T-shirts/Swag:
Packet pickup was only the bib. When I got mine I later realized it didn't have my name on it. Not sure if I accidentally typed something else in the "Name" field, but my bib simply said "Yes". This is what also came through on the registration confirmation - I just didn't bother to check it beforehand. Nevertheless, bibs had your first name on them (or whatever you ended up inadvertently typing in), and that was cool. The packet pickup was only the bib and no shirt. I did see a few people wearing shirts during the race, so I wondered if they were volunteers who were running the event. I did pick up my shirt after the race - there was a booth for this - but they ran out of my shirt size even though I had an attachment on my bib signifying the size (something they ask on the registration form). I was a bit disappointed about that, especially since I came from out of state for this race. I would like the management to consider offering mailing shirts to participants who weren't able to get the size they ordered.

Aid Stations:
There were an adequate number of aid stations and volunteers, so that was nice. The options were water or Nuun, which I use so I was comfortable with that even though I had a bottle on me.

Course Scenery: Excellent!!!

Elevation:
This course starts at 8,000+ feet and drops to 7,000+ feet. I was in the area for a couple of days to acclimate to the elevation, which is something I would recommend if you're not used to running at high altitudes.

Parking/Start Line/Management:
The volunteer at packet pickup encouraged me to come early to park. There were buses leaving from Idaho Springs to take participants to the start line to Georgetown. I'm glad I listened because I was able to get a good parking spot (meaning 5:30 a.m.), and get on the first bus. The bus ride is about 20 min. The downside is waiting. There were plenty of porta-potties near the start, and the scene was beautiful - right in front of Georgetown Lake. I wish there was a table of water. I had water on me but my intention was to use it for the race. Other races I've been to had volunteers giving out cups of water beforehand. Because I was there so early (the race started at 8 a.m.), I had plenty of time to stretch but also wished the race started at 7:30 a.m. just so we could get going. There was gear check, but that wasn't announced and there was nothing about it in the emails. One assumes gear check is available at a half-marathon but I didn't see it until much later.

Race:
The race is very scenic, and coming from Iowa running among mountains is quite a spectacular experience. The course runs along Clear Creek. There were some construction cones on the route, but the race did a good job of informing us of this in advance and to watch out for them. Even though the course is downhill, they are steep and intermixed with some small uphills.

Post-Race:
The finish was in Idaho Springs and adjacent to a sports field where we could get food, medals, and times. I liked this but wish there was signage closer to the front signifying where these things were so I didn't have to look for them. The race did provide an option to purchase lunch, which I did. The food looked good (healthy vegan salad) but I just wasn't able to eat much of it perhaps because I really wanted something more caloric. The medal is cool. I didn't bother to look at who the other vendors were, but I think if I knew that info ahead of time in an email I would've taken the time to visit them.

Overall:
This was a beautiful course. Even though it was downhill, it was at a high altitude and there were steep downhills, which made for a challenging and enjoyable run.