Pros:
- the scenery is absolutely stunning in the first three to four miles of this race.
- there is a ton of parking available and it's easily found off of Interstate I-40.
- the organizers had a ton of food at every aid station as well as at the finish line.
- the staggered start times was great! The half marathon runners and marathon runners began an hour before the 10K and 5K runners. This helped with the start and also made it so that most everyone was finishing about the same time.
- the other runners were great on this run - a lot of comrades mucking through the rain!
- the medal is awesome! It is a wood medallion engraved with the logo.
- actual restrooms at the start area is a huge bonus!

Cons:
- So they are in no way joking when they say that this is a difficult course with a lot of elevation change. I really thought that I had ran courses that were equally challenging - but I really didn't know what I was in for. The first couple of miles of this course are almost all straight downhill. So you start out the race by wearing out your quads almost immediately. Once you reach the creek, it is a straight up hill climb for a mile or more. This uphill climb includes an unpaved road which, on the day that I was running this race, was the Monster Hill of Mud due to the pouring down rain. I rarely - if ever - walk during a half marathon but I walked the majority of this hill! From there through the end of the course it is a lot of rolling hills through mostly residential and farm areas.
- The roads are not closed to street traffic and in a couple of spots seemed a little bit dangerous due to the curves in the road and the limited visibility of the car drivers.
- the t-shirt for this race is just okay. It's one that I will wear around the house and to sleep in.

Verdict? Honestly, after I finish this race I said never again! I think that if it were not raining it would have been a slightly different experience. Sure it would have still been hilly, but it would not have been wet and cold! That definitely makes a big difference.