Before this race left Brookhaven, it was called the Atlanta 13.1 back then, it was my favorite half marathon. This year's race was one my least favorite races that I have ever run. It seems like the race company had us running hill repeats for 13.1 miles. Let me break down the experience.

Expo
There was no expo, we picked up our bibs at Roadrunner Sports in Buckhead. It was an opportunity to visit a store than I normally don't shop at due to its distance from my house. Pick up was quick and the store was having many specials.

Parking
The race was held at the Cobb Galleria area and it was hunt to find parking. The areas were not labeled and we lucked out and found a spot in the volunteer lot. We later found out we weren't suppose to park there, however it was difficult to find participant parking since there was no signage.

The course
This course left me speechless and breathless. It was very hilly and we were looping back and forth throughout the race. By mile 3, I had fell out of my pace group because the hills were too steep and frequent for me to keep up. By mile 10, my attitude was I just want to finish and go home. There wasn't much to see on the route (I am a scenic runner). I was so focused climbing hills that I don't remember if there was crowd support.

Swag
I liked the shirts and medal. This race and the Publix races are part of the ATL challenge. Depending on your race combination, you either earn a 26.2 or 39.3 medal in addition to the medals for both races.

Overall, I will not run this race again if the course is the same as this year. While I like hills, this course was too much.