This race is a small local race that benefits a local high school cross-country team. For a local race they do a really good job of putting on a well-organized event. If you are looking for a small and relaxed half marathon in early November, this is a good race for you! Even though the course is hilly, it is possible to PR on this course as my Husband and other running buddies did last year.

The Medal
Being as this race is a fund raiser for a local school's cross country team, I totally understand their medal selection. This race is also very affordable for a half marathon. I signed up 1 week before and it was $38 with fees.
The medal may not be much to write home or blog about, but the race has good intentions. I do wish they would have changed it up a little since the medals are almost exactly the same as last year. The only difference is that last year it said "34" and this year it was "35" for the 35th anniversary.

The Course
This course has rolling hills. These types of hills are good for training because they aren't so steep or drastic that they take everything you've got to complete them, but they are enough to be a good workout. The first 6 miles of the course seem to be the worst of it. From 6-9 the hills lighten up a little. And from miles 9-13 the course seems to level out a bit more and you can push it a little harder. Overall, even though it is kinda hilly, I still really love this course. It doesn't hurt that we get to run by a small airport and watch the planes land as we ran by.

The Swag
There isn't an expo for this race. You pick up your shirt and bib at a local running store. Inside by race packet envelope I did get some dental floss so that was pretty snazzy. Here is a pic of the shirt. This picture doesn't do it much justice because it is actually more of a royal blue which I really like. After the race we were immediately handed a bottle of water by a very enthusiastic volunteer. He was also out on the course and kept things fun when we passed him. The post-race food was decent too. Full sized granola bars and full sized candy bars.

You can find this recap and others on my blog: http://www.rungingerrunblog.com/