This was my sixth time running this race and it's one of my favorites!…read more This race is exceptionally well-organized. The communication is clear, the expo is well thought out and both the start and finish lines are models of how large races should be managed. (I will note that this year they changed how you do bib pick up and that wasn't communicated clearly the day I went to the expo. Rather than going to a booth that corresponded to your bib #, you checked in with someone with a tablet and they told you which booth to go to. There were no signs directing people to the tablet folks the day I was there, so most of us just walked up to the booths corresponding to our numbers where the people had no idea what we were there for. They need to improve that next year, but I'm not going to knock them for it) There is always so much support on the course...even though it was cold this year, still a lot of people out there and that makes a huge difference when you're running. Water stations were great, signage on the course was phenomenal and you get a lot of encouragement the last two miles. Getting your finisher shirt and hot food from HEB after the race was a breeze. The finisher shirts are okay but I will say when they had Under Armour finisher shirts, those were excellent. I've already signed up for the 2020 race and I'm looking forward to it.

This was my first year to enter this run. Before it, the longest sanctioned run that I participated…read morein was a 5 miler about 30 years ago and it was at a small town spring festival with about 250 participants. Boy, is this one different!!! Registration opens the day after the event for the next year and I signed up in January of 2018. Also by registering that early the cost to do so is the lowest and increases later. Beginning last summer, the run committee starts sending out emails reminding you of your registration and to start preparing which is helpful in case you forgot. The first aspect of this run for me was the packet pick up on the Friday and Saturday before the run. The pick up is at the GRB and requires you or your proxy (limited to one) to come down and pick up your packet that contains your all important bib, run day instruction sheet, a pre run tee shirt and your large and clear gear check bag (which I decided not to use). That part I knew from emails sent from the committee and my experience went very smoothly as it was well organized. I went at noonish on Friday and experienced no delays. Also the Expo was fun to go through and see all of the vendors and their wares. The volunteers were all super friendly and said thanks many times for entering. This warm attitude was again demonstrated many, many times by the volunteers until I left the building to go home after the run was over the next day. That single trait impressed me the most. It gave such a small town feel to such a big town event. The organizers recommend that all runners be at the GRB by 5:30 a.m. the morning of the run. I arrived at 6:30 a.m. and still had plenty of time since I do very little stretching or warmups. While the GRB was full with people there was enough room to walk around, stretch and get some water or Gatorade. The lines for the many Port A Cans inside were long but moved quickly. The run begins at 7:01 a.m. and staggers the start because of the estimated 26,000+ runners. Remember that both marathoners and half marathoners are included in that total and run about the first 8 miles together before they split off. At the start line, runners are segregated into corrals (A,B,C and D) depending on how fast they expect to run. When registering you pick your corral depending on your expected speed. I know that the A and possibly B corrals require proof to be admitted. The D corral is the slowest group and the corral I was a proud member of. Like I said, the run began at 7:01 a.m. with the A corral. It was 7:48 a.m. when I finally crossed the starting line. I expected that and why I was in no hurry to arrive earlier to the GRB that morning or even leave the GRB to walk to my corral staging area when I did at 7:10 a.m. It was cold outside and the warmth of the GRB was appreciated! Remember your time begins when YOU cross the start line so if you need to go to the bathroom one last time do it before you cross the start (there are Port A Cans besides the corrals in the staging areas). The course was flat and well marked. Every mile and every 5k has a banner on the side of the road to help you know your location. After the run is over you can look online at your 5,10,15, 20k splits and finish time as the chip in your bib helps record them. I cannot say enough about how much the people of Houston support this event. All of the people cheering you on and calling you by your first name (which is on your bib), the musical acts and the funny signs were incredible. I would have loved to stop and talk to these people, take pictures of the signs, etc. but I didn't have time...lol! Also, there were plenty of drink stations and Port A Cans along the route. After the finish line, the finisher medals were handed out and then you proceed to pick up your finisher tee shirt. HEB was serving a free hot breakfast and I considered eating but the line was long and moving slowly. I estimated at least a 15 minute wait and left. After running 13.1 miles, I didn't want to stand in a line that long. In fact, with a total experience of an event that ran so smoothly from beginning to end the breakfast was the only snafu that I witnessed. In my review, I refer to this as a run not a race. That's because I wasn't racing anyone! But I did meet my goal....by 7 seconds. This was a great experience and I was proud to be a part of it.

