When you see the vineyards of Chateau Elan, it means you're very close to the finish line. Pick it up!
Mile 0-1: The start is at Chateau Elan, and your first mile is a gentle downhill down the grand, sweeping approach to the resort. It feels like you’re running at Fontainebleau; imagine you’re running through the French countryside. J’adore courir.
Mile 1-2: As you leave the resort grounds, you hang a left and are covering ground on 124, a fairly major roadway.
Miles 2-4: Your first water stop is at the start of mile 2, which is also a right-hand turn, which leads a quick out-and-back. Give your fellow runners a high-five or a whoop as you pass them. You’ll make two left hand turns onto quiet country roads; during this stretch, you’ll be climbing gradually. Nothing too major, but your calves may feel it. Another water/bathroom stop is at mile 4.
Miles 4-7: A few rolling hills highlight the middle portion of the course. Around mile five, you’ll pass through a small town called Hoschton; check out restaurants, stores and the graveyard (remember: you can rest when you’re dead). Pastures flank the roadway, and there’s a sweeping vista across farmland. What goes up must come down, so enjoy the gradual downhill; grab some water at mile 6, use the bathroom if necessary.
Mile 7-8: Another out-and-back, so you can gauge your progress compared to your fellow racers. More hydration near mile 8, where you’ll be climbing again.
Mile 8-11: After mile 9, you’ll hit a gentle downhill, and then the course is fairly flat until mile 11, where you’ll be running near a golf course. Mile 10: drink up, and hit the porta-potty if need be. Here, you’ll be traveling through the Chateau Elan neighborhood; getting closer to home.
Mile 11-13.1: A climb to finish this thing off—but well worth it. Start the climb, walk through the aid station at mile 12, then ask your legs to give you as much as they can to get you over the finish line. Check out the vineyards that surround Chateau Elan, then reward yourself with a glass of Barefoot wine—and some water and a light breakfast, of course. Cheers!
