Columbus is a big-city race, so be prepared for limited parking, access, etc. We did manage to find a parking lot a few blocks from the start, but there was more walking involved than we might have preferred.

Race corrals were well organized with pacers set up, ready to go. There was a great vibe - lots of people cheering the Ohio State fight song and doing O-H-I-O (Michigan fans, beware!) Course support was great, too. Especially as a new runner - I distinctly remember lots of spots with cheering crowds, signs, etc. One particularly hard part of the course (with a hill) had several people around it.

Scenery was great for a city race - the course takes you into some of the nicer downtown neighborhoods in Columbus (at least it did that year). The start is right downtown, and therefore the finish. Not a boring stretch.

Water stations were fine, more than adequate. There were also space blankets at the finish, along with the usual: bagels, gatorade, bananas, oranges. Spectators couldn't get into the finish chute, but because of the setup in the street, they were able to get pretty close. We just had to figure out another place to meet once I got out of the area - might be a good thing to plan ahead of time with thousands of people and race fatigue. The area a few streets back from the race festivities wasn't terribly crowded, so it should be pretty easy to find a spot to meet on your walk to the start.

The expo was pretty big but nothing terribly special. We did have to walk all the way through the booths of merchandise to retrieve our goody bags. That year, I received a Buff headband in the bag which I still use, some coupons, and maybe a granola bar?

T shirt was a women's specific (!) Nike dri fit T shirt, which I am still wearing 6 years later. Good quality, a bit on the small side, maybe.

If you're in the area, it's a great race - lots of fun, and the town puts on a good party. As you can see, I can remember a lot of the race even several years later - it's well run and a good time.

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