When I first heard of this race I thought "Oh, a getaway run in Saint Pete? This should be fun." I imagined a nice beach or waterside run, but I was mistaken. It took place in downtown Saint Pete, which is also very beautiful but doesn't really epitomize the waterside running scenery that is depicted on the actual medal.

Packet pick up was easy. Pickup was at a local running store in downtown Saint Pete. Race day pickup was available, which I think is nice, so people can get their swag and drop it off back at their cars. 5K runners received a tech shirt while 10K runners received a zip-up pullover.

Parking in downtown Saint Pete is plentiful. The closest parking was at the Mahaffey Theater for $10, which I think was absolutely ridiculous. If you were willing to drive around, you could find both paid and free street parking. I believe I parked about 2 blocks away for free and just walked over to the start line.

The start line was buzzing with vendors, things for children to do, and a great announcer. There were also plenty of port-o-potties available to runners.

The 5K race started at 8:40, which is very late for Florida. We've had an unseasonably warm fall here in Florida and by this time it is already starting to be very hot. The course traveled through downtown Saint Pete, but not on a very scenic route. When you first start the race you are on the waterfront and it is gorgeous, beyond that I don't think there was much else to look at. We ran by the Vinoy and a dog park and that's about all that I remember. We traveled on some cobblestone/brick lined streets, which to me was very difficult to run on. I almost tripped a couple of times and had to move to the sidewalk because the road was so uneven.

There were plenty of police officers on the course and it was very well marked so that we knew where to go. Aid stations had plenty of volunteers and water available for runners. I personally ran with my own fluid so I did not have to use them.

The finish line was full of goodies. Right after crossing the finish line runners received water, their medal, tons of snacks, and there was a great boxed meal to eat. There were also tons of activities to get involved with, a band playing music, and the opportunity to paint the Nomad Art Bus.

For a first year race, I think they did a very good job. It was small this year, but I'm sure there will be more people next year. I would reconsider the start time to begin earlier so that people aren't dying from the heat (like I was). I wish the scenery was more appealing. I wonder if there are city ordinances that stop them from running the race along one of our awesome running paths in North Saint Pete that are right by the water- THAT would have been awesome.