This was my 3rd time running City to the Sea and first time on the new course. Packet pickup is super easy and in the parking lot of a local running store. It's very low frills but for a smaller race it does its job. The race proceeds benefit the local junior college athletic program.

The race starts in the heart of downtown SLO and parking close is very easy. The finish line in Pismo Beach- a few towns south of SLO. It's a point to point race and they offer shuttles from the finish line back to the start. I have a ride at the finish so I have never tested out the shuttles.
The starts out with a gentle decline in elevation for the first few miles. These miles run along one of the main roads in town. A little before 5 miles you run under the freeway to a frontage road. This is where the rolling hills start. The remainder of the course is a series of gentle rollers as you run towards Avila Beach. You take a break from road running for a mile on a tree covered path. The course then winds through neighborhoods before finishing along the coastline at Dinosaur Caves Park.
The water stops are adequately spaced out along the course and always well stocked with plenty of volunteers. They also offer GU at a few of the stations. The crowd support is great for a smaller race and offers encouragement when needed. My only real gripes with the race is the finish line. The finish line chute is very narrow and it is easy to bottleneck with other runners. Also, the water table always seems to be hard to find.

The races provides awesome medals and good shirts. It's a challenging course and I look forward to running it again.