I was told about this run from a fellow yelper Zain R, and I was able to convince couple of other…read moreyelpies to join us, thus forming the team "Agony of De Feet". Mike M and Catheryn S were the other team members. We met at Zain's place and took an uber lift to the med center where the run was taking place. It had sprinkled in the morning, and so the roads were still damp and grass was wet. It was also somewhat of a cold morning too. We did a quick 5 min stretch, participated in the national anthem, and started the run. Since this was a nice sized crowd, we started at the back end of the crowd, giving all others to start before us. The lane was very narrow and being a wet ground, I wanted to avoid any slips/fall/injury. The first couple of minutes, I kept pace with my fellow team members, and then took my long strides and disappeared with the crowd. There was plenty of law officers directing traffic and ensuring safety of the runners. I was dashing on the side curb, avoiding running on the lane and bypassing people. There were volunteers passing out water through out the course and also at the finish line. Once I got to the finish line, it was about 15 extra minutes before the rest of my team members showed up. We all got water and took a few selfies together. We then went next door to the tents where there was some snacks to nibble on and replenish your energy. I plan on running next year at this event.

This is a 2015 update from my below post (be sure to read that for all the details. I don't want to…read morerepeat). I downgraded one star (from four stars to three stars) this year based upon some changes in the race organization. In particular, packet pick up required before the race. For those of us that live out of town, it is near impossible (and certainly not desirable) to trek downtown on a weekday to pick up a race packet. This after paying $30 or more to run. I highly recommend expanding the volunteer workforce on the morning of the race OR even offering mailed packets. I would pay $5 to not spend 2 hours driving in and out of town, finding parking, etc. This year I was on vacation during packet pick up and despite stating there were no race day pickup (and no exceptions), they were able to pass them out (and I was appreciative, but this was still a hassle). If you read my review last year, there were issues with race day pickup, but this wasn't a good fix. Also disappointed that Live Oak brewery wasn't out, instead they had some beer, but a one 8 oz can limit per runner. I know sponsorships are a two way street so this had no bearing on my star rating, but not as good. Also, change in parking, they used to offer free parking in a nearby garage, now you have to pay to park on race day (as a regular visitor to the hospital). We were early and found some free street parking, but this is another step back this year. Also a bit of a downer, no team competition this year. Neutral things: The route changed from previous year, but was more or less the same roads. Awards for age groups were not announced at the event and will be mailed, again, since I didn't win, this wasn't a big deal, might be for some. Overall Men's and Women's, overall and Masters Top 3 were announced with awards passed out. On the positive side, the pre-race tents and post-race party were MUCH better location (right near the start/finish). It was also on pavement instead of grass, leading to much less mud due to rains and lack of evaporation prevalent this time of year. Also YELP HAD A TENT THERE!!!! Thanks to Rosa and Christine for coming out with lots of SWAG. I hope they consider tents in future years, I saw a lot of people stopping by and checking in to the event due to their presence. GOOD MOVE YELP!!!! I may or may not do the race next year, depends on the packet pick up situation.

Holy 25 degree weather to kick off the 2017 WQM (6.55 Miles). I have to say seeing so many…read morededicated women show up with that kind of temperature just further added to the inspiration and celebration. I now can cross off my "list cold weather running" and can say without a doubt I am not a cold weather athlete by any means. Amongst avoiding slippage on ice that was camouflaged on the black top road and witnessing sweat icicles and frost forming on many fellow runners backs, I have to say aside all freezing discomforts the course was a nice flat one. Much gratitude must be given to all the volunteers, sponsors, and men and women in uniform that gave their time and made this chilly race so great. Way to go to all the ladies that participated!

Great and well organized marathon! Sponsors also were giving care and little gifts…read more. I enjoyed it.... such an amazing experience!

