The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, appropriately billed as “The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America,” is one of the scenic highlights of the year for the CLIF Bar Pace Team. Beginning in downtown Minneapolis, it takes runners past four gorgeous lakes; through stunning neighborhoods dotted with opulent homes; along the Mississippi River and past the St. Paul Cathedral to a screamingly fast and stunning finish at the state capitol building. With more than 300,000 enthusiastic fans and 10 official Cheer Zones, it’s a fall marathon made in heaven. Except for one little challenge – the course consists of a fast start followed by a very hilly and very challenging finish.  But that’s where the pace team comes in!

The Twin Cities Marathon begins at 8am sharp, which means your pacers will be lined up in the starting corrals by 7:30 am sharp. If you’re hoping to run with us, that means that you should also be getting lined up at 7:30. We know it’s tempting to hang out in the Metrodome with friends, warmth, and indoor bathrooms, but the longer you wait, the harder it is to get to us.  Line up early, then use those final moments before the race to center yourself and relax. And remember:  there’s no need to stay on your feet for that extra half hour! Bring a garbage bag or an extra sweatshirt, and have a seat on the road!  Your feet will thank you later in the day.

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Labor Day and the cooling fall temperatures don’t just bring new backpacks and the sounds of school bells ringing, but one of the most ‘magical’ races on earth – the Disneyland Half Marathon!  One of the highlights of the year for the Clif Bar Pace Team, the Disneyland Half Marathon is a beautiful and FUN run that’s sure to be one of your favorite running memories.

The mostly flat course begins just outside the Lilo Parking Lot in Downtown Disney, adjacent to the three on-property hotels.  The corrals are crowded and the field is large, so make sure you arrive EARLY – around 5:00 am is best.  We know it’s an early morning, but better to ease into your race as calmly as you can than be “racing” to the bag drop or the start.  Plus, runDisney puts on a GREAT pre-race show that’s sure to get you pumped up and keep you entertained while you wait for the gun!

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Our friend Mark Davies from the CLIF UK field marketing crew was out at Run24, a 24-hour individual and team relay race that took place a couple weekends back. Check out the recap!

Now a 24-hour running race may sound completely alien to most of you and something of an impossibility. However, Run24 is made even tougher as you have to endure the same 5-mile loop throughout the race. Now, I did a jog around the race loop before the race started and it is truly one of the most beautiful courses I have ever ran on. However, this was quickly forgotten due to the sheer toughness of the terrain, and with some strong headwinds while going up the first climb, it was sure to be a tough 24 hours for the competitors. This event was spilt up into several categories: solo, paired and teams of 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, so there was something for all abilities.

It was clear when we arrived early evening that the weather was not going to be on our side, never is when I go camping. After we had set up all the Clif Bar area we had a quiet flow of people, this was due to most of the people planning to arrive on the Saturday morning. With a band playing in the registration tent, most of the runners had gathered to watch, some with beers in hand, which I’m sure they paid for later on the next day.

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Another helpful marathon course preview from Star Blackford from the CLIF Bar Pace Team!

The CLIF Bar Pace Team loves running the Grandma’s Marathon every year!  It is a phenomenal event, marked by first-class volunteers, a unique and fast course, and a host city that manages to make every runner feel like a hero.  For the past two years, we’ve also paced the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon and wanted to share our insider tips on the course, the weather and the town.

Wherever you stay in Duluth (or the Lake Superior area), get ready to be treated like royalty.  Whether you’re in an older hotel, a college dorm or the race host hotels, just “looking” like a runner is enough to get you star treatment.  The Expo is a real treat as well – much larger than many expect for this race, and lots of quality vendors.  And, since Grandma’s is a Saturday race, they offer very late packet pickup – until 11 o’clock at night!  We personally recommend a relaxed evening meal and a solid night’s sleep, but it’s a great option to have if you should need it.

As far as that relaxed evening meal goes, look no further than Michaelina’s All-You-Can-Eat spaghetti feed, located right outside the main Expo hall.  A Grandma’s tradition, it’s just another example of how Grandma’s goes out of its way to accommodate as many participants as possible:  the pasta feed runs from 11 am through 9 pm, allowing you to do your carbo-loading as early or late as you prefer.  A true “runners-hub,” there is always someone to eat with, talk to or share strategy with.

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By Craig Woodman (UK Event Crew Leader)

May 5th and 6th heralded the 2nd annual Endurance Life Festival and having enjoyed the previous one I was well up for some more mucky fun. The first challenge of the weekend is finding the event base. After heading off down a road that soon became a track, I hadn’t seen a vehicle of any description for 20 minutes. With the sat-nav now kaput and just as I thought I’d run out of road, I swung into a large field and was greeted by a hidden festival hideaway. It was crazy to behold; a flurry of tents, flags, camper vans and rugged looking people buzzing around under the impressive backdrop of the giant Tee-pees.

Getting set up in the dry was a novelty (much better than the driving rain of last year) and looking out over Mothecombe Bay as the sun set was the perfect way to end the day! 

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