This year was my first HC in San Francisco, I've done races in other cities prior to this so I at least have some comparison of what to expect. This year's race was complicated by weather, in that we had pouring rain and wind gusts up to 30 mph and led to a shortened course. So here it be.

Expo: Small, though most of the HC Expos are. Some local races (Bay to Breakers), Running Companies, etc. Easy to get your bib, though they assign your number right there. I had to make sure after the fact that my number was really assigned because it didn't come up under runner tracking. HC branded stuff for sale as well. Expo was at the South SF Convention center that wasn't close to downtown. I was able to swing by from the airport. Uber is probably your best bet to get there because parking's tight

Swag bag: these are always the bare basics. Typically, whatever the jacket is and a bag and that's it. This year was a hooded zipper sweatshirt. The nice thing is, there's an area to try it on and swap if you want a different size.

Getting to the race: some parking, but limited. Race was at Golden Gate Park. Shuttles were offered from a few different locations, I ended up taking the shuttle from Union Square. You had to purchase tickets ahead of time and ShowClix made a big deal about having the tickets printed off, but then when we got on the bus, they didn't scan or take them

Bag Check: well organized. However, the zip tie to attach my tag to the bag was already closed when I picked up my bag and holding the safety pins together. Had to get a zip tie there

Race Day Weather: of all days of California to not be in a drought situation, today was that day. Rained all morning and gusts of wind up to 30 mph on course.

The Start: 820 AM for the 15K. Lined up in corrals, goes on a staggered start system, which is appreciated.

The course: The 15K was on a shortened course to 5.9 miles due to the wind gusts and safety concerns. Fair enough, though the wind didn't seem bad in the park until close to the end of the race. Some hills, though nothing terrible. One of my big things with the HC races in general is they have their races in major cities, but their courses don't let you see the city. I wanted to see more of SF, not just Golden Gate Park. Since the course was shortened, only 2-3 water stops and got the chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Post race: Easy getting through the chute. Medals followed by water, though it took a bit to find. Easy to get back to bag check and to get to the hot chocolate mugs, etc. The chocolate was a bit watered down from the weather though. Since it was still raining and windy, not many people stuck around. Everyone was trying to get out so they could get showered and warm

Overall a good race, just wish I could have seen more of SF and that weather would have cooperated. RAM Racing did well on their part communicating things, though text alerts race day would have been a plus