Mainly Marathon Winnsboro, Louisiana Race Review

On April 14, 2025, Paula and I ran the Mainly Marathon Riverboat Series race in Winnsboro, Louisiana. We flew into Jackson, Mississippi, and drove about 2 hours to Winnsboro. Packet pickup was easy at the race venue. As with other Mainly Marathon races, we received a shirt, medal, and bib. The medal represents the series and at the finish of each race, participants receive another medal that attaches to the first. This series has seven races in seven states. So, some participants will chain seven medals to the series medal for quite an impressive collection. We are just doing Louisiana and Mississippi.

We stayed at an Airbnb just a few miles away. It was wonderful. If you are looking for a place to stay, we would recommend 815 Willie Hill Road.

On race morning, we opted for the early start which was at 5:30 AM. It was still dark, so lights are recommended. In this case, it was necessary because the path was narrow and had bumps and cracks from the trees in the park. Before the start, the organizers recognized a birthday, a first-time marathoner, and someone who had completed 2,400 marathons. That's incredible! They also recognized someone who has done a 1/2 marathon, 10K, and 5K in all 50 states. That's quite impressive also.

We have done a few Mainly Marathons on our quest to run a marathon in all 50 states. It seems like a lot of people know each other and follow Mainly Marathons around the country. We felt like outsiders, but everyone was very friendly. Many participants encouraged consistently as we passed.  We also encouraged many others along the way.

The course was 16 laps out-and-back with the start/finish/food area near the middle. The narrow path and two-way traffic made it difficult to navigate at times. As with most Mainly Marathons, a good percentage of the participants were walking at least two abreast which added to the congestion.

As the sun rose, the temperature did also. Thankfully, the majority of the course was shaded. The path ran along a green covered body of water. We saw turtles, geese and an alligator.

The food area had plenty of snacks, water, and Gatorade.

We had a fun time. But the narrow path was not our favorite.