10 out of 10 for the Charlottesville Ten Miler

The Charlottesville Ten Miler impressed me every step of the way.

A course that is equally beautiful and challenging, it is exceptionally rewarding.

Blooming trees line the uphill start of the race and both the spring flowers and the initial climb provide a preview of the miles to follow.

The course is breathtaking, springtime here is stunning, the University of Virginia campus on an early Saturday morning is peaceful and quiet and awe inspiring, the neighborhoods, architecture, downtowns and history are all amazing, the spectators are awesome and the volunteers are among the nicest I have ever met.

These are some of the many obvious positives and all compelling reasons to run this wonderful race.

For me, though, it’s actually the subtleties that really make this race one I will run any chance I get. And one I will highly recommend to others.

In running and in life, we can only control what we can control. And when preparing for a race, we try to control as much as possible. How we train. When and where we race. Our race day outfit, right down to backups, just in case items, what if the weather does this options, stay warm at the start gear, the list goes on. We plan our pre-race food, our during race fuel, our post race meal. We coordinate our travel. Do we live nearby. Do we stay in a hotel. Do we walk to the start. Where do we keep our keys, what do we do with our wallet. Runners. Plan. Everything.

Fortunately, so do the organizers of the Charlottesville Ten Miler.

It is easy to (over)think just about absolutely everything leading up to race day. And one of the things I found so refreshing about the Charlottesville Ten Miler is what a great job they do of removing many common stressors.

Packet pickup. Event expos are tons of fun, they are a great way to meet fellow runners and in some ways they can help to shake off some of those pre-race nerves. However, getting to packet pickup can sometimes be a strain on time or travel or other commitments. The Charlottesville Ten Miler offers a mail option, which is not all that common and tremendously helpful. Like all aspects of this race, the process was incredibly clear and transparent and the packet arrived well before race day.

They also allow family or friends to pickup your packet with ease, no documents needed! And they even offer race morning packet pickup. AND, if you forget your bib on race morning, they will issue a new one at the start. I’m not sure I have ever seen this as an option. Pretty amazing. The Charlottesville Ten Miler truly goes the extra mile to make packet pickup as seamless and stress free as possible.

The course. Often, you will see a map with mile markers and an elevation profile. Sometimes, you will find reviews of the course from other runners in previous years. The Charlottesville Ten Miler takes it several steps further. They offer a very accurate brief mile by mile description. They provide a list of tips as well and things to avoid. And, best of all, they offer a course video tour complete with narration that not only gives an overview but also great advice for the race.

(Side note, the course video is narrated by Mark Lorenzoni of Ragged Mountain Running. My first experience with Ragged Mountain Running several years ago was when I purchased a gift card online. The friendly customer service I received was above and beyond and absolutely amazing - I highly recommend Ragged Mountain Running.)

Parking. Easy to get to, even with pre-race road closures, which are announced ahead of time with clear instructions on multiple alternate routes. There is plenty of parking in a well lit lot right at the start.

The start. The Charlottesville Ten Miler start experience was the best I have seen. Runners have access to JPJ Arena, where it is warm and comfortable. Tons of smiling, happy, nice volunteers were on hand to answer questions and they even had a table setup to hand out waters and bananas. Indoor bathrooms. I honestly don’t think I have ever been to a race with anything other than porta potties, so to have clean indoor bathrooms and running water with little to no line was as nice a surprise feature as I could ask for.

Race time. Inside the arena, announcements reminded runners of the time before the start. Lining up at the start was easy and the race started exactly on time. This seems like a given, and it usually is, but I have been to a few races that do not start on time and that’s taxing to a runner who has up to this moment planned everything down to the second.

With a pre-race experience as stellar as this, you can be sure the race itself also exceeded expectations. The course is well marked. The course is also very spectator friendly - it’s easy to see runners at the start, along the course and at the finish. There are plenty of photo opportunities, chances to cheer and it is very easy to reunite at the end of the race. Roads on the route are closed for race morning. There are plenty of easily accessible water stations. The field of runners is a nice size and it feels very inclusive of all running levels. And, this year’s bib and medal designs are beautiful.

The race finishes back at the arena but I really like how it doesn’t feel like you are circling back or retracing steps. The same can also be said for the few points on the race where you do double back, it still feels fresh and like a new part of the course. I think that’s an important aspect to an enjoyable course.

And last, one of the things we truly cannot control on race day, no matter how many times we refresh our weather app, is the weather. But, if this year’s race day is any indication, it seems the Charlottesville Ten Miler can control the weather, too. Because it was pretty much perfect.

As far as overall experience, like the number of miles in the race, I give the Charlottesville Ten Miler a 10 out of 10.