I've always wanted to run in this race but never had the time. This year I took advantage of a great sale that came about after the group that runs the Rock'n'Roll series was sold and got in for $50!

Anyway, I read a lot of reviews and took heed of the warnings to go to the expo on the first day, the Thursday before the Saturday race instead of on Friday. That's because the expo is on Hutchinson Island which is just across the river from the main drag in Savannah. There are only two ways to access it, either by ferry or via the Highway 17 bridge. If you go during peak hours on the Friday before the race, it can take you up to two hours to cross the bridge! No thank you.

So we went on Thursday and breezed in. The expo was nice and really reminiscent of the three other Rock'n'Roll races we have done (Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego). We got our bibs and shirts with no problem and then checked into our hotel.

We chose the Courtyard by Marriott because it is less than a mile from the start at Bay and Bull streets and maybe a half mile from the finish at Forsyth Park. This made access really easy and convenient. Plus the staff at the hotel were very accommodating and great.

This year because of weather concerns the start of the race was held ten minutes earlier than scheduled (7:20 a.m. instead of 7:30). The corrals were packed but not too crowded when the race started. The first five miles were in a kind of industrial area. The only hill in this section is an overpass you climb at maybe the first six-tenths of a mile.

Then after Mile 5 you are in the downtown area and the surface here is brick, which is a little different from road asphalt. There were lots of bands at various intervals and the water/Gatorade stations were great. There are a few small rises after Mile 12 leading to the finish.

Everything was great in this year's race. It's a nice flat course but of course the weather can throw a huge wrench in the process.