For a smaller race, this one is a blast! The race organizers and volunteers always come through to create an atmosphere unlike any other race I have experienced. The spectators get so wrapped up in the cheering and encouraging sometimes I wonder if they are having more fun than the runners!

I can go on forever, by my summary says it all. I'll be back every year. The is the best trail race in the USA!

This was a great race! Some steep hills and rugged terrain - definitely a technical trail. I opted to wear my New Balance 101s over my VFFs, and it was a wise choice. Not a fast race, but the scenery and the medal/shirt/finisher's surprise were all top notch! The organizers were great, and the FB online community was a lot of fun!

This was my first trail race. I met my goals and the organization and support made it completely frustration-free. Fantastic event.

From the initial sign up, this race has been well organized and extremely well run. The one thing that stands out is how much the organizers have focused on having fun. Completely stress-free. Well done race.

I have rarely seen such happy volunteers, such a beautiful setting, such a well-organized trail race, and so many people having so much fun doing a race.

This was my first marathon but not my first trail race. The course is a 3-loop course that has a nice mix of hills and flats. Some of the trail is smooth, some rooty areas, and some good rocky sections.

The support at this race is stellar! Very friendly volunteers and RD's. Each aid station was well stocked with drinks, food, and people. They gladly refilled my bottle for me at each station and offered words of encouragement. There were volunteers for directing runners at a few trickier spots. They all were friendly and encouraging without falling back on the standards: "looking good," "way to go," etc. It was nice to have them be more personal, which really helped on that last lap. There were volunteers walking the course backward with water bottles in case someone couldn't make it to the aid station before needing water.

Even though there weren't huge numbers of spectators, I gave the spectators 5 stars because the ones who were there were there were great. During the last mile I came across many encouraging spectators hanging out on the trail and they were just what I needed to keep up the kick to make it to the finish.

There was plenty of post-race food for everyone. I rarely find much I like post-race, but this time I did.

The finisher's medal and surprise were great. The tech shirt is really nice as well. I really can't say enough good things about this race! The best atmosphere I've ever experienced at a race. Not a bad apple in the bunch!

I will be back next year!

This race is put together very well! The coordinators of the race get all their info' across very early on, and keep updates and changes coming through e-mail announcements. On race day everything went super smoothly and fast (unlike most races I've been to) and they are the nicest people while it's going on! I would higly recommend this one to everyone and anyone!

What an awesome race. The course is difficult single track trail that's run in 3 loops. The staff and volunteers were awesome! Well organized race with great swag for a VERY reasonable price. The best finisher's medal I've ever earned. A race for the "Must Do" list!!!

This race has a lot of "pre-race" hype and it lives up to all the expectations. The stuff given out is superior to even the road marathons (even for the 10-miler)! The volunteers are enthusiastic and they seem more like part of a community effort than just last minute additions. The food spread is worth the price of admission in itself. Finally, the actual race is challenging, yet scenic. This is the kind of race where after you finish, you just want to cancel any other plans for the day and hang out! I actually ran the 10-miler this year and decided to stay well into the afternoon to cheer on the marathoners as they came in. I will definitely add this to my "bucket" list for next year!