Oak Barrel Half Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Melanie B.
LaVergne, TN

  (04-05-2010)

"This year's race was the inaugural event. I live about an hour from Lynchburg and thought it'd be neat to run in a new event.

It poured down rain for most of the race, but that can't be helped. I actually kind of like running in the rain, and since the course is all on paved roads there weren't any issues of mud.

There's not an expo for this race. It's very "small town TN" and I liked that. You just check in and get your shirt and race number and chip.

The course goes through the TN countryside, and it's beautiful! However, this is definitely one of the hilliest half marathons I have ever run in TN. There is one giant hill around mile 4 that I ended up walking the second half to get to the top. Fortunately, the race organizers put a water stop at the top of the hill. The last few miles are not as hilly. I'm always thankful when the worst hills are toward the beginning. I wouldn't recommend a first timer run such a hilly course, but it's a great challenge for more experiences runners. Just keep in mind that it's not really a PR kind of course.

The mile markers were on small signs down on the road, so they were easy to miss. I would have preferred that the miles be more clearly marked, but it wasn't a big deal.

There were some spots where we had spectators, but it was mostly people who lived in the homes we ran past. It's not really a spectator-friendly course, but if you want a quiet run in the countryside - this is it!

The loot for this race was nice. I LOVED the long-sleeve shirt that I received. The design was really cool. I didn't care for the brand as it ran a little short-waisted, but I'll still wear it. The medals were AWESOME! They were made of wood and had the logo carved into them.

The food after the race was ok. They had hot soup, corn muffins and cookies.

It's a dry county, so even though the race is sponsored by Jack Daniels, you won't find any alcohol post-race.

I may or may not run this race again. It was well organized and I enjoyed it, but it was a good little drive for me... so I might try something new next year instead of running it again."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010