This is a pricey race, ranking below a Disney half but above just about every other race I have paid for. And unlike a Disney race, the course support and entertainment for this special edition Diva race leaves a lot to be desired.

Starting and finishing in a picturesque winery, this is billed as a race for women. It's a smaller event however it still had a significant number of newer runners who were unfamiliar with race etiquette like moving towards the back of the unseeded start if you are a bit slower. So the start was clustered and crowded with people wedged between bathrooms and gear check trying to figure out what was going on.

The course was originally billed as "California flat" and made mention of only one incline. I have heard the course description was altered post-race to be more accurate. This is hilly wine country and definitely isn't flat with a good portion of the second half of the race taking place on an out-and-back dirt road. The course is relatively deserted save for the aid stations an a DJ or two on the out-and-back. The majority of participants, including myself, were caught off-guard by the number of hills based on the course description. Now that I know, I would do more hill work and would be okay with it.

The aid stations do not supply any gus at any point, so be prepared to carry your own nutrition. And they had yellow Gatorade but never described in any pre-race instruction what electrolyte they would have so people could train using it. This included email and Facebook inquiries that went unanswered. But again, I brought my own so it wasn't a huge deal. However, after running the Disney Princess Half the weekend before without needing my own hydration belt, I was a tad disappointed to strap it on over my running skirt for this race.

The shirts this year were basic black with a sparkly gold logo on the chest and the tutus were cute. The medal was big and heavy. I hear next year will get jackets and an LED tutu so I guess the swag game will be amped up.

Overall it was a fine half marathon. The location makes it great for a weekend with friends. I wouldn't avoid this race but I just don't think I can justify the price again when there are so many races out there with awesome communication pre-race at lower costs.