This was my first year running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon & my first time running a "big" race. With close to 30,000 Marathon/Relay/Half participants it was quite large for me. There were a few kinks along the way for me that I associate mostly with it being such a large race and me not being used to that, but would 100% do this race again knowing what I know now. This year it rained for about the first hour (thirty mins of running for me and thirty waiting to start), and then was unbelievably HUMID for the rest and we were begging for it to rain again.

Swag: Long sleeve, female cut, tech shirt that ISN'T sized for a Barbie doll: WIN. There is nothing more frustrating than getting a woman's shirt and having to order three sizes up to get it on. Thanks to Under Armour for having great sizing. There were also lots of coupons in the bag and a virtual goodie bag.

Aid Stations: The frequency was PERFECT. I always carry water with me, just in case, but I believe I only used mine once because the stations were so frequent. Only downside, by the time I reached the nutrition station for the half there was nothing left. I don't use this normally since I carry my own, but I imagine there were a couple thousand people behind me that were disappointed.

Course Scenery: You get to run through many of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods and over 5, I think, bridges during the half, which was amazing and beautiful. Better part? All the people from those neighborhoods come out and line the streets and cheer you on. I've never seen so much crowd support at a race and I LOVE it.

Expo: Due to my flight, I was unable to attend the expo, but I heard amazing things. Downside, I didn't learn that there was no race day packet up until the last minute. I'm VERY confident that this policy wasn't posted until well after I registered. I had to find someone to pick up my bib for me or it would have cost me $20 AND I wouldn't have gotten my shirt. This was probably the most frustrating things for me.

Elevation: It's hilly. Aside from Mile 11.5, it's mostly rolling, long hills. Mile 11.5 was a doozie; but doable.

Parking: The race starts in Downtown and parking is ample, but expensive. It takes some research to get around the road blocks and park near the start/finish area. I ended up paying $20, but I was parked > .1 miles from my corral start area.

Bonuses: This year, MilestonePod sponsored the race and they gave away many pods- I got one- and now it's my favorite running accessory. MilestonePod did challenges to help with training and chose winners as well; I won the challenge one week and came away with a $100 DICKS gift card. They also did applications for state reps for the race, I applied, didn't get chosen, but got mailed a pretty cool jacket as a consolation prize.

Overall: Great race! #GameOnPGH