I ran a small, local race again and I am in love with them, but there is something to be said about Carlsbad in particular.

The expo was quite decent with a variety of vendors and the volunteers were super helpful in answering all my questions, and we got 2 (!) shirts. Usually I expect to be overcharged for product but I found a sunglasses shop that had $20 polarized shades which were surprisingly comfortable for 4+ hours on race day and I also got to try the electrolyte provided on course, plus you get discount codes to all the other local San Diego races.

I really liked the excellent race management. There was water every single mile and zero-carb electrolytes almost as often (carb lovers can get gels). Because it was a loop, volunteers often held out water in both directions which doubled the delivery frequency. There was no pressure to overconsume because I knew the next station was around the corner, plus it just wasn't that hot next to the beach in January (in fact it could be quite chilly at the start).

It was also nice that Carlsbad timed their half to start 1 hr 30 mins after the marathon. Race day parking was a cinch (and free), and there were no lines for the potties because we got to go first (there were only 1,000 marathoners vs. 5k half-ers). Most of the half-ers will still be on course running with you by the time the course merges so it felt like a big street party, but the full/half courses were separated by cones so there were no issues passing, plus there just aren't that many people anyway.

The post-race goodies were also quite generous with a good local brew, chocolate milk, and a big bag of energy snacks (great if you love carbs). It was good to sit for awhile and listen to some local bands (all the music, including the bands playing on course, was pretty good).

I think what I enjoyed the most about this race are the spectators. We got to see many of them over and over again as we looped and the cheering went both ways. My favorite moment was when I approached a group of 12-15 toward the end of the race who looked a little tapped out. I yelled "are you guys awake?" and was rewarded with the biggest cheer I heard all day. There was also a guy chasing his girlfriend with a sign that said "don't poop." Great race, great experience.