I have a lot of very good things to say about this race. I should share that I did set a huge PR and my very first BQ, so I may have to work hard to say anything negative at all...
Expo:
All expos are roughly the same to me. This was a nice size one. Deena Kastor was there and was very accessible, so that was fun. Number pickup was a breeze.
Swag:
The race shirt is ugly and looks uncomfortable. The beanie is cute and will be worn on cold days. The official merchandise was pretty good. I got a really nice windbreaker that I wore in the race.
Lodging:
This is open of the real plusses to this race. Indianapolis is a huge convention city, so there are literally innumerable hotel rooms that are within easy walking distance of everything—the expo, good dining options, and the start and finish lines. I can’t recommend too strongly that you stay in one of the hotels to minimize the hassle factor on race morning.
Start:
I walked out of the nice warm hotel, walked less than 2 blocks, slipped into a corral and started running about 10 minutes after I left the hotel. This is another of the huge advantages of this race—no energy wasted getting to the race. There seemed to be no one trying to make sure you were in a particular corral. The half and the full start at the same time.
Weather:
The weather was perfect for me; 29 degrees at the beginning and 39 by the end. Unfortunately, there was a good headwind for most of the second half, but that’s how it goes.
Course:
The course is much more interesting than I had expected. It goes through urban, suburban, and park settings. The roads were not in great shape, requiring that you watch your step to avoid turning an ankle. There were also sections on which you are running alongside cars, mostly going in the opposite direction. There were also countless intersections with drivers eager to get the police to let them cross the course. They didn’t, but it was distracting.
Aid stations:
These were plentiful and pleasantly staffed, but not very large or long like in a huge race. They gave out water, Gatorade, and then various gels at some stations.
Crowd:
It was quite cold, and I think that this may have limited the crowd. I felt that aside from the beginning and end, the crowd was a bit thin. The ones who were there seemed happy and a few were handing out beer and Halloween candy.
Race Staff:
Uniformly pleasant and helpful.
Finish Line:
SO happy to be there. There were medals, knit hats, drinks, and food, including nice hot Domino’s pizza. There was a medal engraving booth as well. Unfortunately, there was no BQ bell...
Overall:
This is a great late fall race to try to PR and/or BQ. It’s flat and fast and you can count on nice cool weather. It’s not super crowded, especially after the half marathoners peel off at mile 7. The convenience factor cannot be overstated-the race is literally no sweat.