Expo - Small expo at Road Runner Sports so it was easy in and out to grab bibs and shirts. They were selling tanks and other merchandise as well. Bill Rodgers and Meb Keflezighi signed autographs and took pics with the attendees! Sweet!
Parking - The event is held downtown near Embarcadero and Seaport Village so parking is always a little congested in that area. I parked almost a mile away and jogged to the start line.
Course - Both the 5k and 10k courses are mostly flat with scenic views around the marina and embarcadero. The 10k course had a section of an unattractive part of downtown, but it was brief. Also the 10k course became a confusing cluster of loops a couple of miles in. We had to ask volunteers a few times if we were going in the right direction. The volunteers were friendly and encouraging. I also pushed my daughter so I liked that the course was stroller friendly.
Post-race - After crossing the finish line, we received a bag of goodies and a medal. Then we were free to roam several tents that had samples and items for sale. The event had quite a bit of vendors, more than I've seen at any other race. We got a late start to the race and combined with our course confusion meant that we had to wait in longer lines at the vendor tables. Some tables were out of things which was a little disappointing. They had several fitness demos, raffles and contests occurring as well as a chance to test drive a Lexus.
The food tent (which is what is hyped up about the event) was pretty disappointing. It was just a small plate with two small samples on it.
Swag - I picked up a good amount of swag, although I could have gotten more if I had more patience to wait in lines.
Pricing- Ranges from $55-$165 depending on what events you want to participate in. They have a cocktail party Friday evening, followed by the race on Saturday and more food and fitness on Sunday. I only did the run so I'm not sure what the other days were like. They usually have a Groupon deal for this event with a significant discount so that's a plus. Also, they have ambassadors for each location that do ticket giveaways on their blogs so check there too.
Overall- I was pretty disappointed by the course (although it was fun to say that I ran in the same race as Meb and Bill) and I did expect a bigger bang when it came to the food. But I ran with a friend and we made the most of it. I also couldn't imagine paying full price for this event. If I did it again I would do the 5k so that I could avoid the confusing course and get to the post-race fun faster to grab more goodies.
You can find more details and photos about this event on my blog at theswagmama.com