Overall: The 2015 edition of Grandma's Marathon was my first ever race at 26.2. I was definitely ready to go, physically and mentally. Of course, I wasn't quite prepared for how my body felt around mile 18. Those last 8 were a struggle. But the weather was, in my opinion, about perfect. It downpoured at the start, but what wind there was would be at our backs.

I remember the ups and downs of the first half hills, but nothing too extreme there. What got me was a long and gradual incline around mile 18. I was done. Lemon-drop hill wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, however. This is one of those races where I don't remember much from about mile 18 until we got into the city and ran up Lemon-drop.

T-Shirts: I always love races that give you a finishers shirt, instead of a shirt just for signing up. If I remember correctly, the shirt was all we received, which is fine with me as well.

Aid Stations: Plenty of Aid Stations with both water and Powerade. There were about one per mile once you pass Mile 20, which was incredibly helpful.

Course Scenery - Granted, it was a rainy and cloudy day, but nothing beats running along Lake Superior, or any lake for that matter. There's not much crowd support until you get into Duluth, though. The only negative to the scenery was that you can see the bridge in Duluth starting at about Mile 10.

Expo - Very good expo with lots of things! Probably the biggest one I've been to. They also offer a pasta dinner and a bus preview of the course.

Elevation: Yes, it's a net downhill, but you'll have your fair share of climbs as well. None are terribly bad, but there isn't much flat road. Like I said earlier, the gradual climb at Mile 18 ended me, but that's mostly because I don't think I was mentally ready for that (and I got out way too fast).

Parking: Super easy!! Head to any one of the parking lots and get shuttled to the start. One of the easiest I've done.

Race Management: Obviously the folks at Grandma's know what they're doing. And I'll leave it at that. Very well run race.

I was hoping to be back at Grandma's in 2016, but I had other plans pop up that day. I haven't signed up yet, but I intend to be there in 2017.