I sign on for at least one half-marathon a year, and Rock The Parkway is by far my favorite of the…read morebunch. Being an April run, it gives an incentive to stick with cardio throughout the winter, and the weather is often good for this one. If it isn't good, it's typically cold which you'd rather have then hot, so it's a winner either way. Adside from the overall practicality, it isn't everyday that they close by far the most beautiful road in Kansas City just for a big group of runners. When I first did this half-marathon back in 2012, it was good if not a tad messy. There were mobs of people at the start, no wave times, and it made for organized chaos. However as time has gone on, they've adapted and made this as easy and manageable as a half-marathon can be. Wave times, good support throughout, and good fan support* (more on that in a sec). What separates any good run comes down to one main thing: The course. It's no secret that Ward Parkway and the surrounding neighborhoods are the most beautiful in KC, so why not run by them and wonder what it would take to live in those houses? While there are rolling hills with slight inclines, it's a relatively flat course compared to the KC Half Marathon or Hospital Hill. You can really fly here, and there's something nice about not having a million twists and turns. You dip into some neighborhoods on the north end, around Loose Park, and then from there it's straight back down Ward Parkway and you know you're not too far away. In fact the last mile or so is mostly downhill or perfectly flat which allowed me to hit a PR in 2018! One quick note; the spectators really show up in droves for this which overall is great, but this is one of the few races where it caters more to the spectators than the runners. The fans create a massive logjam when trying to get to the corral, it's tough to leave at the end, and they almost always drink up all the coffee and some of the other goodies by the time I'm done which is usually under two hours, so right in the middle. We had to fight to find any sort of carbohydrate at the end of the 2025 race because stuff was picked over. Just some feedback if anyone sees it. Overall, it's a great half-marathon whether you've never done one or just want to be a part of a beautiful KC classic race. PS: This race is somewhat priced fairly, if you're early to sign up. The fact that these races have crept closer to or above $100 is insane, but there are manageable deals to be found with this one.

I ran the 5k in 2013, and basically kicking myself for not springing for the half marathon! (I was…read morein the best shape ever at the time of the 2013 5k, but I hadn't done a 13.1 in maybe 2 years so my butt was afraid) Why am I kicking myself? Pretty much the baddest-assed bling ever. I like bling, what can I say. And no, you don't get bling for the 5k (which is fine, I don't believe you should have to) The race itself was nice. I didn't know what to expect...being not from the area (The Ben Franklin Parkway in Philly is like a major city street whereas the George Washington Parkway in DC is a quiet trail with trees and a river and lovelyness) This parkway was more like the GW Parkway in DC. Very doubtful I'll be back unless I go to visit my friend who lives out there (the whole reason I did the 5k last year anyway) But if you're in the area totally worth checking out :)

I don't know how the actual trail is, all I can speak to is the customer service portion of…read moreattempting to schedule a trail ride. First, you have to text a number to request a reservation (Only on Saturday or Sunday). But it could take 24 hours to get a response, you know after you text again. If you email them they say "You have to deal with 8166741278 we don't book trail rides via email" "we only do a few rides a weekend weather permitting, we have regular full time jobs,a family and travel." Umm what? If you don't have time to run a business, then Don't Run a Business" Is this a hobby? And of course when they finally respond after multiple attempts you get the "I don't have anything available" text. Like you couldn't have told me that yesterday? You couldn't have helped me yesterday? Was I interrupting your day by being a cuistomer? Cool, it's just something you do in your pastime? Well I do this in my pastime!

Great place for a trail ride and holding an event. Renovations are gorgeous. Amy was a great trail…read moreboss and made the trail fun. Beginner to advanced riders will find this a great place to ride.

My daughter decided recently to give tennis a try, so we were on the hunt for places that offered…read moretennis lessons, classes and drills! A friend told us they had been taking junior tennis classes here and really liked it, so we gave it a try! I called to speak with someone about where to start, and I'm glad I did! The person who helped me on the phone was absolutely fantastic about walking me through how their program worked (age level, skills level, etc.) and the options on days to attend! She even explained that we could try a class for free to see if it was worth signing up for a full session! Sold!! I hate to oversimplify it, but we truly did show up, check in, and joined a class! It was THAT easy! My daughter loved the coaches and class enough that we ended up signing up right after for the next session (two months)! Now we've been there for over 6 months, and my daughter has gotten progressively better and better! She's learned the basics of the game, technique, scoring, etc.! The facility is very nice - many indoor and outdoor courts, a weightroom, locker room, many restrooms for waiting/watching parents! I have a feeling we'll be around this facility for many months and years to come!

