I ran the AFC Half Marathon this year as the third race in the San Diego Half Marathon Triple Crown series. This was my first time running AFC.

My #1 favorite thing about this race was that the scenery was incredible! I run in San Diego every week, but this really takes the cake. You get to start at Cabrillo National Monument, my favorite tourist spot in San Diego, and then take the rolling hills through the National Cemetery, then down the winding hills of Point Loma into San Diego proper, where you get bayside views of downtown as you run your way into the city.

Then it all goes totally wrong... because as you reach mile 12, you realize you have to go up, up, UP to get to beautiful Balboa Park. The incline isn't really all that bad, but it starts out gradual and then you turn another corner and it gets STEEPER. I don't think this hill is really all that tough for an experienced runner, but this was my 5th half marathon, and it took a lot out of me getting up that hill. Just fair warning, until I got to that hill, I thought this was my favorite half marathon ever.

Besides the course itself, I was a big fan of their course support. For a hot race, they had the right amount of water stations etc.

The place where they need the most improvement: parking. What a nightmare. Disaster traffic getting into the event, parking so FAR AWAY from the finish line that I had to walk back to after. There's not a lot they can do to get more cars into that area easily, so just be prepared - head to the race EARLY.

All in all, I will run it again... because they're now doing a TRIPLE Triple Crown.. and I can't say no to that, I'm already 1/3 of the way there!