Me and my friend who attended the half got to DC Armory in our car and parked it at lot8 which was about 10 mins walk from the expo. We had to show our IDs to get into the expo. The bib and t shirt collection was nicely categorized according to your Bib number and race type. So, we had to note down the bib number before we went there. The expo itself was not great. It was just ok. There wasn't any discounted gear which was surprising as many expos have discounted gear (mostly from last year's stock).

Race Day - Start time 7 am
I took an uber to get to the start line. Dropped of my stuff packed in the gear check bag given during the expo at the UPS truck which was designated for my last name. There were 3 UPS trucks assigned for marathoners and a lot more for half marathoners.

I was at corral 2 and started my race within a few seconds after the elites started. The first 6 miles were easy flat runs around the popular landmarks but the 6th mile steep hill which was like a wake up call which was followed by another 9 miles of mostly flat lands with a few rolling hills. Between miles 14 to 17 were hills which I managed to climb without much effort as I had trained reasonably well during my training. Miles 17 to 22 were super flat along the river. But this is when my legs started to show signs of tiredness. Somehow with all the fueling provided, I managed to get myself to mile 22 without trouble. But at mile 22, I had to encounter the same hills that I encountered from 17-22 but in reverse. The same hills feel way too harder the second time with tired legs. Hence, 22-24 were the hardest stretch and will differentiate between good and expert runners and will expose your hill training effectiveness. The last 2 miles were okay and it was hard for me to sprint the last 2 miles with tired legs. Nevertheless, I finished my first marathon in 3hrs 52 mins.

Special mention: Superb crowds for most of the race. Lot of locals offering free beer, alcohol and muffins. Two thumbs up for the crowds and their cheering.

The race medal was neat and no fuss. Had plenty of water gatorade and chocolate milk post race. There was a goof up when I had to collect my gear because my gear was not in the same truck that I had dropped it at. It was a 15 mins wait while I was shivering in cold only to find out that my stuff was moved to another truck for whatever reason. All runners get 2 free beers post run accompanied by a concert.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this race just to run around DC.