Rapid City Half Marathon

July 27th, 2024: Mannetta Piggee(HF170936) – State #40 Rapid City Marathon, Half Marathon & 5k in South Dakota (LONG POST)
Flew into Rapid City and stayed 1 night at the Microtel which was conveniently located to the packet pick up race shuttle and finish. I was able to use hotel points for a reduction on the $$, other brand name hotels were a bit pricey, not what I was wanting to pay for a one night stay in South Dakota.
Rented a car so I could take advantage of the opportunity to visit Mount Rushmore. It’s 30 minutes or less from Rapid City. There are animal parks, helicopter tours and a tourist strip in Keystone, for those who love souvenirs and crafts.
The race course was nice, mostly park trail but the directions at the start were given on site and had many of us asking for it to be repeated. Things were much clearer once we got onto the trail. The finish area was nicely shaded which was a welcome from running in the heat and sun. FYI South Dakota gets really hot. The race started at 7am and it heated up quickly, at least by this runners standards. Had to dump water on myself to keep from overheating. I drank the most water and Gatorade than I have ever consumed in my 10 plus years of running. My finish time was not what I wanted but I’ll charge that to the weather.
My only negative comment is that we were not allowed to park at the race start which meant we had to shuttle to and from a pick up location. Let me just say I have never been a fan of shuttling. I don’t like sitting in sweaty clothes waiting for a ride to my car. Not to mention sitting on seats where other sweaty people just sat. Sorry, I’m a bit of a germophoobe.
Best option would’ve been to have everyone park at the finish (if allowable) and shuttle clean people to the start. 😁 When the race is over, people (like me) can leave immediately, so they can get to their hotel and get showered before checkout. Yes, I made it in time to shower and change because the hotel was nice and gave me extra time. If my car would’ve been at the finish I wouldn’t have needed the extra time. Met some nice people with amazing run goals and journeys. Running continues to enhance my life in many ways so step out of your comfort zone and lace up your shoes and see the country. 😉

Photo and Post credit Mannetta Piggee