Cleveland half was my first organized race event and overall it was a very positive experience. I lived in Cleveland at the time so the fact that the Expo was a long way from downtown didn't bother me. The expo was well run and had solid booths and overall gear to purchase. As for the race itself I thought it was well run. They had a ton of porta-potties available by the starting line. The biggest issue I had was the corals were self-placement. I went to my correct coral based on my expected pace and passed a TON of people as I ran the pace I expected to. Not a huge deal but a little annoying. The course itself I thought was as good as you could do in Cleveland. Started downtown, went to the west thru the cool/hip Cleveland neighborhoods where people were sure to come out and give support. The final 2-3 miles are on the Shoreway w/ a great view of the lake but by far the hilliest part of the course and little crowd support but not a big deal. Finished right downtown by the courthouse. Only issue there was limited spectator area (partly due to the construction of a new hotel) but my wife and daughter couldn't get to me for about 15-20 minutes. The aid stations and volunteers were great. Overall, a positive first experience for me and an easy marathon/half-marathon to get to and run.