Best. Race. Ever…read more This was the most organized, professionally run, well put on race I've ever been to! There were a few traffic issues but really, that was more poor planning on my part than anything. I did hear stories of people sitting in the parking lot for 1.5 + hours after the race, but we got right out, so it all worked great for us! If you ever get a chance to run a race put on by RAS - do it! You will not be disappointed! They were always in contact with e-mails and updates on their Facebook page. The medal, the volunteers, the post-race food, and everything was just top-notch. It was raining like crazy on the second loop of the bridge and while that makes it hard to see when you're a blind girl with glasses, the cool rain and the wind felt so good after the hot, hot weather! The volunteers were amazing! Out there yelling and cheering and ringing cowbells and giving high-fives...I've never felt so much excitement at a race ever. Of course, this is the biggest race I've ever run; the participants were limited to a max of 2,000 and I think it was pretty close to that. There were a LOT of people. There were plenty of places to park, even up front, although I think next year I will still park father out as I bet the people who got stuck were parking parked up close, and the course was closed until everyone was finished, and the time limit was two hours. So, if you're a faster runner and want to get out right after the race, park farther away, or just stay down there at the Boardwalk Inn! There were breakfast tacos, ice cream, pop, water, and fruit for afterwards. There may have been other things but that's what I saw. They also were giving out Muscle Milk and Power Bar Gels as well. The charity they help is "The Bridge Over Troubled Water": "The mission of The Bridge is to offer support, provide safety, and prevent domestic and sexual violence." They had a place set up for donations for the organization there too. This was a "bucket list" race for me, as I always saw people running the Kemah Bridge and thought how awesome that would be. After a few 5ks and a couple 10ks, I realized that if I trained, I could run the bridge too! I am so glad that I was able to cross this off my list finally and that I was involved in such an awesome race!

I was a bit skeptical about this race because of all the bad reviews from last year but it actually…read moreturned out well. The race course went through different areas which kept the views interesting and the medals this year were cute. However, I would caution those who have a bad ankle because part of the course is a bit hilly which can cause injury. They took out a water station in the middle so they were just on either end which meant that there was only water every 1.75ish miles. There was plenty of water and the volunteers were very sweet. What was a bit annoying, even though it wasn't their fault, was that the portable restrooms were delivered late and only 5 of them were delivered. This caused a long line and made the race delay by 20 mins so everyone had time to use them. The other ones came after the race started. There was plenty of snacks but they ran out of hot chocolate. This race had 1000+ participants I am taking one star away since they didn't give out tshirt as until the day of and because specifics of bib pick up weren't told until 2 weeks before the race.

A very well executed and organized race this year! The sponsors were well organized and friendly,…read morethe race administrators made sure everyone was staged in time for the gun. I was a bit surprised that they started the 6kers after the 12k, so that the whole race was a game of dodge-the-slow-12kers. However it was effective in getting everyone finished in a limited amount of time. And best of all, medals for all! And snacks for all!

Who doesn't enjoy looking like a rainbow vomited all over you after running 3.2 miles of…read moreawesomeness? This was probably one of the most fun 5k runs I have participated in thus far. In fact I'm pretty sure its fun for not only the run participants but also those that volunteer to make sure your covered in color by the time you cross the finish line. It's a great event for all ages and for every level of runner/walker. As you trek along adding those miles on to your sneakers you reach "color" check points where volunteers are armed with bottles of colored powder awaiting the human canvases that are about to pass through. "Get out and move and be healthy all while supporting great causes!"

Throwing dyed cornstarch at people who are trying to breathe is not just moronic, it's UNHEALTHY…read more Cornstarch is used by this for-profit company as a vehicle for dyes that are thrown at participants. The idea is a good one, but the method is not healthy, particularly for children and people with asthma. A closer look at this company's reveals there is some hazard to being pelted with a fine solid dust while you try to breathe. Take a hint from the band GWAR, who have been showering the public with safe dyes for years: add some water to avoid airborne particulate matter from entering folks' respiratory systems!

