This was a FUN, well-planned race in the city of San Diego. The crowds were supportive, the course was tough, but it was definitely a great value and a great time.

Pros
- The expo was awesome. It was really easy to look up my bib number, swap my tshirt size, and then go and mingle around the vendors. So many samples and freebies, I didn't even know what to do with it!
- Swag. For $100 less than the price of the Chicago Marathon, I got a long sleeve shirt, a race tshirt, an awesome medal, AND a finishers jacket. Holy moly. They are all made of good quality (Brooks) material too. And a free concert! The value for the registration fee is awesome.
- Start corrals seemed well placed. Most of the people I started with (with the exception of a few) had a similar pace as me. I was up towards the front so I can't speak towards the later corrals, but I know some people were frustrated with having to start at the same time as the half marathoners.
- The cheering on the course was fabulous! I was a lone soul for a lot of the race, and people we so kind to cheer me on and single me out. It really helped when I was struggling through some of the miles.
- The blue mile commemorated soldiers who have lost their life fighting for our country. This was really special and put everything in perspective for me.

Cons
- Parking at the expo was expensive and a bit of a nightmare. I think they could organize this a bit better next time around or provide off site parking and shuttles.
- There definitely needs to be more port o potties at the start line. I had to wait 25 minutes to use a bathroom and sprinted to my corral to make the start time afterwards.
- The course itself is not very scenic. A lot of the time is spent running through neighborhoods and by houses that all look the same.
- THAT HILL. On mile 22-23 we had to trudge up 163 for what felt like forever. Having a hill this steep at that point in the race is just mean. Everyone was struggling. It made the finish that much sweeter.
- There was a huge bottleneck at the finish line. It took forever to get through the crowds and over to the finish festival. Runners were mingling with family right at the finish and it was difficult to navigate.