Packet pick-up the day before the race was a smooth and easy process. No issues with parking and the packet pick-up went quick and efficiently. There were a few booths set-up but nothing major. As for race morning, getting to the race was a hassle. The traffic was backed up on the highway and cars were all trying to get to the same area of the city at once. I was able to get to the starting line on time but I had a brief moment of panic! Once the race got going it was all smooth running until about mile 3 and that's when the hills started. You would climb up a very large hill into the neighborhoods by the Lakefront and then do various out and back loops. The first half wasn't too bad. Then, you circled back into the city (my GPS watch went a little crazy and lost signal) and continued to do these long out and back loops with hills about a half a mile to a mile long. It was a very challenging course, especially in the second half of the race. The finish was exciting and the crowd was great. I especially liked the race t-shirt as they had both men's and women's cut. The aid stations were perfectly spaced a part and there were lots of volunteers on the course. I would recommend this race to someone who wants a good marathon experience. I would not recommend this race to someone looking for a big PR.