This is a solid race that is quite accessible in the northeast. However, Hartford may not be the race you look to for outpouring of crowd support. Hartford is a financial city that features a flight of the workforce at 5 pm on Friday. As a result, crowd support is a bit lacking. Hartford is also a small city so a majority of you work will be done in the suburbs. Beware: late in the race, you will have a long stretch on the right side of the road only to make a 180 degree turn and come back on the opposite lane of the road. It can be a little tedious and defeating. However, the journey back to Hartford brings much anticipating as you begin to see the skyline in the distance. Few marathon finishes beat the experience of coming down the chute through the famous archway. Savor the flower-lined final 200 meters and experience the loudest cheers of the day. Finish strong!