Registration: Available online and at the expo, prices started at $65 and increased to $95 on the day of the expo. Included was a bib with your name, finisher's medal, timing, post race beer, gender specific short sleeve tech shirt, and free race pictures.

*you could also register for the Conquer the Capital Challenge (max price $165), which would earn you an additional medal, shirt and quarter zip pullover, if you ran the 10k the night before.

~if you read my 10k review, some parts will read the same- but thanks for reading :)

Expo/Packet pick up: The expo was held at a convention center. Parking was on-site in a ramp for a fee. There were also other events going on here. With the proper paper work someone else could grab your packet. No packet mailing. There was a place to check that the timing chip worked on the bib.

The expo was a decent size. There were area running stores, and local races. There was race specific merchandise, information and plenty of photo opps. There were even water coolers provided.

*The parking was actually quite tricky for someone coming out of town, easy to miss the entrance to the ramp. No close on street parking.

Pre race: The race started and ended at the Capitol. The National Anthem was sung before the events. Lot of announcements. There were no corrals, but pacers which participants were encouraged to line up by.

Race/Course: The course was all on paved streets in Madison, highlighting some of the "sights" (the half marathon included some of the same parts of the 10k)
-elevation - hilly, while it's not mountains, it seemed we never went down hill
- aid stations - There were 9 total, each 9 had water, while 6 had Gatorade, 2 had Gu and one had bananas. Hydration was always in paper cups, but they were the same white paper cup, very energetic volunteers. Had to make sure and ask what was in the cup.
-scenery - passed by Camp Randall, the Kohl Center, ran around Lake Wingra through the arboretum
-photographers on course - FREE pictures
-mile markers
- no major potholes, but just needed to keep a heads up
-all intersections with marshals or police
-Some spectators on the course, fun signs
-timing mats for use with the RaceJoy tracking app

Finish/Post race: The finish line was under the starting arch. Photographers there to snap a memory. A volunteer handed you a bottle of water. Then you were given a medal. If you did the challenge, the additional medal was under a tent. There was an area for finisher's photos with the backdrop. The post race food was already bagged up from Panera - a sandwich (meat or veggie) chips and a cookie and chocolate milk.

Once out of this area, you could proceed to the beer area to redeem your free Michelob Ultra, where there was a live band playing. There was a results tent and race merchandise for sale. You could also just camp out on the Capitol grounds

Overall: Challenging course, but great scenery for a city. Decent price.

My Race: It was my third race in two days...the only thing to do was finish. Still bothered by the heat and humidity, this race sucked the life out of me, I turned in my worst half time ever....2:27, but I got all the medals and lived to run another day.

Link to this review