* The North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon returns to Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling, VA.
* The course keeps runners on their toes with ever-changing terrain. Overall, the course consists of 50% singletrack, 30% dirt or gravel double-track, 10% gravel carriage road and 10% paved road.
* 7 hour cut-off for marathon (another website source claims 8 hrs)
* Course guide can be found at: http://www.thenorthface.com/downloads/pdf/Marathon_DC.pdf
* Considered among the region’s best trail races
* One year it was very muddy, another it was very hot (90 degrees)
* Come early, they had 10 portapotties for 800 people
* advice: walk up the steep hills, you'll be faster
* The half marathon is more like 14.6 miles.
* It was very well organized,
* started on time.
* Aid stations where well stocked
* Volunteers were attentive and knowledgeable.
* The post race party had plenty of food for all finishers.
* They even had a water truck for cleaning the mud off our shoes.
* Water stops are only spaced out every 6-7 mile
* The surprise of the course is that only about a foot wide for most of it and extremely uneven with muddy sections and horseshoe prints that you could roll your ankles in. (train in trails to train your ankles properly)
* At around mile 4, there is a stream too wide to jump. So be ready to run the remainder 22 miles with wet feet. (ready!)
* It's an out and back race course shared with a 50k and 50mile
* Marathon starts at 9am in June. A bit hot (wear appropriate cool clothing, sunscreen, carry water)
* Not recommend to anyone wanting to get a PR, it's a trail race after all .
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| This is me doing the Half-Marathon Challenge June 2013 |
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