LBI 18 Miler - logistics questions

I've done this race the last 2 years (planning on skipping it this year as I'm racing a marathon the Saturday after the race).

You park at the St. Francis Center if you get there early enough or otherwise in one of the parking areas nearby (I don't believe you can park on Long Beach Blvd though).  You take a bus to the start (down in the southern park of the island, Holgate, by the trailer homes that are about the southern-most homes on the island).   There's a truck for checked baggage there that will bring your stuff to the finish line.  Figure you want to check in at least 1 hour before the race start, if not earlier (there are bathrooms in the St. Francis center and at least last year, you could use the showers after the race for free).  You might wait a bit for a bus ride to the start, but I didn't think it was all that bad.

Then the race starts and you run down Long Beach Blvd for about 17 miles or so.  The cops will force you onto the shoulder a mile or 2 in- there is a noticeable droppoff to the curbs.  You pass by the St. Francis Center about 6 miles into the race.  There has been a chip mat at 9 miles (Ship Bottom) and then at 12 miles-maybe around Surf City?.  Aid stations had Gatorade and some had Accelerade last year-  I think they started serving not just water about 6-9 miles in maybe (it was over 90 and sunny in LBI that day that year-not fun).  After Surf City, it can get a little lonely at times as you are running as most of the homes are on private lanes. Right before the lighthouse, you make a left (and stay on that road a bit), and then a right, and then a right into Barnegat Light State Park to the finish.  They had water and soda and some food there.   You take a bus back from the bay side of things outside of the park- last year there was quite a bit of a wait for a bus. 

It's about 12 miles back to the center, so you don't want to run that.  If you're running an 18 mile race, how many more miles do you need to do, even if you're training for a marathon?

It's a smallish, very hometown-feeling race with a much better than usual spread back at the St. Francis Center afterwards.  Lots of gray-haired church ladies helping out- they make sure to do a great job.  I'll be back to race it again in the future, despite some of the quirks of the race. 

Thanks "Annie".  Answers all my questions.

Hope the marathon treats you well.  I think you deserve a good break.