Stone Steps 50K was my first ultra-marathon and I couldn't have picked a better one! It was very well organized with emails and facebook groups. Communication and information was very detailed and timely, and personable on Facebook posts. You could tell that the RD really care! Location is really convenient to interstates and downtown Cincinnati. Parking was right in the middle and you were always only 3-5 miles away from your vehicle, so my aid station was my trunk. They also had an aid station in the middle between your 3-5 mile loops with a variety of items. The RD was at the aid station cheering everyone on and remembered me by name and talked with me every time I ran through. The course is a 5 mile loop and a 3 mile loop ran several times with the aid station in between. The weather was perfect, chilly 45-50 degrees. It rained a little, but it didn't cause any major complications on the course. The trails are really nice, a bit rocky and rooty in places, but it keeps it interesting. The Stone Steps and Gummy Bear Hill were challenging, so definitely get your lunges in!! The race starts at 8, but trekkers and others are invited to start at 7 if you think you need more time. Overall, very nice course, very friendly and supportive people, would definitely run it again!

I ran the Bourbon Chase last year in 2019 with a friend from work and her Ragnar Team. I always wanted to try it, heard a lot about it, thought "Why Not!". I'm very glad I did, but not really sure if it's my cup of tea. The group relay part of it was cool, working with a team and having that support...but you also feel bad for the team if you are running a bit behind. Personally, I'd rather run for myself and against myself and not feel the pressure of running for my teammates and letting them down. The different legs were nice, I ran first in Van #1, in the dark from Jim Beam, on trail and road. It was really nice, the trails were basically gravel walking paths, but I did get to try out my head lamp which was pretty cool. It was fun to drive and stop and cheer your team on, and the stops along the way were also at Bourbon Distilleries and cute little towns, so that was a plus. Very scenic, fairly challenging. The most challenging part was trying to sleep. We got a hotel room, had a hot shower and tried to sleep for a few hours before we were on the road again. By the end of it, you are really proud of yourself and your team, but utterly exhausted from the lack of sleep and having to hurry up and wait. Glad I did it once, probably going to stick to the solo runs.

Loved the Flying Pig! The swag was great, loved the soft cooler they gave this year, plus clothes bag, shirt and bathroom goodies. For the course, some of the inclines were never ending, but the scenery was really nice! I ran behind a couple who had a nice pace and I ended up with negative splits. So that was great!

Oh good God the rolling hills!!! It was never ending! Packet pick up was at the local Fleet Feet a day or so before, swag t-shirt is the softest thing I own! I love it and I love the color! Parking was super easy, many runners dressed up in green and St. Patty's Day stuff. The course is really pretty, soft rolling hills through horse farms, out and back on a country road, I think there were like 2-3 cars, but they came through slow and really respectful. This is the run that my school's cross country team runs together, it was really fun to be out there and cheering on our students (I teach middle school).

The Queen Bee half in Cincinnati was great! Swag was cool, nice long sleeve shirt and a cup! I love my cups - fits 12 oz. perfectly. Lots of little goodies, deodorants, shampoos, sunglasses, over the shoulder bag. Lots of swag! Temperature was great!
The course was really nice, ran over bridges and through downtown Cincinnati. Lots of aid stations with drinks and snacks. I totally stopped in my tracks when the volunteer at the aid station hollered and offered me a York Peppermint patty! Would absolutely run it again!