There are so many things I could have titled this review. RNR Merida was unlike any rave I have ever run. It was my first international race ever! I was so excited I could barley contain myself pre-race.

The race expo was great. It had souvenirs from the local area, local running gear and items available for purchase, there was run yoga available and live music as well. They even had food you could purchase. They had info about the race start and finish areas and you could ask questions and get all the info you needed. The expo was from 9A-9P. I appreciated the longer hours as we were driving into the city from another part of Mexico.

Race day, I arrived at the start line an hour early. They were still getting things set up and closing roads. Because this was a night race, they didnt close down the roads first thing in the morning. I thought the race was supposed to start at 6pm, but at the start line they said it was starting at 630pm. I am not sure where the disconnect happened.

The course was beautiful. You got to run thru the downtown 'zocalo' of the city (the main square) and by a bunch of historic monuments and statues. The rest of the race we were on the main street that goes thru Merida. It is a beautiful city and I loved the scenery and the fact that the course was flat.

Race conditions were hard for me because I am not from a humid climate. I knew it was going to be hot and humid, and it was. It was 86 degrees and about 85% humidity at 630pm. Thankfully they had TONS of water on the race course. They were actually little bags of water that were probably 12oz and you could take them and either pour them over your head or drink them as you ran. I took at least 1 bag every water stop and also brought my own bottle of electrolytes with me. I would not have made it thru without all this water, so I was glad the race organizers made sure the supply and aid stations were plentiful.

Despite the heat and humidity, the race was very fun. I finished a HOT and SWEATY mess, but it was so worth it. Not only did we get AMAZING race swag, two t-shirts, a bandana, a medal, a water bottle, and other things, there was also the amazing post race concert that featured one of my favorite Mexican rock bands, Cafe Tacuba. It was so awesome to see them live! Plus, I ran the inaugural race in Merida, there is only one of those ever!

While the heat and humidity did make it hard and I asked myself a few times 'what were you thinking' while I was running, I went in as prepared as I could I and did it! The crazy part, I would totally do it again! It wasn't my fastest half marathon ever, but if you were used to these conditions, you could easily PR on this course as it is very flat and easy to run.

The only thing I wished was that there were showers at the finish line. LOL. I know it is wishful thinking, but I was drenched from head to toe, so a quick rinse off would have been wonderful. I did have a change of clothes at least :)

This race was well organized for the most part. Some things could have been better, but I also know it was their first year. I would totally run this race again. It is the best location for a RUN-cation as it is very close to Cancun, MX and you can easily make the drive to the beach, to visit Mayan ruins, and much more.