The High Bridge Half Marathon was a very enjoyable experience. I arrived in Farmville at 6:40 to pick up my race packet. They were very prepared, so without a clue as to where anything was I was able to get my stuff, use the restroom (a must) and get to the start line with plenty of time to spare. The weather was absolutely perfect for a race day, we were cold to start but not freezing. From what I hear, I was very lucky to run the race this particular year as it can usually be hot and horribly humid.

The course is a tightly packed gravel that I found to be awesome for running and racing. The reduced impact was definitely noticeable and I had no trouble with it. The course is boring in a way because it's really just a long, flat, straight line where you turn around at the halfway point. However, the High Bridge is AWESOME. It's about a half mile long with an awesome view.

The course is very PRable. I got mine! Although the course is flat overall, I think that it seems to be a very slight incline going out and a slight decline coming back. That sure helps.

The finisher medal is a fairly typical medal, as are the award medals. The shirt is a typical moisture wicking shirt with a fairly cool design. One perk was that AG award winners got their choice of previous year "retro" shirts, so I got an extra. There were also beer vouchers that could be used at a local restaurant that day. You were allowed to have any beer that they had on tap and they had some good ones! The food was excellent too.

All in all, if you have a day to spend in a little town you've probably never visited and you want to run a race with a unique view from the High Bridge, you should give this one a shot. You might even get a PR out of it.