This race is unique in that it is more about the community of women runners than about individual achievements. And I absolutely loved that about the race. This race partners with the Fellow Flowers group which is an awesome community of women athletes. They (we) make up a large part of the runners, but no one should (or will ever) feel like they aren't part of the group. That said, this group of women make sure there is support and cheering until the last runner crosses the finish line including a tunnel for the last ladies to run through. They also provide the options for ladies who prefer a walk to start early. There is start one hour prior to the regular start of the half marathon.

Pre-race - you can opt into a weekend experience which provides access to a Friday night cocktail party, Saturday morning fun run, and yoga. I loved the cocktail party, there was a DJ and lots of dancing. The packet pick-up and mini expo were at the Concourse hotel. This was the "sponsored" hotel which made it super convenient for out of towners that were taking part in the whole weekend. There was also a race day shuttle to/from the hotel.

Course - the race starts and finishes in an outdoor mall area. This meant there were a couple indoor facilities. There are two moderate to difficult hills on the course and a number of rolling hills throughout. The course also runs along one of the lakes in the area providing a very scenic view for a bit.

Support - There was a water / sport drink station every 1.5 - 2 miles. Definitely plenty to get you through.

Swag - Another tech tee, but the design was cute. The medal was quality and fit with the theme of the race.

Finish line - bottles of water, cookies, CHOCOLATE MILK!, gatorade, fruit, and bagels were all covered. There was also the option to get a free drink but you had to navigate yourself to the pub in the mall, it was part of the post-race area (not a turn off for me since I rarely drink mine).

Race Management - this team was faced with a nasty blow from mother nature race morning. Storms rolled through overnight and into the early morning hours. When the storms came into the forecast the director sent out an email and posted on social media the game plan, just in case. I was impressed with the proactive approach. In the morning, the team was out setting up as soon as the lightning passed, but it was still pouring rain. Amazing volunteers! They delayed the walk start 15 minutes but were able to start as originally planned for the other morning starts.

There aren't many out of town races that I duplicate unless I really like the area. I would definitely do this race again simply to be able to get more interactions with the amazing women I met.