This was a fantastic, well-organized race and one that I would highly recommend.
My mom and I chose this half marathon because the timing of late February combined with the proximity to relatives in the area worked well for us. Plus, we were ready to cross off another state (bringing us to a total of 10!).

The Augusta University Half Marathon is definitely a small race with registration numbers for the half marathon at just around 800. Even with the small size, race organizers clearly put a lot of effort and attention into the fine details, which is not something you always see! Names were printed on our bibs, the official shirt of the half marathon was a super cute (and cozy) sweatshirt, a sticker with the race logo was included in our packets, and we received a high-quality tote bag with the logo of the local university. This was honestly some of the best swag I've ever received from a race and I have run A LOT of races at this point! :)

The expo itself was on the small size and located at the Julian Smith Casino in Augusta. Many of the vendors seemed to have packed up and left by the time I got there (it was scheduled to close 1 hour later), but there were still a few interesting companies there, including Fleet Feet who was having an awesome sale on winter running apparel, that my mom and I took advantage of (being from Massachusetts, we're pretty much guaranteed a few more cold months of running!)

After a little browsing, we headed back to the host hotel (The Partridge Inn) which was located a convenient 1.7 miles from the start. My mom and I elected to jog down on race morning as our warm-up, and this worked very well. From what I could tell though, there was plenty of parking and not too much traffic as we got closer to start time. The start and finish were located on a scenic bike/jogging trail on Lake Olmstead which gave runners plenty of space to mill around and warm up as we waited for the start. Temps were in the 40s in the morning, but forecasted to climb into the high 60s over the course of the day. Basically, perfect running weather! Porta-potties were plentiful and we didn't have to wait in any lines to use them. My only criticism would be that they could have used more signage directing racers to bag check. We knew bag check was being provided from asking at the expo, but we wandered around for probably 15 minutes before finding someone who was able to point out where it was located.

The course: As with most races, there were parts of this course that were really pretty and others that were not so much. Downtown Augusta has clearly fallen on some hard times, and you could tell running down their main street, that it is not exactly a bustling metropolis. But we also ran past beautiful, old-fashioned colonial mansions. The first 5 miles of the course were mostly flat, which was awesome for warming up and finding my rhythm. Mile 6-7 was the first of 2 REALLY BIG hills. This was definitely the toughest part of the course. You can just see the hill rising up in the distance ahead of you. Then, you reach what you think is the crest, go around a curve and BAM – more uphill. My pace slowed way down on this part, but I had pretty much expected that from seeing the elevation profile of the course, so no biggie. The downhill on the other side provided fantastic and much-needed relief, and my pace dropped down to a speed I usually reserve for 5ks. It was mostly downhill from there until Mile 9, where there was another smaller hill. Then, it was all downhill and flat to the finish :) There was not a whole lot of spectator support along the course, but you were always guaranteed some friendly cheering and support at the water stops, which were every 2 miles. For the temperature and the course, I thought that was the perfect amount.

The post-race food was good, though not very original or exciting. We got pieces of bagel, orange slices, a banana, a cup of trail mix, and a couple of cookies. There had also apparently been Starbucks coffee, but they ran out by the time my mom and I went over to get it, which was a little disappointing, especially since my mom and I were far from the last finishers (she got third in her age group and I got 5th in mine).

Overall, I was very impressed with the quality and organization of this race. If it was local to me, I would 100% run it again, and at only $70, it's very reasonably priced. Props to the Augusta Sports Council for putting on an excellent event!