Why run this race? For the amazing positive energy, the swag, and THE BEER! Craft Classic Phoenix was sponsored by one of my favorite local breweries, Huss Brewing. And everything from the swag to the medal was "beer themed". Swag included: a Huss Brewing jar/pint glass, an "On a Beer Run" shirt (tank for the ladies), a pair of knock around sunglasses, and a really awesome bib made to look just like a 6-pack of beer.

The expo/packet pickup was at the local Road Runner Sports store. There was no day of race packet pickup, so you have to make time either Friday evening or Saturday (the race is on Sunday). While the expo itself wasn't large, it was extremely easy to pick up packets. I think it took all of 60 seconds to gather everything. I even was able to try on my shirt and trade it for another size there on the spot. And Road Runner Sports offered a pretty sweet coupon that you could use on gear/clothes/shoes while in the store. I caved and picked up a brand new Nike long sleeve.

The race-day email sent out earlier in the week not only had a list of places to park for race day, but links that would take you directly to your google maps. I thought all parking spots would all be a little bit of a walk to the start/finish, and was ready to utilize the gear check. But I realized when I arrived I was parking within sight of it all. I didn't need to use gear check at all! So parking was fantastic, and there wasn't even a line to try to get in to the lot!

Another big surprise was the porta potties. I had arrived an hour early just to make sure I had time to stand in line for the bathroom. THERE WERE NO LINES! They had an abundance of porta potties for everyone. When it was about 15 minutes before the race a small line started, but I discovered another small section of porta potties with... surprise again.. no line! So impressed.

The weather was fantastic. I was chilly at the start, but I'm from Arizona. Anything below 70 is "chilly" to me these days. The temps at start were around 66-68 degrees. But things warmed up rather quickly and it was in the 80s by the time myself and all of my friends had finished.

***WARNING*** This won't be a PR course. It's a FANTASTIC race, but it's got some HILLS! You're going to have to work for that beer at the end. Fortunately, Craft Classic had a little fun with the fact that there are some unforgiving hills on the course. There is one big one that starts at mile 4.5 and doesn't end until mile 6. Adidas announced they would give a FREE PAIR OF SHOES to the runner with the fastest time up the hill, and the runner with the slowest. They called this the "King of the Mountain Climb". But alas, that was only the largest hill. There are more rolling hills after that. It's definitely not the hardest race I've done, so as long as you train for hills, you can crush this course no problem!

There were tons of aid stations out on the course. And tons of volunteers (including November Project friends). Was great seeing so many friends out on the course and getting high-fives along the way. All aid stations had water and Nuun. Was so glad to see Nuun out there and best yet, each cup I was handed, from the first to the last station, was ice cold! I'm used to the water or electrolytes being warm towards the end, but cold all the way and it was just what I needed. I will still advise that you bring a small bottle for your own hydration. While there were plenty of aide stations, those hills left me thirsty and I wish I would have had just a handheld for some water or Nuun in between.

At the finish, I was greeted with friends, music, and dozens of booths with snacks, water, and more. The medal is pretty sweet. It's a bottle opener, but also in the shape of a beer tap handle. Love it! The finish wasn't congested either. November Project friends and I were able to cheer and create a "tunnel" for other runners to run through as they finished.

The Beer Garden was at the end of the finish. And it was a pretty happening place, of course. I mean, we all came for the beer, right?! Cold cans of Huss Brewing"s Scottsdale Blonde was everyone's "free drink". And you could buy extra tickets for the other kinds. (Tip: If you go for a second beer, I highly recommend their Koffee Kolch!)

Overall, I highly recommend the Craft Classic Phoenix (or any Craft Classic race for that matter). The positive energy and laid back atmosphere helped ease race jitters or concerns about "a good time". I was able to just focus on having fun and that is exactly what I did! I will definitely do it again next year.