This race is my favorite one. Every year for a decade I've ran it. It seems it alternates rainy/hottttt every other year and the July summer heat is what makes it so difficult, but it feels like the entire city comes out for support.
Expo- I normally have my packet mailed to me, but this year we went to the expo. Lots of samples and free stuff. I actually like the granola bars I got several samples of and the protein waters. Tons of other vendors and local athletic stores with shoes and last minute gear.

Race morning- I always park at work and take Marta. Normally it's not crowded bc I'm coming from the south but this year it was SO SO PACKED! That was not a pleasant surprise. I can't imagine what it was like coming from the north.
Thanks to a great 5k earlier in the year, I got my best corral placement ever. It was especially nice because it was super humid and got very hot very fast. This race has among the best course support I've ever seen. Outside of official aid stations, plenty of Atlanta residents have bottles of water or Popsicles or water hoses to help cool you off. Towards the end someone had Jell-O shots this year. You can't go 5 feet without finding someone to high 5. There were plenty of medics along the course that I saw which was important bc it was brutally hot. Cardiac/heartbreak hill is, well, awful, but you don't go into this race without knowing that. And unless you're in an early corral, forget about setting a PR because SO many people do this race you will spend a lot of precious time weaving around others.

Finish line - there's a photo finish and a real finish. That's important to know because a few years ago I sprinted across what I thought was the finish line...and it was, for photo purposes only. The real one was still a couple tenths away. Once you cross the real one you are funneled into piedmont park and get your race shirt and other goodies. You only get the race t-shirt if you finish. There's a stage and some entertainment but I don't usually stick around. This year we got a free race photo which was appreciated.