Check out my blog for my recap of the 2015 race (and a discount code for 2016's race!)
http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2015/11/across-bay-10k-2015-race-recap.html
And the 2014 race!
http://thriftyrunner.blogspot.com/2014/11/across-bay-10k-race-report.html

Full Disclosure: I am a race ambassador for the Across the Bay 10k, and my opinions are completely my own.

I have run this race two years in a row now and I am going to be running it again in November 2016. I really enjoy it and look forward to it every year. The views both years have been fantastic--there's really nothing like seeing the sunrise from the shore of the Annapolis side of the bridge. There are a few logistical things to keep in mind.

This race is huge. There are several thousand runners every year--the first year almost 15,000 and almost 21,000 the second year. Know that and be patient and leave PLENTY of time to get to the race on time. (Allow yourself at least an extra hour because traffic can get backed up getting into the parking lots and to allow yourself time to get onto a shuttle and take that to the actual starting area.) Yes, you have to pay for parking. It's $10 per car and it's meant to encourage runners and spectators to carpool to the race. (There are several lots, but if you take into account how many people are there, it fills up pretty fast!) Take note that there isn't any parking or drop off allowed at the starting area, so you have to take the bus to the starting area and from the finisher's area.

The race has wave starts and you're assigned a wave on your bib. If you have to change waves the organizers recommend you move back a wave rather than move to an earlier time. (The timing chip on your bib starts the second you cross the starting line rather than your assigned time.) The waves start about every 10 minutes. From the last wave at 9:20, you have 2 and a half hours to finish the race. (This is roughly a 15 minute mile.) If you can't finish in that time, they do have sweeper buses to pick you up and take you to the finish line.

The race itself is so much fun. The first couple miles are a gradual incline but after that it is mostly a lovely decline that is not quite as steep. There are also a couple of short hills towards the end, but nothing in comparison to that first incline. The views are amazing since if you start early enough you basically get to see the sunrise from the bridge itself. (In 2015 we got to watch a cruise ship pass underneath and that was also kind of exciting to watch!)

The race has plenty of support--at the starting area there are ample portajohns where the buses let you off as well as the other side of the building, portajohns and water fountains (no cups!) and portajohns on the bridge and more portajohns and water on the other side of the bridge as well. After I got my medal (which connects to the 2014 medal and will connect to 2016's medal) I got a bag of snacks--a bagel and banana. (There were lots of complaints about bagels since a lot of them were moldy and volunteers had to inspect every bagel before handing a runner a bag.) Then in the finisher's area there are lots of different vendors to check out and the chance to buy finisher's gear. (In 2015 you had the opportunity to buy it at the expo which was nice since in 2014 the lines were ridiculously long!) There are also raffles and bands playing throughout the morning in the finisher's area.

Once you're done exploring the finisher's area, it's easy to find your bus thanks to all the signage and the volunteers posted at each of the buses. Each bus is assigned to take runners to a specific lot so pay attention to where you park and which bus you board!