This was my first year running the half. I've previously ran the full five times and even though I'm not from Pittsburgh I consider this a "hometown" event.

Expo: Another first for me this year was hitting up the expo Friday night. Previously I've come down on a Saturday. Since I was staying with friends this year I couldn't just part at the hotel and walk over. I had to park in the parking garage for the convention center were the expo was being held. This was a huge headache. I sat stuck in traffic for 45 minutes just trying to get into the parking garage. Once I finally got into the expo I was already running late for dinner with my friends so I just grabbed my bib and left. I had planned on going back in on Saturday but decided against it because I didn't want to fight with the traffic again. The expo is typically packed with great vendors but it's a shamed I stayed away simply because of the traffic and parking situation.

T-shirt/Swag: For the half I got a long sleeve shirt that was in my opinion pretty blah. It was the Pittsburgh Gold color with black lettering. I thought with it being the 10th running of the marathon it would have been something a little more special. I wound up wearing it as my throwaway race morning. I also received a plastic tumbler with the race logo on it. Our plastic race bags had a few goodies in them and we also received a virtual swag bag with some decent deals.

Parking/Access: I've already discussed the parking situation at the expo. I was lucky enough on race day to be with some friends that had access to a building downtown. In past years I've stayed downtown and found the start line easy to walk to.

Elevation Difficulty: Pittsburgh is known as being a hilly course. This was my first time running the race since the course changes. They didn't disappoint. It's still a hilly course with three bridge crossings.

Aide Stations: Overall the aide stations were pretty great. They were frequent and lined both sides of the course. I did however have to wait at two different stations for someone to pour me a cup of water. In their defense it was a very humid day.

Course Scenery: This race really allows you to see the city on foot. You cross all three rivers and cruise by the Penguins, Pirates and Steelers stadiums. The whole city turns out to cheer you on. I always say that this marathon is the closest you'll ever feel to a professional athlete. The crowd support is that good.

Race Management: Every race has it's hiccups but overall I think the management does a great job of hosting so many races over the course of the weekend.

Overall: I love this race. I have so many great memories from it over the years that it feels like a homecoming. It's tough but that's what Pittsburgh is about.