag. Anything you get is a bonus.

Race Management: I have to add that one thing I love about this race is the director. The race is ran by a guy and his two kids. That's it. They start the race, run the two aid stations (plenty for a 10k, and two more than you receive at most of these races), and do the post-race awards. I love watching them work together.

Swag: The running tour always has similar shirts for each of their races. Sometimes the design varies, but that's rare. The colors are always difference. It's definitely worth it to get at least one shirt from the tour each year. This one is pretty cool as it's the 40th anniversary of the tour. Nice design on the front and a nice dark blue color. Instantly becomes one of my favorite long-sleeve tech's that I have. Be aware that not everyone receives a medal. You need to place in your age group to receive one. Most of the races are small enough where you will be competing with 5-ish people in your AG, but some are larger. This one is one of the smaller ones. None of the medals are large or heavy, but they are all unique to the park. This one features Davy Crockett on it and has your AG place.

Overall, if you haven't checked out a Tennessee Running Tour event yet, put at least one on your calendar this year! You won't be disappointed.