This was my first half marathon, and while it is not my PR, it still remains my favorite race of all distances.

Marathon Weekend in Cincy is an event for the community. I took the whole family, and we made a family weekend out of the experience.

One Big Tip --
You should book your hotel rooms EARLY due to the fast sell-outs. We stayed at the Downtown Hyatt under the special marathon rate and received late checkout. The hotel is only a half mile from the start and close to a mile from the finish.

The pre-race expo is AMAZING! We probably spent an hour or more looking at all of the vendors and exhibits. The participants receive a limited edition print, a nice gym bag, a tech shirt, and a finisher's medal.

The race itself was one of the best running experiences of my life. My wife walked me to the start, where we waited in a shelter while lightning flashed and rain poured down. Being a CC coach, I thought that we would have to wait at least 30 min. after a flash in order to start the race. I was wrong. I was back with the 4:30 marathoners and no where near my assigned corral when the gun went off.

I was soaked the whole race, but the crowd support and camaraderie of the runners invigorated me. The half course (the first 13.1 miles) is the most challenging part of the whole marathon, with all of the seven hills of Cincy seemingly under your feet. To be honest, the elevation chart on their site intimidated me, but I only really remember one hill, and it wasn't that bad.

The course crosses two main bridges -- from OH to KY and from KY to OH. One really doesn't appreciate the incline of highway bridges or the cant of the gutters until you're crossing them on foot and not in a car.

This was my slowest (and first) half, but it still remains my favorite. I'm running it again in a few weeks with my running group, my wife, and family members.

You really need to check this one out!

The race offers a 5K, a 10K, a half and full marathon, a Pump-and-Run option, and a relay. Activities for children are also offered.