This was my first year running the Revel Rockies Half Marathon. Part of the reason I chose this one was because it was stated it was downhill. Oh, they did not lie!!

Besides a few uphills at the beginning (always a fun start), the rest was a downhill run. Most of it was gradual, but there were some pretty good hill going down.

The expo for pickup was small and besides getting my bib and other necessary items, it wasn't worth the stop. There were some cool "photo booths" to take some photos at.

The morning of the race you had to be shuttled by buses to the start line. Not a big deal but the lot was not organized very well. I was being dropped off and no one had an answer where to do that, so I was dropped off as close as possible to the buses. I ended up having to wait about an hour till race start once at the start line, which was okay, but got a little boring.

The course is BEAUTIFUL, STUNNING, AMAZING!!! This was by far the most beautiful course I have ever run! Aid stations were every couple miles which was helpful since I didn't want to run with a water bottle. The only down fall was the hill at the start and then one right before the finish. Otherwise, it was a great course! There were not a lot of places for people to come to cheer you on so you felt a little lonely at times, but that all changed at the finish line.

The finish line ended in Morrison Park. Normally a nice little park, but with thousands of people it became over crowded. I received my medal and some water and left swiftly. It was too many people crammed into too small of a space. The medal is awesome, huge, and heavy! I might have to give it it's own hook! It was a short walk back to the shuttles, which I didn't use but it was nice coach buses taking you back instead of the school buses they had in the AM.

Overall, it is a great race and very well organized! I would recommend to anyone who loves scenic runs and some good downhills!