I got very lucky with the race this year, as it was peak bloom during the race, and OMG was it beautiful. The race starts and ends in the front the Washington Monument. And that is about where is everything it set up (bag check porto potties and such) but part of the area was closed off this year. so things were a bit far away from the start. It was cold, about 34 degrees at the start, but the sun did come out, so running was actually nice, you were just really cold waiting in the corrals. The route is really nice, not very hilly, pretty flat, but you are always with a crowd, so just be prepared for that. You get to run by monuments and see all the blossoms, we even saw a bride and groom getting pictures done. I would recommend this race, plus a weekend in DC is just great, so much to see and do there, you won't be bored