PACKET PICK UP/EXPO: Parking was a breeze. Tons of space so there was no need to wait for a spot or to get out of the area. There were free socks and buffs available when we first walked in. The expo itself was pretty small but had quality items. Packet pick up was a breeze -- listed alphabetically so if it were crowded, the lines wouldn't have been a big issue. But I there were only a few people there for the packets so it didn't take long.

SWAG: The swag was just the tank but it's a nice, fitted dry fit tank. I definitely will be getting some use out of it! I'd much prefer this than a shirt with a bunch of little knick knacks.

PRE RACE: We were only about 6 blocks from the event so we didn't have to drive. Gear check, VIP, etc weren't clearly marked from what I could see so I followed the crowd. They did have an information booth near the building so it would've been a quick fix, if needed.
VIP was great - coffee, nice table settings (with candy), free breakfast items (bagels, muffins, gatorade, water) and separate gear check. We also had our own bathrooms to use as well.

AID STATIONS: The longest distance between them was about 2 miles so many went without their own hydration packs/handhelds. I carried my own just so I can drink when I wanted to. The aid stations were organized and several had cheer groups as a competition. Most were water and gatorade; I don't remember anything else being offered.

COURSE: Bucky was at the start with part of the marching band! Loved that. It is Madison so expect hills! I enjoyed them but I personally like running hills. I loved running through the city sights and in most areas, there were people cheering us on! I believe the only part where it was quieter was around the Arboretum.

POST: The PR bell is right past the finish so you can ring it right away as soon as you receive your medal Or before, depending on your priorities! ;) The post-race handouts included water bottles, cups of gatorade, bananas, popcorn and gatorade. The spectators are AMAZING near the finish - and you will see a lot of finishers walking back to cheer on fellow runners on the course.

14th mile post-race party: This was the place to be. With VIP, we had unlimited beer and food (chicken, brats, potato salad, muffins, cookies, gatorade and water) and our separate area on the terrace. We went out to the area where most of the runners were - band was playing and the big chair on the terrace was a popular photo op spot!

The positives outweigh cons: confusion over VIP. There was a separate booth that had these stickers and not sure if there was miscommunication that caused us to not have them already on the bibs. But all that was needed was going to the help booth and they placed it on our bibs.

They ran out of medals towards the end, though they did have notes for the runners apologizing for this and that the medals will be mailed out as soon as they get them in.

Overall, awesome race. I would definitely recommend this - and run it - again.