Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Chartway Norfolk Harbor 10K as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

I ran in the Norfolk Harbor race weekend for the first time this year. This was the inaugural year of the 10K, and I decided to run that, hoping for a fast time. I didn't quite meet my goal, but I still had a great race.

The course starts near the water in Norfolk and finishes with the last half-mile or so along the waterfront There's also another particularly scenic part of the race along the Mowbray Arch. Other parts of the race are more urban. I enjoyed the course and it was nice and flat.

There were four water stops and even a mini-pie stop. Normally, I'd love a mini-pie stop, but I was trying to run a fast time, so I didn't stop at that one. I got a cup of water at the water stop at Mile 3 and that went well.

Unfortunately, my friend missed an important turn on the course and ended up running about 1.5 miles extra, and she was not the only one who did this. Although I didn't miss the turn, I can see how this spot would have been confusing and think there should have been a volunteer actively letting people know which way to go. I also would have loved to have had mylar blankets at the end. I had not checked a bag and got cold in the short-sleeve shirt and shorts I'd worn for the race. I'd definitely recommend checking a hoodie and sweatpants into your bag if the weather is similar next year.

However, everything else was really well-organized. There was plenty of pre-race communication and for me, everything went smoothly. The race started several minutes late because an intersection needed to be cleared, but once I knew the reason, I wasn't bothered by that.

There was also a fun-post race band and finishers got soup and either White Claw or beer (up to three for 10K finishers and up to four for half finishers).

There's definitely a lot of swag! The finisher medal is beautiful, and there were options to get extra bling by registering for a 5K and half marathon challenge or a 5K and 10K challenge. Runners also received a long-sleeved tech shirt at the expo and a finisher hat and drawstring bag at the finish.

The expo was small but super easy to get in and out of. The expo isn't something that is overly important to me, but of course, it's nice to get your bib and shirt easily, and I was definitely able to do that. I also got a photo with Santa, which was fun. It was pretty small - not too many vendors. I don't think there were speakers or anything like that.

I walked from a nearby hotel, so I'm not sure how to rate parking/access, although it was super easy to access for me since I stayed in the hotel.

Read my blog recap here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2019/11/29/norfolk-harbor-10k-i-had-another-waterfront-finish-in-the-57s/