Expo
The expo was easy to navigate. Campus was a little crowded on Saturday, but there was plenty of parking when I got there. It was so fast to get my bib and shirt. There weren’t a ton of vendors, but I did manage to pick up some fuel and a pair of running shorts at a rad discount, so I am happy about that.

Start Line
The start line logistics were really well laid out on the race site. I stayed at the recommended hotel, which was about a 10 minute walk to the finish line. From the finish line I picked up a shuttle to the start line, which was easy to find. At the start there were plenty of portapotties and water/nuun to get you hydrated for the start. There weren’t multiple corrals—it was a smaller race, so they wouldn’t have been necessary—but the pacers were well-identified and that made it easy to slot myself in at my expected pace.

Race Course
The course was fairly flat—some smaller ups and downs—and had plenty of turns to keep your mind busy. There were a handful of smaller out-and-backs with hairpin turns, which aren’t my favorite, but did provide me with multiple chances to interact with fellow runners, which is a nice morale boost at mile 10!

The course winds through the Rutgers Campus, including a loop back through the start line, which made it really easy for my fiancé to spectate and catch me multiple times during the race, which I always love.

Finish
The finish line was a burst of energy! A small band was playing us in at mile 13, which was a great push through the last .1.

And, most importantly, thanks to Rutgers Unite, I know have my new favorite post-race snack: A salted soft pretzel. They were passing them out at the finish and I can’t even begin to tell you how much it hit the spot. ALL OTHER RACES, TAKE NOTE: Soft pretzels. I’m telling you, you won’t regret it.

Overall
Overall, I had a really nice weekend in NJ! It was a fun race, a nice sized crowd--I'd recommend the race for any east coasters looking for a nice small Half.