I am very disappointed with the Customer Service at Overland Park Racquet Club. I was a member for…read moreover 10 years but 3 years ago switched to Genesis KCRC. I still participate in many activities at OP and still enjoyed playing tennis there but now I know my decision to move was the correct one. I was a guest playing with three other members who offered to split the $12 guest fee to make it more even. When we went to pay, they said they couldn't split the guest fee so suggested that one member pay for it and then we reimburse her so that's what we did. A day later, the other three girls realized they had been charged just the court time, but I had not. Since my credit card was expired, they could not process the charges. I received an email in March for the January court time requesting an updated credit card. When I called, I am now finding out they charged me the entire $12 guest fee. Now I could go back and ask for each girl to pay me $3.00 but I don't want to do that, so I asked if OP would agree to waive this guest fee in this one instance since this was not the way we wanted to be billed. Ann in accounting said it doesn't matter how long I was a member for and that since I was not a member at the time, I owed the $12. I don't disagree with her but was hoping for a little consideration as it is only $12 and I thought my past years of membership might have some influence. I even asked for a credit to be placed on the account for a future court time but no luck. It doesn't seem like everything needs to always black and white and that there could be some leniency or exceptions to make a customer happy or even to want to come back at some time to be a member. That will not be happening with me. No, the extra $9 will not break me. It's just the principle.

Recently spent an entire Sunday working out . Calisthenics (push-ups, pull-ups, dips, & ab machine)…read more2hrs. I ‍ran the inside track for 30mins (4 miles). Then I pulled out a deck of cards and completed some Tyson squats before finishing up in the deep end ‍ & sauna‍. The community center has become very therapeutic for me

I met new people, enjoyed cycling and water aerobics. The center has always been clean, the front…read moredesk employees are always kind, and there's easy access in and out for handicap patrons.

When I was invited to a kid's birthday party here I was envisioning community centers of my…read morechildhood. In other words I figured it would be a sort of bleak space that smelled sort of like an old gym? Maybe the 90s gave community centers a bad reputation? At any rate the Merriam Community Center is modern and absolutely the future of these kind of multi-use spaces realized. Everything from the parking garage to the community art was well thought out and welcoming. I was kind of in awe at how great this space was. I noticed there was a brand new library nearby as well and made a note to return as if it's anything like this new space it's probably great as well.

I thoroughly love the Merriam Community Center. From the moment you walk in, the front desk staff…read moreis friendly and helpful. I love their upper level track and the basketball court. Typically in my experience neither is too busy and there is a good amount of space, which makes for a calming experience to me. Their workout area is not extremely large, but it still has a lot to offer with its array of free weights, workout machines, treadmills, etc. One thing I enjoy while utilizing the track is checking out all of the events they offer that you can see advertised on their screens. Their pool area seems pretty great as well, though I haven't used it myself.

How confident are you? If you get nervous when asked to speak in front of a group or just want to…read moreimprove your communication skills, this is the place for you. A group of about 10-15 people meet the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month in Leawood for an hour lunch meeting. Typically, there are a couple 5-7 minute speeches that will be given and evalutated and then an opportunity for short "Table Topics" so everyone can practice thinking and speaking on their feet. My boss recommended that I join a Toastmasters group after she noted that I used "like" in conversations more than a Valley girl. That's embarrassing. At each meeting, there is a Grammarian/Ah-So Counter who reports how many times each person used a filler word, incorrect grammar, etc. Then the "winner" gets to take home the Wizard of Ahs trophy to remind them to speak more thoughtfully. After proudly earning this title for many meetings, I can say that I have definitely improved my speaking skills. I've been to other Toastmaster clubs and felt intimidated; this is a very diverse and welcoming group. Feedback is positive and constructive. You will always laugh. Guests are welcome anytime for free; check it out!

Great place to learn and shoot! My partner and I signed up for a first-time visit and everything…read morewent great. You'll get personal attention from actual pros, from safety basics to the best method for holding your bow. The team was very understanding when I ran a little late and still let us get a ton of shooting in. They straddled the line between giving us one-on-one attention and letting us take some time to feel things out ourselves. There were people of every age range present at the site, even on a weekday evening. The instructions were very clear and straightforward. I'm excited to try a little shooting, again, and I look forward to improving.

I typically don't like indoor ranges but i went here once and everyone is very helpful, whether…read moreyou're new or experienced the environment is very friendly. The pricing is very nice, very different from Rodger's is that if you don't have the tools to change a peep, Rodger's would charge you $60 where Archery excellence would charge you $5.

This is a great program. The coaches are very knowledgeable. They even help by giving information…read moreabout other programs in the area if their program does not fit for our situation. They have a passion for the sport. I would recommend to everyone.

DO NOT CHOOSE THIS TEAM TO PUT YOUR CHILD ON!!!! The coach and his wife have a very unfriendly way…read moreof handling conflict and have proven to be a joke! Definitely regret putting my child on this team and will be sure to let everyone I know about the horrible experience I have had with them!!!