Pocono Mountain Run For The Red Marathon

People sign up for this race because of the fast course. There was a bridge out this year and they had to find an alternate course, but the course they came up with was horrendous.Hardly a BQ course. Most of the race it was 80 degrees which they can't control, but to have warm water at the finish is completely unacceptable. They used to have a nice food spread at the finish but this year was a bag with a bagel and green banana and some other garbage. They advertised plaques for age group winners on their website so when they gave me a cheap medal instead of a plaque for my efforts, I was pretty disgusted. I can not recommend this race anymore and suggest you find another spring marathon.

Beware this is not a closed course!! Due to PennDOT bridgework there was a change from the original course which made it very hilly the first half. Some drivers did not comprehend we were runners and didn't slow down. One point throughout the course I came to a four-way with no markings on the road or directional staff to tell us which way to go luckily a neighbor up the road yelled at us and pointed which way to go. The volunteers at the water stations did an excellent job as well as the those at the end the finish line.

Review The Run for the Red is a purpose built race for BQ qualifiers. I was amazed to stand at the start and see how many people lined up in front of the 3:25 pacer. With that said, there is over 600' of uphills, with many back ended when your quads are screaming. The first half of the race is bucolic and quiet and provide ample opportunity to cut corners. The back half includes open roads with 2-way traffic, but you should always feel safe. The finish is awesome, and the logistics, while a bit complicated, are easy to handle. Race Tips Best pacing strategy - buy a pacing band that takes course profile into account. I ran an even effort strategy, and it's sometimes shocking to see 20-30 sec/mile under your overall pace but reassuring when you check in with the pace band that it's the course, not you. I never got more than +/- 30 sec from my overall target. If I had to run this race again I would probably target a more aggressive negative split - cruising through the cool first half and banking energy definitely helps the tougher back half. Three race tips: 1. There is no nutrition provided on the course, so if you need GUs, bring 'em yourself. 2. At the water stations, they hand out full bottles of water - grab one. While the aid stations are stated to be every 2 miles, sometimes they are a bit further. 3. Keep your eyes peeled for potholes - there are many, especially in the beginning third, that looked like ankle eaters. Logistical Tips This is a nice, small, well supported race. Parking is easy at Pocono Mountain West HS. The HS is open, providing a great place to keep warm and use any last minute facilities. The race organizers provide a drop bag for the finish. If you are coming from out of town and don't want to pick up your bib the night before I recommend paying the extra $20 for race day pickup. I cruised in at 6:10am, picked up my bib, used the facilities and still had plenty of time for warm ups and bag drop off before 7am start. The shuttle buses make the 20 minute drive back to the start after the race and leave frequently.