Why Run Two-Cities Marathon?

If you are a local runner looking for a Fall half or full marathon, here are a few reasons Two Cities is a great option for you over other races out there.
- Price - We paid $70 for the full marathon registration.
- Clothing Related Amenities - Nice long sleeve tech shirt, nice running hat, very nice long sleeve hooded sweatshirt which you receive just past the finish line instead of the foil blanket.
- Organization - the expo was extremely well organized, no confusion, no crowds, no lines...maybe a bit on the small size (think Napa Valley Marathon as apposed to Long Beach or San Fran), but very nice. We peeked into the banquet hall where the pasta dinner would take place and it was very nicely decorated. There were more than enough volunteers around to answer questions.
-Port a Potties - Race morning always involves the bathroom line for us. This was the first race I have been too where there were no lines anywhere! Granted, they had to have a near 1:1 ratio of porta potties to runners, the line of green outhouses seemed to fade off into the sunrise there were so many, and this is a relatively small race, somewhere around 6000 total runners for the half and full, so they are really prepared for a much larger race when it comes to the number of toilets available.
- Aid Stations - every 2 miles. They were all where the map said they would be, all fully stocked, all with plenty of volunteers ready and waiting with cups.
-Medical Tents - there were over 60 med personnel on course, tents at about every other aid station, but there were roving meds in golf carts cruising the course. As someone who ran this race thinking every step could be the one the calf tears on, or the Achilles rolls up on, there was peace of mind knowing if I went down I wouldn't be down for long before a golf cart showed up. When I did finally make the call to stop for meds, I was in a bit of a panic, tearing up, and couldn't stop walking or my calves would cramp. There was a lot of me dancing around saying I can't stop moving, and them asking for my info. They stayed calm, helped me open the pack of Tylenol ( i tore it open, but couldn't get the pills out) and get it in, marked my bib with a red sticker while telling me this was so that I could not get anymore meds during the race to protect my liver. They wished me "good luck" and sent me on my way.
- The last .4 miles- Have you ever seen a big marathon on tv, or the Ironman finish?? When the runners get close to the finish and somewhere around half a mile to go, the road is lined with orange baracades on both sides, and soon you are in a running shoot. You come around and can finally see the finish (at the top of a hill) and ...what is that? Bleachers are set up for the spectators! The finish line is first class, no small banner, the full scaffolding decorated with race signage, a DJ announcing names and keeping the crowd entertained, music, people cheering.....as far as finishing lines go, it had everything you could ever hope to see waiting for you. Including Medical volunteers at the finish line, and a huge med tent immediately to the right of the finish line. You might not need it, but you know it's there just in case!
-The Runners Village- Ok, so some races we have run have said they have a "runners village" at the finish area, and it ends up being like every other race. Get your water, only take 1 banana, move down the line. NOT this race! After you cross the finish, you walk down a finish shoot that is fenced off from everyone, only runners can get into it. You walk for ....ok, you walk farther than you should have to, but it ends up being worth it. You come around a corner, and the fences open up into about a 2 acre fenced off area. First you come to your medals, then you pick your size of sweatshirt, then there's a fully catered breakfast! Eggs, potatoes, sausage......a fruit stand like at a farmers market, a nut stand with whatever you could want. Just passed that is an area full of tables and chairs to sit, eat, relax, talk with other runners....then there's an ice cream sundae bar. Volunteers where there to clean up after you so you didn't have to get up and walk to throw your things away. You could have whatever you wanted, from all the stands,as much as you want. There was a huge RV from a radio station that was playing music. Deluxe, huge, nice, clean porta potties. After having such a horrific run, I cannot tell you how nice this was. Oh, there was a tent from a chiropractic center for free massages, too. And again, because everything is so organized and because they are really set up to accommodate a much larger crowd, there were no lines for anything.
-Beer Garden- this race had a beer sponsor, so there was a free beer garden. Pretty common post race, but what was nice is that it was outside the finishers village, down around a corner in another fenced off area. So for those non beer drinkers, we didn't have to see, or smell any of those festivities.
-Parking- parking was free, easy to get to, and within a 2 minute walk of the start.
-No Runner Left Behind Mentality- While this race has a 6 hour limit for the Full Marathon, we left at the 6:30 mark. Everything was still set up, DJ still at the finish line waiting for people to come in. We stopped along the course and cheered in 2 people. Guess what? They kept it up for the very last runner who came in in 8 hours and change. They kept a volunteer waiting with a medal, sweatshirts, and kept food warm for them. This says so much about what kind of race this is. Most marathons sweep the course and pick up runners in a van who won't make the 6 hour cut off, or move them to the side walk so they can close the course down. I can't imagine what it meant to that runner to make it to the finish and know that they kept everything going just for them!

I have to say that this marathon had the best amenities, organization, and attention to details of any that we have done. We thought we wouldn't find a race that could compare to Napa Valley Marathon as far as taking the extra steps to make the runners feel special, but I have to say that Two Cities out did Napa. Two Cities is setting itself up to be a big time marathon, and they are prepared for it to grow. It was set up to handle a much larger crowd. I am glad we ran it at the stage it is now, only in it's 3rd running, still a small crowd, and we could enjoy all the details.