This is one of the most gorgeous courses I have run, but also one of the hardest for me.

The expo was pretty decent. I felt it was well organized, and there were quite a few fun booths/tables to check out. It was a small(ish) race, so there were no lines to get your bib or shirt. The shirt in and of itself was fabulous... a long sleeve made of quality material. They also offered free KT taping at the expo.

At the start line of the race there was limited parking, so the shuttle bus was recommended. Also, it was a point-to-point race, so the shuttle buses were the best option. I appreciated how they did their bag drop/check... you had the option of leaving the bag on the bus and it would get transported to the finish line, but there were also people there to collect the bags, without any hassle to the runner, right before the race started.

Portaloos were limited. However, they had sections roped off, so you knew which potties were yours to watch for depending on the queue. Kudos on their organization; I was extremely impressed.

The course itself was well marked. There were volunteers everywhere helping to guide runners in the right direction. It was well supported with an aid station every 1.5 to 2.5 miles, not to mention lots of people to cheer you on and encourage you through the tough bits.

Buyer beware though... this was a tough (paved) trail course. I felt the elevation profile on the website was just a touch misleading on the severity of the hills. Some of the hills knocked me for six and left me quite breathless, so be sure to do lots of hill training when preparing for this race... I didn't and I suffered because of it. My bad.

The post-race festivities were fabulous. There was beer, and live music, and food (although I don't know what as I couldn't even think about eating), and lovely volunteers handing out medals at the finish line and making sure you weren't in need of the emergency room.

The scenery was the best, as was the support, organization, and just about everything to do with this race. Do give it a shot if you're ever in the area... just make sure you've nailed your hill training!