I arrived in Townsend, TN on Friday afternoon to pick up my race packet for the half on Saturday morning. Check-in was pretty simple & well organized. I volunteered to help at the 5k finish line on Friday evening. I've never been the one handing out medals so that was fun, plus I received a credit to go toward a future Vacation Race, which was super nice!

The expo was nice, but not tons of vendors. A great stop for souvenir race items, hydration packs, etc.

Race morning started early...my husband dropped me off at the starting line around 5:15 a.m. There were shuttles available, too, but decided for him to drop me off instead. There was a party going on before the race started..coffee, hot chocolate, music & a slew of port-a-pottys available.

The race started as scheduled, which is always nice! The course was a paved road so no rough terrain. The most challenging parts were the areas of road that had a pretty steep slant (rough on the ankles) & the last 3 miles or so were full sun. There were pretty & peaceful parts that ran along the river, too. Overall, not as difficult as one might expect in the mountains (no complaints here)!

The finish line was great. You could hear them announcing your name as you were getting closer to crossing the line, received your medal immediately, & were directed towards the chocolate milk & awesome snack boxes which were so close by!

I had a great time at this race & would definitely recommend it to others!

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