This was my first full marathon and even though I had some serious blisters that lead to severe knee pain and a less than desired race, the event itself was well done.

Expo - The smaller sized expo had lots of offer without the crowds to fight or parking woes of others. Held at the local community center, there was plenty of parking and good deals to be had on running shoes.

Overnight - Hotel options were plentiful with choices near the start and finish. From the official race hotels you had to take a shuttle to the start and back from the finish. There was also an option to park your car at the finish and shuttle to the start only. Another option was to park at the start and find a ride back to fetch your car since a shuttle would not be provided for this. I chose to stay only a few miles from the start and get dropped off then picked up at the finish and it worked well for me since I'm big into routine and didn't want to get up extra early after loosing an hour of sleep to daylight savings to sit on a shuttle or in the park.

Start - The start in Newport New Park was great. Runner drop off was around a circle that kept traffic moving in and out the park's entrance. Short term parking was a little further in but right next to permanent restrooms with water fountains. With the race's small size, there were plenty of Port-a-Potties available and a variety of spaces to get warmed up. There had been some rain so the grass was a little muddy but pavement and paths worked out well. I didn't gear check but it looked under control without any back-ups for the single truck. Corrals were marked by estimated per mile time and we went off right on time after a solid national anthem. I will note the race was on the same day daylight savings started so we were all running an hour short on sleep. I'm not sure if this will occur regularly but it didn't bother me especially since it meant one less hour to fuel for!

Course - The course starts in the park with wide paths and lots of shade. You then head out onto the roads where you get the entire right side. Even though it's only one or two lanes wide, the small race size makes for little traffic over the entire course. There's some nice scenery as well as some regular old city stuff. You get to run through a second park on a paved road for about a mile (around 17) that's a little uneven and littered with gravel but at least it's not actually gravel. The first half has some small hills and the second is is flatter. This year was an overcast day but even if the sun had been out there are a few nice shady breaks. All in all, it's a solid one with lots of running room and plenty of opportunities to take the tangents at any corner or bend and I'm a big fan of point to point courses that don't have a serious headwind the whole way.

Course Support - Water stops every two miles each had Port-a-Potties, water, Gatorade and cheerful volunteers. Gels were available at Mile 14 and 20. Relay exchanges were the most enthusiastic spots aside from the finish but there were pockets of people out cheering scattered through the 26.2 miles. If you're one who needs or likes lots of crowd support or is used to training with a big group, you might get lonely. The long stretches of solo time make the marathon's mental challenges a bit tougher so be prepared to bring a buddy, portable music or, like me, just turn your mind off and keep moving.

Finish - The finish comes right around a corner and is packed with screaming supporters. It's a great way to wrap up a race. The chute sends you into a big runner only area that houses medical tents, medal and Gatorade bearing volunteers, pikes of bananas, protein bars, bottled waters and light weight finisher jackets to keep you warm.

After Party - I didn't make it to the after party with my mangled feet screaming in pain but it looked good. There were food trucks, free beers and like the race course, the small after party size meant there was lots of room to move around and plop down to stretch if you were in the mood. If you aren't parked in advance at the finish or have someone parking to come meet you as you cross, make sure they give enough lead time. Navigating to the parking lots can be tough with street closures and it might be a few blocks walk to reach the right spot afterwards.

Swag - Long sleeve tech shirts, big nice finisher medals and a surprise finisher jacket instead of a heat sheet are all great. If you're looking for a bunch of samples or free goodies at the expo, this isn't the one for you. If you're like me and just want to basics, it's perfect.

I definitely recommend the One City Marathon. The small size, great organization, nice swag and spacious course all make for one fun event.