My friend and I arrived early Saturday morning for the 10K and stayed for the Half Marathon (on Sunday). We attended the Expo at Sports Basement to pick up our race goodies. The Expo was super organized with stations for bib, long sleeve half-zip, and wine (for half marathoners and marathoners) pickup. There were few vendors throughout the store and plenty of race swag for sale. Sports Basement had sale and extra discount for racers so there was plenty to look at and purchase.

We stayed at a hotel close to the race start so we walked over to the race Sunday morning. We arrived about 45 minutes before the race, checked our gear, and connected with friends. Gear check was amazingly organized with a crew of volunteers so it went smoothly.

The half marathon started promptly at 7:30 AM. The race announcer was energetic and enthusiastic, bringing energy to the morning crowd. We were assigned to Corral D and were set to start 5 minutes after Corrals A-C. The Half Marathon course took us around downtown Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa Creek Trail, and the Prince Memorial Greenway. The course was flat with the exception of a few underpasses along the Santa Rosa Creek Trail. Cones along the roads clearly marked the race path in the downtown area and mile markers were visible at each mile. Most of the race course was on road and paved path with the exception of 2 miles of gravel (miles 5-7). The half marathoners shared the last 5 miles with the marathoners. I enjoyed seeing the 3-4 hour marathoners finishing the course, looking as fresh as ever.

There was one race photographer along the course and a couple photographers at the finish. The photos were uploaded quickly and we received a link to view and purchase photos a few hours after our finish. We loved that the photo package was $10.99 (for all of your photos along the course). What a deal!

We received a medal at the finish along with water, fruit, and sweet treats! We checked in gear at the start of the race and liked that there was no line at the end to pick up our gear.

The after party was fun with a few food trucks (including shaved ice!) and awesome music! We hung around to enjoy our treats and watch the awards ceremony. Everyone got a beer ticket with the bib, so beer fans were enjoying beers after the race.