55 hours. That's 2 1/2 days, give or take. How much can you do in 2 1/2 days? Quite a bit if you're…read morean ultra runner. At least, that's how it should be. I wanted to attempt my 1st 100 miler ever at the 2025 Snowdrop 55 hour ultra endurance event in Missouri City, Texas. It's held annually at Buffalo Run Park for the last 10 years. The Snowdrop Foundation hosts the event, which benefits children with cancer. It was the right thing to do by participating in this event. I arrived here four days before and had a mini vacation prior to the event. After getting dropped off, I proceeded to packet pick up and picked up my packet. That evening, I sat in my rented tent and thought about rest morning before going to sleep. The next morning was race day. It was a .69 lap around the park. We can do as much walking or running we wanted to in the 55 hour time limit. I want to do 100 miles but in the end I hit 50 miles, which was respectable in a sense. I was glad to not quit after the marathon distance and pushed myself further. The event is itself was very awesome and definitely the place to be to do what you can to be just incredibly fulfilled and energized and empowered. Doing loops as part of an ultra interesting event is nothing like short of a crazy thing, but it is a way for event staff to be organized and get to the person if medical is necessary. On this 2025 event, the weather was very nice during the day with temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit, but it dropped into the 30s Fahrenheit, which made it colder than I would have like it to be even then, I don't feel regret at all because I had to think of my health first then to be freezing out there in the cold doing loops. Brrr!! There's always other events that can be of comfort to me I can do in the future. The overall experience here at the 2025 Snowdrop 55 hour ultra endurance run event was very nice and definitely I was glad to have participated in it. The only thing though, they did not have finisher medallions or anything below the hundred mile distance. They had 100 mile buckles for anyone that finished their first 100 mile distance. Anybody else had nothing but their sense of accomplishment and pride that they're doing amazing things that weekend. That's fine with me. Just a personal goal for all of us. 55 hours is a lot of time for those who want to finish 100 miles but need extra time. For me this time, weather was not on my side and I settled for the 50 miles. The atmosphere during the race was fun and inviting. Some people were really cheering the runners on and it was nice to pass the rows of tents that was set up along the way. The loop seemed shorter than the advertised 0.69 miles, but 145 loops for 100 miles was the magic number. There was plenty of inspiration out there and one main aid station for food and medical staff. After turning in my timing chip to the timing station, I headed to the medical tent since they were giving out body adjustments / stretching to the participants. I opted for a mini sesssion that help me with my legs and lower body. It was helpful for sure. I ended up satisfied with my 50 miles and hung out at the main aid station to celebrate New Year's Eve. We had our meals in the main dining tent for lunch and dinner for the two nights. Both meals were good as well as the jambalaya that was served this year. Once sunrise came on the last day of the 55 hour event, it warmed up, had breakfast at the main aid station, and I walked back to my rental tent to pack up. I texted my friend to come pick me up and that was the end of the event, since I was going home that day. The Snowdrop 55 hour ultra Is held annually at the Buffalo Run Park in Missouri city, Texas typically on the last week of the year. Registration is typically held online, which means you'd need a major credit card to secure your spot on the race course. You can bring your tent if you have one or rent one if you're traveling from out of town, like I was. It is an option for to rent on when you register. It's very helpful to store your gear in there if the hotel or Airbnb is very far away. For the most part though, it was an incredible event and experience. I thought about braving the cold temperatures in 2025 to get my 100 miles but I felt like my health and safety was priority. 50 miles is still 50 miles and I'm satisfied with that. Parking is available at the park, but for best results, renting a car is good too. Uber and Lyft is a good option if you want to as well. And so, this race is a good one to do if you want to dip your toes into the 100 miler and beyond. While the weather gods had different plans for me, I know I'll be back soon. It's a good one for anyone and everyone to do for their first ultra. Running off the holiday calories is a good incentive to kick start a healthy new year. Consider the Snowdrop 55 hour ultra in Missouri city Texas as the one to do for your race schedule. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+

I ran the 10K and had a fun time. It was a well organized event, and I especially liked that they…read moreeither e-mailed or texted the runners their finish time right after crossing the finish line! I thought it was going to be a pretty small race, but there were a lot more runners than I expected. The race starts near Fish Plaza and you basically run down Memorial Drive and back. You run one loop for the 5K and two for the 10K. Not the most fun route, but it seems to be a common race route for a lot of smaller Houston races for road closure logistics, etc. There is just a slight bit of incline running over the bridge, but it's a flat course otherwise (as is expected in Houston). Post-race party runs true to the name -- plenty to chocolate to go around! It was my first time actually seeing a chocolate fountain in person, and I will shamelessly admit that I was pretty giddy about it ;).

Had a great time!!! Things started on time and were very organized. Looking forward to more!read more