I picked an amazing race for my 50th half marathon. I wasn't nearly as well-trained as I wanted to be, but the gracious course time limits left me at ease and I ended up walking the latter half not only because my feet were killing me, but also because the weather was perfect and I was just enjoying being on the course and talking to other runners. This race had so many runners that you NEVER feel alone and the community support was present throughout the course.

The Expo:
The expo was held at the Nashville Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The race information mentioned that there was parking available for $15 at the Center but due to traffic congestion downtown, we just parked in the first available lot we could find. We ended up paying $11 for four hours and were right across the street from the expo.

The Nashville Music City Center is probably the most beautiful building I have attended an expo in. Wow, was it beautiful both inside and out! The hallways were wide and the exterior windows offered amazing views of Nashville.

Why you should run this race:
Distances include the marathon, half marathon, 5k, and Kids Rock race.
Medals and shirts for all distances.
Emergency contact information pre-printed on the back of your bib.
Start line in downtown Nashville and the full and half marathon course immediately takes you down Broadway by all of the hip and trendy bars, then circles back by the Country Music Hall of Fame, down Music Row, by Belmont University, through The Gulch neighborhood, around Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, then across the bridge to the finish outside Nissan Stadium.
Nashville First Baptist Church opens their doors and bathrooms to runners on race day AND they offer free coffee and a stretching area!
Plenty of porta potties on the course.
Plenty of water and Gatorade stops along the course.
Gracious course time limits.
The best community support of any half marathon I have run. Wow, does this city get involved on race day! The community made this race so much fun.
Post-race snacks included bottled water, Gatorade, chocolate milk, fruit cups, bananas, cookies, pretzels, muffins, bagels, and granola bars.
And finally, the real reason I run.....the medal!

Suggestions for future runners of this race:
Train for rolling hills. Seriously! This course was hilly.
Stay downtown and walk to the start and from the finish if at all possible and especially if you are not local. I got lost twice and then thought I had found a way around the road closures only to have to turn around multiple times before finally making it to my lot. Leaving the parking lot after the race was also very time consuming, so just stay downtown and walk it!
Whether you walk or drive, train to walk at least a mile after you cross the finish line.
This race gets VERY expensive if you wait too long to register. If you register now for the 2019 race, you will get the best deal.
You will be overwhelmed by restaurant options in Nashville. I started following Nashville Eats on Instagram 6 months prior to race day, just to help me see what was available and popular in the area.

See more pictures at: http://www.willrunforamedal.com/2018/05/rock-n-roll-nashville-race.html

This was my 4th time running the GO! St. Louis Half Marathon. I keep returning because I enjoy the race course, the amenities, and the close proximity to my home.

The Expo:

Like all of the expos I have been to this year, I spent less than 15 minutes actually inside. The GO! expo was on the campus of Harris Stowe University this year instead of at St. Louis University, which is just across the street and where the expo has been every other time I have run this race. The space at the Emerson Performance Center was significantly smaller than when the expo was at Chaifetz Arena, so I quickly grabbed my bib and t-shirt and made my exit.

Why you should run this race:

Several distances over two days: 5k, Children's Fun Run, and Mature Mile on Saturday with the 7k, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, and Marathon on Sunday.
Saturday's races were at Forest Park and Sunday's races started and finished along the riverfront and adjacent to the Gateway Arch.
Medals and shirts for all distances!
The 7k, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, and Marathon courses all take you on bridges over the Mississippi River, into Illinois, and then back into Missouri.
Runners on the bridge crossing into Illinois
The Marathon course also takes you through Forest Park.
Park and Ride Shuttle available for those who decided to park downtown on race day (Sunday) OR MetroLink's Laclede's Landing Station is in between the start and the finish lines. I would recommend MetroLink to avoid having to worry about road closures. It was so simple!
Crown Candy Kitchen chocolate station at mile 6.
Great pre-race communication, which started three weeks prior to race day.
Post-race email with links to results, photos, list of upcoming GO! events and challenges, and a discount code for the Cardinals Care 6k.
Several coupons in your race packet with more sent via email through the virtual goodie bag.
Plenty of well-staffed water and Gatorade stops.
The finish line is between the Arch and the Mississippi River and then the new sidewalks lead you up the hill to the Arch as you exit.
Vendor village near the Laclede's Landing Station.
Finish line food included bottled water, fruit cups, bananas, toasted ravioli, peanut butter crackers, chips, and Ted Drewes ice cream sandwiches!

I recommend any of the distances during the Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend, and I am sure that I will run one of these races again in the future. I always forget that downtown races tend to have hilly courses, so try to incorporate hills into your training if you decide to run this race in 2019.

Why you should run this race:

The race expo was downtown and easy to get in and out of.
The race website had every detail that I needed for race weekend, especially since I was coming from out of town and was unfamiliar with the area.
Distances available include kids run, 1 mile run, ,5k, 10k, half marathon, full marathon
Downtown Tempe (start line for the half marathon and 10k and finish line for the 10k, half, and full marathon) is such an amazing place with restaurants and shops that appeal to anyone!
Scenic, and mostly flat course. The couple hills I remember rewarded you with great views at the top!
Plenty of music along the course.
Large crowd leading into the finish line.
Post race food for the half marathon included Gatorade, bottled water, chocolate milk, Pringles, bananas, and granola bars.
New course signage debuted at this race.
Half marathon started in Tempe, ran into Scottsdale, then Phoenix, and back into Tempe for the finish.
Expo and the race were all accessible by car and public transportation and both were also close to the airport making this trip very easy for out-of-towners.
January temperatures in Phoenix are usually in the 50's and 60's and SUNNY!
There are plenty of things to do, see, and taste while you are in town. We went to an ASU basketball game and a Phoenix Suns NBA game, hiked Hole in the Rock, and ate at In-n-Out Burger just to name a few things.

The only suggestion I had for next year was to make the corrals larger. Although they were marked with the new signage, they were closer together than any race I had ever seen marked corrals at, and the start line area was a bit chaotic as a result. I still found my running buddy/cousin in the chaos though, and we enjoyed our time on the course.

See photos at: http://www.willrunforamedal.com/2018/01/rock-n-roll-arizona-half-marathon-race.html