Pre-race: A sufficient level of communication leading up to the race, including check-in information the week beforehand.

Expo: The expo was smaller, but OK. Major running stores in town had booths with discounted nutrition, socks, shoes, and apparel. A few other local vendors plus a few regional races were on hand.

Shirt/Swag: The race apparel was a nice quarter-zip with the race logo. It was a nice change from the typical long-sleeve shirt. The medal was inspired by the neon signage at Route 66 Historical Village, which adds a local cool factor to the medal. Post-race beers from Welltown Brewing were solid (choice between a light lager, pale ale, and Mexican lager). Post-race food was the typical banana and oranges and some Simple Simon’s pizza.

Aid Stations: There were 6 aid stations with water and Gatorade, but none of them had any nutrition.

Course scenery: Course starts in Downtown and wanders through some neighborhoods and past Philbrook Museum before heading through Brookside and Riverside. The finish at Guthrie Green is quite nice, as it sets up the post-race entertainment extremely well. The course is pretty, but nothing particularly stands out as awe-inspiring.

Elevation: Per my Strava data, I gained 516 feet in elevation. The course starts with a few rolling hills, but gets a bit tougher through Mile 5. The downhill slope starts firmly at Mile 6, as runners head down to the river with some really nice, flat, straightaways. The course crosses Route 66 at the beginning and takes runners out onto the road for about a mile just before Mile 11 and finishing just before Mile 12, which includes the last challenging hill. Despite a few turns, the last half mile is super flat and leaves you with a great sprint to the finish.

Overall: I stayed at a downtown hotel as part of a block booked through the race, which guaranteed me 3 p.m. check out on Sunday. I also took advantage of the Mother Road VIP package, which provides you with a tent by the start before the race and an indoor, post-race party with unlimited food and beverages. Both are a GREAT perk if you want to avoid any weather issues.

The course was tougher than I expected, despite knowing there were some hills in the first 4 miles. The straightaways along the river made a BIG difference in closing the gap and finishing just a bit short of a personal best/personal record time. If you’re looking to just have fun on the course, there are multiple “hydration” stations offering adult beverages. Crowds were a bit subdued due to some morning rain, but overall there was solid support throughout the residential areas. The finish area was definitely full of spectators cheering you on to the end.