Pre-race wait in Athlete's Village can be a little long, but there are plenty of porta potties and other goodies (bagels, yogurt, coffee, gatorade, Power Bar) to keep you going.

The start line is unlike any other world major/huge marathon. You aren't kept in pens, which is awesome. It's more of a rolling start and you just keep walking until you get to the sensors on the ground with the start clock hanging out. It's not ostentatious or ridiculous like the pens at Chicago, where you can get locked out of your start. Head's up though, some people thought it would be a good idea to RUN to the start...not sure why you'd run to the start of a marathon since your time doesn't start until you cross the start timer. But anyway.

The race is nuts. It is 16 miles of downhill at the beginning. And it can be miserable. But the crowds are everywhere. There are no dead zones. There were kids with orange slices, freeze pops, ice, sponges, etc. throughout. **Write your name on your bib or your arms if you want personalized cheering. I can't count how many people called my name out when I was running.

The uphills aren't nearly as terrible as everyone makes them out. Heartbreak wasn't much of a monster, but if you don't train on hills I could see how it would be a challenge.

The finish is cool with the grandstands and the volunteers are experienced. I want to volunteer one year to give back and help create the atmosphere I enjoyed so much.

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