This was my third year running the Bottle & Cork 10 Miler (2011, 2016 and 2017). The race turned out to be a struggle for me personally, but that wasn't the race's fault. This is a well-organized, scenic race that starts and ends in Dewey Beach, Delaware, and also goes into Rehoboth Beach.

I paid $40 for the early entry fee for this race (up until the Thursday before the race at noon). Swag includes a short-sleeved tech shirt — I like the fit of the shirt and feel that the women's cut is true-to-size. It's not a super-exciting design or anything, but it's definitely a shirt I will wear. I also received a finisher's medal.

There were plenty of water stops, and all were willing to provide me with multiple cups of water when I needed it. There is also an unofficial beer stop at about Mile 8.5 (and there was another stop that offered beer this year, too).

The course scenery is great — you are running at the beaches, so there are several waterfront views, including the Atlantic Ocean, along with pretty neighborhoods and the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk. The course is very flat, although I live in a flat area, so I noticed some hills. There were certainly not any intense hills.

I gave parking/access a "3" because I didn't have a great experience parking this year at the race, although that can't really be blamed on the race. I parked next to a car, and once the meters went into effect, I paid and then enjoyed some time at the beach after the post-race party. When I returned, I had a ticket for double parking, even though I did not realize I had done so. I was able to appeal the ticket and won, but that's not something I would like to have to worry about when I go to a race. There is some free parking at a nearby restaurant, but I arrived too late to park there (I drove around to see if there were any spots). Last year, my boyfriend and I parked a few blocks away. The race began at 8 a.m., and the metered parking began at 10 a.m.

This race is well-organized and well-marked. I will note that by the time I went into the post-race party, the fried chicken was gone. There is also a 5K, so those finishers and many of the 10-mile finishers would have been done before me. There is not an expo — just packet pickup the day of the race and the day before — so I didn't rate that category.

This race happens the second weekend of September, so it is generally a hot race. This year, it was cooler than normal, but I still had issues with the heat.