Overall: The day of the race there was a 100% chance of rain which is not something that you want to think about, but we all toed up at the start line and were ready to take what mother nature had in store for us. I was very lucky because literally as I crossed the finish line it started to rain hard. With that being said the race organizers had to take the runner's safety into consideration which was a double edge sword for someone like me because by the time I finished many of the local food trucks and photo ops I kept hearing about were already gone. There was not a lot of local food options that were being promoted, but I did get to try one of those amazing gelato cookie sandwiches. I wish I picked up more than just one, but I knew there were tons of people behind me who would love them as well. I really wish the weather was nicer because there was a great potential to be an awesome post race, but it was not.

T-Shirt/SWAG - Awesome orange gender specific short sleeve shirts, a very small drop bag, coupons to local shops and a sample of beet juice.

Aid Stations - Gatorade and water at the aid stations. They were handing out some type of gel at some of the miles, but it was a brand I had never heard of before so I didn't pick any up. The volunteers were very friendly and cheerful which was very nice.

Course Scenery - The start was beautiful because you were running towards the arch, but one of the things that I am still trying to understand is why the course takes you into one of the roughest parts of Missouri. This was a rough neighborhood that totally had some questionable buildings and signs that had me saying wow! I really like the concept of crossing over two bridges so I didn't mind it as much as some of the other people who were running around me. Most were local and they kept making comments about the neighborhood and wished the barefood runner to be careful because they didn't want him to step on any needles. I did love running by Anheuser-Busch brewery. This was very neat. I did wish that Forest Park didn't last as long as it did and was happy to finally turn out of this area. Another thing I will mention which doesn't really go with scenery, but I think fits in here better than any of the other categories is HOLY POTHOLES. I mean potholes were everywhere. Typically courses will spay paint circles around the potholes to make you notice them, but this course did not. I almost bit the dust a few times because of them. I think these need to be address before the next race.

Expo Quality - The expo was semi small and uneventful. They had most of the bare essentials that you might need if you forgot something. They had a few local race vendors and businesses. Nothing really jumped out at me with this expo, but it got the job done.

Elevation - The course was a little hilly, but if you train on hills it shouldn't be so bad.

Parking Access - We stated at a local hotel, Double Tree Union Station by Hilton which was about 2 blocks away so I didn't have to worry about parking.

Race Management - Race management seemed to really be on their game. They were very nice when I contacted them pre race about a question that I had. They brought energy and motivation to the runners before the race.