I have participated in each Blooms to Brews half marathon since the inaugural race 3 years ago and it keeps getting better and better. I was a little worried that the addition of a marathon and marathon relay this year would spread the limited resources of a smaller race too thin, but Get Bold Events certainly delivered.

While there are pros and cons of smaller races, the hometown feel is what makes this race so special. Being active in the local running community, I love running a race where I know so many participants.

Despite the namesake "blooms" being a relatively small portion of the course, it is still very scenic. The whole course is fast and flat with my favorite part being along the river. (I was even lucky enough to see a bald eagle during the 2014 event!). The blooming flowers are definitely gorgeous too, but it is a very small section of the course toward the end.

One minor gripe I had as a half marathon runner was that there was no race day packet pick up. I get that they want people to come to the expo, but the expo was as small as can be expected for the size of the event. I live closer than a lot of participants, but it was still a 45 minute waste of my time.

Once racers crossed the finish line, they were treated to "Bold IPA" which was specially brewed for the event. Knowing so many people I particularly enjoyed the after party and was impressed with the "VIP" area which offered food and massages for an additional fee.

I look forward to running this race again next year.

Tip: Get Bold Events typically has a "Black Friday" weekend race registration special which makes it both awesome and affordable.