The various reasons to run the Washington DC Rock & Roll marathon.
1. As a marathon in March, it is a perfect race for many of those (like myself) who live in the snowy Northeast, Midwest and Northwest respectively. A March race forces you/one to keep training through the winter months instead of hibernating, keeping you well trained and toned throughout the year, meaning that when majority of the races in Spring start, you shall be ahead of those who didn't train through the winter. It was a relatively cool 50 degrees on average in 2016 but it was below freezing some years before so just beware.
2. If you are doing the 50 marathons in 50 states challenge, this is probably one of the only two marathons held in Washington DC proper (The other is the Bikila memorial marathon in September) that you can use to cross the District of Columbia off your list if that's your wish! You can also pay for a 3 city 'Global Tour pass' which enables you to run for 3 races in any rock 'n' roll event worldwide and the 'unlimited' global tour pass which allows you to run in any of the rock 'n' roll races worldwide. This may be a money saver in the 50 marathons in 50 states challenge instead of paying for individual fees for individual city races.
3. The capital city is a must-visit for out-of-towners and residents alike. A runner could take advantage of this marathon to visit the White House and the many monuments and historical sites.
4. As a large city, accommodation, transport to and from the city and other amenities are available. It is an expensive city to stay, travel and dine in, so be warned.
5. It is one of the more picturesque races you shall run in. You get to start in downtown DC and run through the streets and see the monuments while running. You also get to run through some DC neighborhoods and then finish close to the DC Armory, close to the soccer stadium.
6. As a rock 'n' roll event, they have musical entertainment at various places during the race itself and there is entertainment at the finish line tent.
7. They offer a finisher jacket in addition to a finisher medal, which is quite nice.

Reasons not to run the Washington DC Rock & Roll Marathon.
1. This is the only major reason I could think of. It's a very hilly race! Its the hilliest race I have ever run! You need to see and run those hills to experience it. This race caters for the half-marathoners. Full marathoners are an afterthought. This is definitely an ironman worthy run if that's your type of thing. The hills from mile 16 and 22 are Everest steep! It's not the ideal race to try and get a PR (personal record) or BQ (Boston Qualifier) as your finishing time shall be significantly slower than your other finishing times. There is another race in Washington DC (Bikila memorial marathon) that is held in September which may be less hilly.
2. Full marathoners and half marathoners start at the same time, slightly contesting the start line. I don't mind running with half marathoners, some people do. However, the corrals solve this problem somewhat.

The Expo.

⁃ If you can, (and are traveling from out of state/town) drop your bags in the hotel room/host's house before coming to the expo. The expo is quite exhausting if you bring in your heavy luggage. (Like I did) There is also security at the entrance that checks the bags and the security lines are long.
⁃ Don't try to come late on Friday evening. (The last day) Get your bib as early as possible. The lines were impossibly long on Friday evening and traffic towards the DC armory and parking was a nightmare!
⁃ If you are raising money via St Jude's and made a pledge, you pick your bib from a separate St Jude's booth. As I was passing by, I saw a runner who hadn't fully paid up their contribution pledge and they wouldn't release their bib until all the pledges were paid off.

Getting to the expo.
The expo is held on two days, Thursday and Friday. I went to the expo on Friday, March 11, 2016. You can get to the expo in quite a number of ways; driving (and looking for parking, very rare and expensive in DC) taxi/über/lyft or using the Metro Bus/subway system. Use travel apps (google maps, maps on Apple/Android) to map out your route for Thursday and Friday (but not Saturday as the metro operates differently on race day) if using the DC metro or bus system. Buy a smart card and load it with $20-25 (more if you'll do more traveling) if you are just going to the expo, hotel room/home, starting line next day and from the finish line back to your hotel/home. It's easier than fumbling for cash and in some stations, you might not be able to get in with cash and without the card. It simplifies your life. It's easier to use the metro subway but you can also use the bus. I took bus #96 from Union Station and bus # 97 from the Armory, which buses bring you within 3 minutes of the entrance to the armory. The exit is 'Stadium Armory Station', junction of 19th St and Capitol Street stop. The stop is a big stop. From Union Station, take the buses to 'Capitol Heights' station and from 'Station/Armory Station' take the bus to Union Station. The DC subway uses a system where you pay at the end of the ride at the subway exit.

