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Cincinnati,
Ohio,
United States - May
- 3 miles/5K, 6 miles/10K, 13.1 miles/Half Marathon, 26.2 miles/Marathon, Relay
- Road Race
- Event Website
Eddie Coleman
Lexington, Kentucky, United StatesOverall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This is my second time doing the half. I originally ran the race back in 2010, and I have a previous review for that race on BibRave.
I had originally signed up for the full marathon, but due to an injury, I dropped down to the half. I'm glad I did -- I wasn't prepared for the full anyway.
The race was just as I remembered. The expo was AMAZING, and the race swag was top-notch. I finally got a replacement for my old Flying Pig running bag. The whole expo takes up almost all of the Duke Energy Center, and the pick-up process was easy.
I was a little worried about the start of the race because the local weathermen had been changing the forecast from storms to no storms to dry to drizzle. I packed for every eventuality, and race morning started with a slight rain. The forecast was for 60 degrees and overcast -- great running weather.
Due to all of the rain the days before and the rain that morning, the humidity was insane! My shirt was soaked after the first mile and we hadn't even hit the hills yet. To be honest, I really don't remember the hills being as bad as they were, but they are -- especially when you're 20 pounds heavier and 6 years older. Coupled with the humidity and the sun being "here and there," it made for a difficult race. Still, this doesn't take away from the fact that the race is run very efficiently and the directors obviously care about the runners' experiences.
The crowd support was awesome! It seemed like the bigger crowds were stationed at the toughest parts of the course, providing runners with much needed encouragement when tackling the hills.
All of the hills are in the half marathon portion of the race, and from about mile 10.5, it's all downhill -- and I do mean downhill! Take care and your quads will thank you.
If you plan on staying overnight or making a weekend of it, I really recommend the Hyatt Regency downtown. It is a little pricey, but the have a special marathon rate, valet parking, and a 2pm checkout.
I will definitely do this one again ... and again.