This is one of my favorite races of the year without a doubt. This was the 10th year the race has been put on (and the 2nd time that I've run it). It was a bit warmer (and humid) than last year, so I was expecting to run it much slower, but I did OK in the end.

Most of my races this year have been much longer distances, so it was a little refreshing to be racing a shorter distance for a change.There were no pacing groups that I saw, but you don't really need it for this distance.

I always love running through the streets of Durham. The buildings provided some shade from the sun and there was a nice breeze at times which helped me to stay cool. The route has some hills, but nothing too steep or long. Strava reports around 300 ft elevation gain for it.

The atmosphere before and after this race is one of the best around. It's just buzzing. After the race, in the finishers area, you could grab some Beer, Nuun, Beer, Smoothies, Fruit, Beer, Granola bars, and samples from other vendors.

Being able to browse the farmer's market after and hit up some food trucks at the food truck rodeo is just another bonus and a great way to experience Durham, North Carolina.

The t-shirts are great. Thankfully this year I actually ordered the correct size when I registered, The medal is functioning cowbell -- I only have room for a few of these. :-)

There's only a couple of races I sign up for the minute registration opens, and this is one of them.