Brad Layland's Staging Area

This was my 9th time running the race. Over the years the race has changed and become much less complex. Long ago we started at Bolles and ended at the Mayo Clinic– at one point we ran on the beach– we used to run around in both Jax Beach and PV Beach… now it is just two loops in Jax Beach. Not bad, I do not miss the bridge to get to the Mayo Clinic– and it was good. The course allows you to run faster… and no busses back to the start is awesome… it is just interesting to have run this race so many times and to experience all of the changes.

The race was super fun and was well organized, They had lots of water stops and the course was really well done. Despite the fact that there could have been more hills, they found a pretty flat course. I will for sure do it again, and not to mention it was my fastest race and I have run 58 marathons before this one.

This was my second time running the race, and I loved it more, as I knew what to expect. I recently ran the Big Sur marathon, and I find that this marathon is actually a more beautiful one. There’s something majestic about running across the Golden Gate bridge.

I signed up for the Big Sur because a friend invited me to run with them, and then they did not run it. I had no idea of all of the beauty and charm that I was in for. The race was awesome, the hills were intense, the heat was a factor, and at times I was very cold. All that said, it was for sure one of the top 10 marathons I have done. The piano player out on the course was pretty crazy!

I normally run this race, and I was registered, but I was out of town this year so I had to run it virtually. All good, I will do it live again next year!

The New York City Marathon is a bucket list race. Sure there are things about it that are inconvenient– like having being transported to the start at 4AM for a 9AM or later start, but the race is so fun and there are so many people out on the course encouraging you. This particular year it was super hot and humid, so my time was slow– but the race typically has great weather.

I was trying to run 50 marathons by the time I turned 50 and I needed to do a race in April– that was not too far away from my house… this was the best option. The race was VERY small– less than 100 people and yet the race production team worked very hard to make it great. I have never run a race where I was alone so much, but it was fun. There were very few water stops, but there were enough. I won my age division (simply because there were not many people in my age group) and I won a metal… it was homemade… but very nice… I am not sure if I would run this race again, but I do not regret running it. The historical nature of it was very cool– as you ended at the spot where the Civil war ended– where Jefferson Davis was captured.

I run the Donna Marathon every year because it is a easy are for me to run relative to where I live. I do the Galloway run/walk and one of my favorite things about this race is that they have pacers who use the run/walk method.

I was trained and ready to go and then pretty much the worse storm I have ever seen came upon Savannah and at the last minute the canceled the race. I went ahead and ran the race at home the next day as I was already trained. The race officials made the right call. The weather was awful.

I trained for my 1st Ironman during the pandemic… this was the 1st Ironman in the US to happen as the pandemic was beginning to end. It was a great race and the race officials did a great job. I loved the run and the swim– the bike had some odd, hard turns and I saw some people fall. I was glad I had driven the course the day before. I am sure they fixed that in future years as this was the 1st year they held the Ironman in Tulsa.

I did this as virtual run due to the pandemic. Such an odd time in our country. I ran from our house to our River House which is about 26 miles. My wife and friends came out to support me.

As a virtual race, there was very little an organization in the UK trying to tell animals in Africa could do to support me in Florida run the virtual version of the race. Having said that I observed a dozen or so different animals (including cats and dogs) on my race 🙂

I have run the Donna Marathon 8 times…the race is a solid regional race and the Donna team works hard to make it special. The route changes just about every year, but the race officials seem to make it better each year. It is always in Jax Beach– but it used to also be in Ponte Vedra. It is a Jeff Gallaway race, so there is interval runners– which is helpful to me!

I usually do every race I run twice, but I see no need to do this race again. They had added the marathon distance the year I ran it and it seemed like the marathon concept was an after thought. There was confusion on the course itself as those of us running the marathon vs an ultra distance had to run a slightly different beginning. They messed up so I got to the finish line and I had only run 25.9 miles. The other very discouraging thing about the race was that when I crossed the finish line there was literally no one there to say “great job.” I had to hunt someone down to get a metal. They were simply more focused on the Ultra runners. Once I got my metal I then kept running to get to 26.2. The actual location was pretty and a nice historic park, and I am still glad I ran it— I am sure the race organizers did better the next year.

Running through one of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife conservancies was a joy. Everything about the race was difficult and spectacular. I raised money for TUSK to be able to run in the race. The course was two 1/2 marathons– so a double loop. I ran slow due to the heat, I got lapped by an African man. Humbling…

It was incredible as they literals had to use helicopters to keep the dangerous animals away to keep runners safe and there was park rangers out on the race course with guns to protect the runners.

The race packet contained hand-made things, that years later I am still using. The accommodations available where over the top (and expensive). What a joy!

This is one of the Spring Marathons in FL where the snow birds are down and in Florida enjoying the ocean… while the weather can still be nice, it can also be like summer. This year, it was super warm… can’t remember exactly, but I just remember suffering through the heat in this race. If I had it to do over I would have just not run as my time was super long due to the heat and the mostly shadeless route. If it had 50 degrees that day it would have been a fun race.

There are things about the Disney Marathon that are hard– early start, long walk the start, tons of people who based on your coral can make you slow, a wide variety of temperature (I have run it at 85 degrees and 30 degrees)– BUT it is Disney, Magical, and by far my favorite marathon I run each year. If I could only run one marthon for the rest of my life, or in my life it would be Disney.

The NYC Marathon is in a class of it’s own. How can there be that many people on the side of the road for the entire race? We all know so many people live in NYC, but it is just so fun to get to run throughout NYC and all of the Burroughs. I have run this race several times and each time I raise money for The Bowery Mission– which serves homeless people in NYC.

I have run the Donna Marathon at least a half a dozen times and the race organizers keep getting better at the course. There use to be a beach run and bridge at the end, but those challenges are gone! My favorite part of the run is that at some point you run by Beaches Chapel and they have volunteers out there serving Communion.

The New York City Marathon is as awesome of a race as you would expect. The journey to the start is long, but unavoidable due to the fact the race starts so far away from Central Park, but the race itself is full of encouraging fans and so much energy. If you get to run in the NYC marathon you should!

I ran this race because it was close to my house and convenient. I have run it multiple times because I like the race. You get to run down streets with beautiful old trees that create shade and you get to run along small creeks and over bridges. It was surprisingly awesome!

I ran this race with one of my friends— this was her 1st Marathon, and my 19th. No pun intended, but there is just something magical about running the Disney Marathon. Running into and through the Magic Kingdom is so much fun!

As a repeat runner in the Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon I have come to enjoy the race– especially because the start of the race is directly below the Hyatt Regency. It is a very easy start. There is good energy at the race.

The Disney Marathon is my favorite marathon that I do. The combination of being in FL, close to where I live, and the memories of going to Disney with my family over the years makes running through the park so much fun. Favorite part for me is always running through Cinderella’s castle.

The Jacksonville Marathon is a steady race that is predictable. The weather always seems to be cool and the course is easy and flat. Much of the course is shaded and I always feel good after running this race.