I ran my 24th half marathon this past Saturday in Baltimore Maryland. I ran it back in '12 and wanted to run it again. Unfortunately I was dealing with shin splints this summer so training was a struggle. But I got enough work in and was able to complete the course (27 min slower than '12 but so what?)
Expo: I got there Friday when it opened at 12 so there was a line to get in. No biggie as the line moved fast. Bib and shirt pick up was a breeze.
Prerace: I took the light rail into downtown. Very easy. Didn't have to worry about parking/traffic. Entering the race village and bag check was smooth. Much better than 2 years ago.
Course: We started at the beautiful Inner Harbor and made our way around the city. Yeah there were a couple of rough and tumble neighborhoods we ran thru but that's part of the city. Quite a few up and down hills but nothing really lung busting. The finish thru Camden Yards (home of the Orioles) was a blast.
Post race: A big improvement since '12. Much easier to navigate after the finish line. Plenty of volunteers to hand out medals, food, drinks, and beer tickets. Yes, the runners village had beer!
Spectators: They were great. They were cheering throughout the entire course. You can tell how much they love their city. I was offered a beer at mile 3 and 9 which I couldn't resist!
Overall: Highly recommended! Hope to see some of you next year!