If you want a scenic race in Seattle, then this is it! However, with Seattle scenery comes Seattle hills. The course has a fun start right at the base of the Space Needle. The entire freeway is blocked off so there is plenty of room to avoid other runners in the beginning (this is important since there are quite a few half marathoners). The next chunk of the course is along a trail that get a little narrow, but is after the half marathoners split. Once you get to Gasworks Park, it's time to get ready to gut out the uphill climb back across the water and to the finish. I was running with a pack of five other guys and this is where we all started falling off. I was still able to PR, but fell 2 minutes short of the coveted BQ. All-in-all, it was a gorgeous course, I just wish there was a way to avoid the incline at the end.

The swag was pretty standard for this event. The long-sleeve race shirt is one of my go-tos for training in slightly cooler conditions. Other than that, there weren't a ton of extras.

The aid stations were spaced out accordingly for such a race. The only critique I would have is that it was a little difficult to find gu, so be sure to bring your own! Other than that, they had plenty of water and Gatorade within reach.

Parking in any city can be challenging. I stayed at the sponsoring hotel, so it was a nice 1 mile jog to the start. There is also street parking nearby if you are lucky enough to snag a spot.

Overall this was a very fun and well organized race. If you want to run through Seattle and are willing to brave the hills, then this is the one for you!