I hate to be so negative on this one - and hopefully it's improved since 2009!

This was one of my earlier marathons. My first marathon was the Marine Corps Marathon and this was really paled in comparison. It was not well organized - the expo did not have standard items (like Gu!) and the volunteers didn't really seem to know anything.

The start line was chaotic and a little terrifying. I am all for girl power, but there was a LOT of estrogen at the start. The decibel level was like 5 octaves higher than a normal race.

The race course is pretty, but very hilly (I have not had to walk in a marathon like this before or since). It hurt my ankles a lot. And it was really hard (ie impossible) for my family to find me on the course. The tracking system didn't work, there was limited to no public transportation. There were not any photographers on the course that I can remember. It was very stressful for my family.

The necklace is nice, I think I got chocolate. But in general, I have to say that what stuck out to me about this race was the lack of organization and a lot of hype that didn't live up to expectations.

But again - this was 6+ years ago!!!