Rock n Roll New Orleans was my second rock n roll race. Originally I was registered for the full marathon, but after having a bit of a challenge mentally with my training I opted to drop down to the half marathon because I wasn't in the mood to train for a full. The weather was gorgeous on race morning and it was a rockin' good time!

EXPO QUALITY: For such a big race, Rock n Roll expos have always left me a little underwhelmed. They have some vendors, but not many. And many of them don't offer that good of a discount. I picked up a few things here but nothing to write home about. I don't have an opinion on parking or access because we stayed in a hotel in the Central Business District and were able to walk to the expo (and everywhere in New Orleans honestly) which was really nice. Everything in that area is within walking distance of most of the major hotels.

I do enjoy that they moved the race date. In 2018 and previously it was the same weekend as Mardi Gras, which I'm sure caused one heck of a cluster in terms of how many people were flooding the city. Since they moved it to early February there is nothing conflicting so its easier to find hotels and food without having a long wait or really hefty prices in my opinion.

SWAG: I don't remember there being that much swag from this race, which again, for a bigger race was kind of disappointing. The full marathoners received a jacket, but it was a lightweight rain jacket which honestly I'd have no use for. The t-shirts are grey and tech material which I never wear so it literally sits in my closet unused. Other than that I don't remember getting much else from Rock n Roll races.

COURSE: I loved the course, I thought it was a nice tour through New Orleans, showcasing much of the city's charm. The most notable parts for me were miles 4-6 which went through some gorgeous tree lined streets with beautiful huge southern homes on them. This was also the stretch where spectators set up aid stations of their own with shots and King Cake so that was a fun part. Also around mile 9 as you're going through the market area they had a huge float and someone dressed up as an alligator so that was fun. Lots of cobblestone on the course so you have to watch your footing but that's the old south. Many southern races have cobblestone as many southern states have an abundance of cobblestone streets.

ELEVATION: I think it was a negative elevation gain haha, New Orleans is actually below sea level so it's super flat. I only remember one mini hill and that was at mile 9 as we went up to the market area.

Rock n Roll is a solid company that puts on good races. The course entertainment is on point and the races are usually a really good event. There are things that could of course be improved upon, most notably the expo and swag (the medals are cool though, although a bit small for what I'm used to in half marathon medals). But the city is charming and it was really nice to be able to get a tour of it on foot! I'd do this one again.