This is the largest expo I have ever been part of. It is held in the DC Armory, the size of a football field or two! The expo is quite organized. This is where you get reminded that the Rock 'n' Roll is a for profit organization. Insurance companies, car companies, athletic apparel companies, sports nutrition, food vendors, you name it, all vendors are represented. Some people take offense to this type of commercialism but it doesn't faze me one bit. The positive side is that you can purchase all your running gear and refueling nutritional products here.

All full marathon bibs and goodie bags have to be picked up on Thursday and Friday as there is no Saturday race day pickup. There are friendly staff members ready to direct you to the spot you want to go to.

The goodie bag. Picking up the marathon bib and bag is really easy. You go downstairs and pick up the bib number. Bring your ID and your signed completion sheet that was sent to your final confirmation email a few days before the race. Once you check your bib number, pick up the bib and pins and pick up the clear marathon bag that already has your t-shirt in there. You can change your corral placement while there. The t-shirt was an official Brooks t-shirt which could be used in your regular training runs as it is moisture wicking. The bag has quite a number of fliers/pamphlets and a few tiny sachet samples. Once you are done with the bib and t-shirt pickup from downstairs, you then go up the steps and get to the expo proper.

Getting to the marathon on Saturday morning

*Make sure that, if possible, you have a running pouch/belt/armband that can accommodate your Metro card/Smartcard, hotel/car keys, credit/debit card, money and your ID. This is because, after the race, you'll need your ID to get your free/complimentary beer at the finish line. You'll also need a place to store your various cards to use when going to the start line (metro card) and so forth.

⁃ Public transportation. The DC metro is probably the quickest way to get to the start (it was 14th and Constitution avenue) 'Federal Triangle' stop on the DC Metro. Most people were catching the metro that Saturday morning. There may have been a change of schedule to have the metro trains run earlier than usual in response to the race.
⁃ catching a cab/uber/lyft or driving to the start line is very tricky. Make sure you start your journey way before time. Many streets close to the start and finish line are closed and security is on full alert at the start and finish lines. You may have to walk farther than usual if this is your preferred mode of transportation.

Checkpoint, dressing, clear bag and corral

⁃ Security in DC is quite beefed up on this day. The police are everywhere, a reassuring thought especially after the Boston marathon terrorist attack. By 6.00 am when I got there, the security points were already opened and the security staff were only allowing the clear bags and checking them. Once past the checking point, you will have to walk a bit far, more than a block away/half mile to the UPS trucks where the bags are stored. Some bananas were on the way for those who may like to load up on their carbs and potassium. Once you get to the UPS trucks, your last name initial will determine which truck your bag will be placed in by the UPS staff. You just need to tear off one of the tags from the bib to the goodie bag for identification/location purposes. There was a row of porta Johns close to the start point but as in all major races with a multitude of people, there will be long lines, so come early if you are the kind of people who use porta Johns a lot or need to use it before the race. Please bring/carry your own tissue paper just in case.
⁃ Dress up warmly for the time before the marathon. It was about 40-50 degrees in 2016. Use old clothing, an old hoodie/sweatshirt and pants that you can discard on the roadside while running. They donate discarded clothing to charity. On the course, I saw expensive brand name 'new' or slightly used clothing discarded and I felt bad for the people who had discarded the newish clothes. I think the generally agreed upon 'Dress up for the race and add 10-20 degrees' applies here. The temperatures in 2016 never went above 50, which made for perfect running weather!

⁃ Corrals. During registration, the runner chooses a corral based on their estimated finish time. (You can change your corral at the expo. This enables there to be spacing as it is a huge event with an estimated 20,000 plus runners. If you are trying to chase a time or don't want to be held behind by slower runners, you can be at the very front of your coral. As you run the race, you'll realize that being at the front of the coral might not really matter as I'll explain in a moment...

The start upto the 13.1...

The race started on time and the announcements were clear and concise. Due to the large amount of runners, depending on what coral you are placed, you might not start racing for several minutes as they space up the runners. They don't enforce the no earphones/headphones rule. I don't think that it is an issue anymore, used to be an issue in some races a few years ago...

