The communication leading up to the race was poor. A week before the race it still said that the expo and packet pick up info would be updated in June. The first time I saw the update was the Wednesday before the event.

I opted to pick up my bib at the expo on Saturday morning. The expo was two or three tents which may have been due to the cold and rainy weather. I didn't spend any time walking around it.

My packet included a tech shirt and two forms for other races. There was also a 13.1 sticker that I was really excited about until I realized it said Key West Half Marathon on it. So I guess I will have to run that one eventually.

I got to the race early to find parking, but it wasn't marked so I mostly just guessed at a parking lot. There wasn't much to do before the race started. There was a band but the songs, though good, were a little too mellow for my taste before a race.

When we lined up, the starting area was not organized by estimated finish time or really by anything. Luckily the race was very far from full so the chaos wasn't as bad as it could have been.

The course itself doubled back a lot and sent us through trailer parks. Eventually it sent us through unlit trailer parks after dark, which was far from comforting. I think I ran extra fast though, so there is a silver lining.

There were also no mile markers. Actually someone said there were mile markers but they were still piled up by the start line throughout the race. I hadn't planned on using my tracking app because I wanted to take it easy, but I am glad I did or I would have had no idea how far I had gone at any point.

The water stations were decent. There were plenty offering water and Accelerade. None offered GU or food of any type and I did not notice any medical assistance stops.

The course was, unfortunately, not marked or manned very well and it was easy to get off course. I ended with a distance of 14.5 and many runners ended up significantly under distance (by 2 miles or so). The course was also not closed to traffic which was pretty scary. I ended up running in the mud on the side of the road a few times to avoid road ragey drivers.

At the finish line I was handed a HUGE medal and a bottle of water. Unfortunately that was it. All the pizzas had been eaten and there was no sign of the promised doughnuts. I finished in just under 2.5 hours so I was nowhere near the 4 hour cutoff.

There was nowhere for runners to get/stay warm so spectator support was pretty slim at the end as well.

Overall it was a disappointing experience though I did have a good run and met some great people.

I do want to end with a few positives:
The course was mostly flat with just enough hills to keep it interesting.
The volunteers were AWESOME! Super friendly and encouraging.
They are posting all the pictures on their Facebook! Free pics are always a plus.
The medal and shirt are great!

Want a more detailed review? Visit my blog recap: http://seejessrun711.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-spooky-and-not-in-good-way-halloween.html