Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Washington D.C. half marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews! (You're already on the site, so that's a good start ;) )

The United Airlines Rock 'n' Roll Washington D.C. half marathon was the first race I ran for BibRave as a new BibRave Pro. I enjoyed my experience at the race. I normally run races in more rural areas, so running in the city is different from my usual routine. As far as scenery, It's a city -- it wasn't breathtaking scenery, but I thought it was pretty awesome to run by the monuments in our nation's capital, and it was fun to see runners taking over the streets of the race. As it's a Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series race, there were bands throughout the course, which was fun. There were also plenty of spectators with signs.

The volunteers were amazing. There were plenty of aid stations, and I got water at each one. The volunteers were friendly and upbeat despite the fact that they had to be cold (I saw on my phone that it was 23 degrees that morning). Despite the number of runners, I didn't have to wait for water at the aid stations and I also didn't have any trouble with having to weave around runners at the start or during the race. I started in Corral 11, and the corrals/staggered start seemed to work very well.

It was clear this was a well-managed race. Runners got plenty of communication from the race officials, including an email about printing out the confirmation form (although if someone forgot/didn't read it, there were more at the expo) and one about the cold weather. The race course was clearly marked and easy to follow.

I live in a very flat area, so I do not run hills often. This course had some rolling hills, but there was one very steep hill at Mile 6. If that hill had not been there, my rating may have been a little bit lower on elevation difficulty, but I basically had to walk up that hill.

I gave the "Parking/Access" category a "4." I know that parking was available for the race, but runners did have to pay for parking, and I didn't really want to risk driving in Washington, D.C., traffic with a race going on and potential road closures, so I decided to ride the Metro in. It worked out perfectly for me, but unfortunately, the Metro was not open early enough for full marathoners. I gave the category a "4" because I do mostly smaller races where you can park very close to the start and not have to pay to get there (I did have to pay for the Metro as well). However, there were Metro stops very close to the start and for the race being in a city, it was easy to get to the start. I also had no trouble getting into the correct corral.

The Health & Fitness Expo was held the Thursday and Friday before the race. Although I did have to wait in line when I got there on Friday, the line moved quickly, and the reason there was a line was that there was security staff using a metal-detecting wand on people and checking bags. I can't complain about wanting to have a safe environment. I was able to get my bib quickly, as well as my shirt. I asked about trading in the shirt for the next size up, but there were not any of that size (women's large) left, so I stuck with the medium. I tried it on and it fits, but the large might have been better. The shirt is a nice short-sleeve tech shirt but doesn't necessarily stand out. After finishing the race, I received a medal with the monuments on it, which is a cool way to commemorate my run in the city.

At the expo, I was also able to get items I needed — Clif Shot Bloks and a Spibelt-like waist pouch — along with some fun photos at photo op stations. The Brooks Running area had something I'd never seen before — you could take a photo, use the hashtag #runhappydc and have your photo printed on the spot.

Once I finished the race, there was a concert going on. There were basic food offerings, such as water, bananas, and granola bars — I did appreciate the chocolate milk in particular. I also had a beer ticket on my bib; however, I had forgotten to bring my ID with me, so I decided not to wait in the beer line as it looked like they were carding (totally understandable; it was my fault for not bringing it — but be sure to bring yours!). I love when there's a great food spread at races, but it's my experience that larger races tend to have the more basic items. There were some food trucks on site, and I bought a couple pieces of pizza.

If you take the Metro, I would also recommend adding extra money to your SmarTrip card ahead of time. With so many people finishing the race around the same time — and I'm sure the cold weather didn't help — there were a bunch of us trying to leave at the same time, so I had to wait in line to load my card.

This was my first Rock 'n' Roll race, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to take part in it.

Read my full recap on my blog: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2017/03/15/rockin-my-first-rock-n-roll-race-in-washington-d-c/