The start of the race from the National Museum of American History takes you towards the Washington Monument onto Rawlings park. On Mile 2, you are past the Reflecting pool and you can see the Lincoln memorial. You then cross the Potomac River on the Arlington Memorial Bridge as you get to mile 3 for an out and back. Mile 4 finds you on the Watergate complex past the JFK Center for performing arts. Once you approach mile 5, there is a steep hill on Rock Creek Parkway that will sap quite a bit of your energy and slow you down. From mile 6 to 8, you start approaching the DC neighborhoods and on mile 8 you are in Columbia Heights. The crowds get larger here and they provide the emotional boost, much needed after the mile 5 hill. Mile 8 and 9 takes you past Pleasant Plains and Mile 10 brings you back to downtown DC, with the Capitol Building in front of your view way ahead. It's a long straight stretch where you can gauge your running and determine if your pace is working well. Mile 11 brings you close to the Washington Union station and then you head off to Lincoln park for mile 12.

The 13.1 to the 22 mile

Mile 13 takes you towards the State Capitol building. Mile 14 finds you close to Folger park. The scenic route is over for now and you enter the more gritty roads of the marathon with fewer crowds. Mile 15 brings you to the Nationals Park before taking you to another out and back for mile 16 and 17. This place has some industrial look to it and you do meet runners who are ahead of you and runners who are behind you. Both a source of heartache and solace.

After mile 17, you cross the Anacostia River to go to the Anacostia park after mile 18. Get ready for the toughest part of the marathon, a dream killer, where your PR and BQ dreams come to die! The hills are so steep many runners simply choose to walk up the hills! Once you are done running (or walking) up the hills, you then come to another in and out at mile 20, close to the river into the park. I don't get why they make these hills part of the marathon route. Maybe they want to give the marathon a 'tough' image, being that the marathon was formerly the National marathon and was associated with the military. You will find quite a number of military banners and a lot of support for the military by spectators.

Mile 22 to Mile 26.2

Mile 22 to the finish line is an absolute test of strength, both physical and psychological, after the punishing hills. Mile 23 cuts through the Fort Dupont park and as you approach mile 24, you approach the Greenway neighborhood. A straight stretch takes you to mile 25 where you run a circle and now approach the Anacostia River towards the finish line. The crowds are larger here after running through the various parks and once past the river, the Robert Kennedy Stadium (DC United soccer stadium) is in sight at mile 26. The finish is close to the DC armory, a familiar sight, where the expo was held the day/s before the marathon.

Treats After The Marathon...

Once past the finish line, there is an official photographer who takes a post run picture of you. A volunteer hands you a finisher medal. Ask one of them to take a picture of you if you have been running with your smartphone and you do not have anyone close to the finish line, just like I did. As you keep walking from the finish line, you are offered bottled water, Gatorade and chocolate milk for rehydration. There are bananas and pretzels too.

It's then time to collect your marathon clear bag from the UPS trucks. They place the bags under your last name and bib number so the bags are easy to retrieve.
⁃ once you pick up your goodie bag, you then go back to the main tent to pick up your marathon finisher jacket. You are allowed to wear a sample one before picking your jacket but for some reason, they don't allow you to exchange the jacket once you have picked it up. You have to tear off a tab from your bib to get the jacket.
⁃ There is also a place where they give you a free alcoholic beer. You need ID and be over 21 to enter the enclosed place. They are very strict about the ID. No ID no entry!
⁃ There is a lot of entertainment at the finish line with featured bands playing live music.
⁃ Leaving for home/hotel is easy. Since you were at the expo the day or two before, you shall use the same station to go back to your respective hotel. Use the smartcard if possible. The metro is crowded but you'll be in the company of other runners so there will not be any awkwardness. There are regular trains so the wait is not as bad.

The Race Photos

The race photos were processed by marathonphoto. The race photos were ready after about 3-4 days which was very impressive. The photos are pricey and budget wise are not for the faint hearted but the memories are well worth it. The photos capture you at various stages of the race and at the finish line.