Registration: Registration was a piece of cake! I received a free registration from BiBRave as part of being a BibRave Pro, however when I registered the prices were still fairly inexpensive. As it gets closer to the race online registration prices increase. It is possible to register onsite at the expo, but I believe it was almost $175+ to register for the half marathon.

Expo: The expos seem to be getting smaller...there were still a fair amount of vendors, but I missed some of my favorite brands that were there the past two years.

Swag: All runners received a short sleeved technical shirt that was navy this year. I am SO happy Rock n' Roll decided to go back to city specific t-shirt and medal designs instead of the standard boring ones they had last year. The medal this year was amazing! So much fun! Rock n' Roll medals are always amazing and this one definitely didn't disappoint.

Start Line: There was a wave start that I expected to take much longer than it actually did. I was in one of the last corrals and crossed the starting line 25 mins after the official start. Everything seemed to move a lot faster and smoother than in previous years.

Course: There was a major course change this year. Rock n' Roll said it was "new and improved." I generally liked the change, but I honestly think I liked the old course better. I loved running by Eastern State Penitentiary. So creepy and gorgeous at the same time! Since the beginning part of the race was through the city, there was great crowd support. Awesome bands, per usual, with a few more added along the river. There weren't any real hills and everything was flat. The only incline that I remember was at the very end to get to the finish line.

Aid Stations: There was an aid station every 1.5 miles (or so). There were well stocked with water at every station and Gatorade at every other station. There was at least 2 stations with gels and everything was still fully stocked as I passed through. The volunteers at the stations were so wonderful and encouraging.

Other: The weather this year was gorgeous, slightly sunny with little humidity. And this year I had the pleasure of trying to park downtown. Rock n' Roll posted a list of places to park and worked with SpotHero to make sure you had a spot. I reserved mine well in advance, got to the garage and was told it was full. After a little arguing and showing the attendant my pass multiple times, he finally let me park. It was a bit stressful though! Make sure you leave plenty of time to get around on race day if you're driving since there are a lot of road closures as well!