I chose this race to PR big! I was told it's a downhill, beautiful and scenic course.

EXPO/START: The race expo was great. There were a lot of vendors and a great first timers clinic (I highly recommend attending these sessions if it is your first time. They gave so much good information about the course, how to pace it and what to expect). Logistically speaking, everything was perfect. Traffic was light for such a big race getting to the shuttles. Once you are bussed to the top, there are fire pits spread out to keep you nice and warm.

RACE/COURSE: The is downhill yes, but there is also some good uphills thrown in there as well (I'm looking at. you mile 7). I didn't prepare enough for the downhills and by mile 24 my quads were pretty useless and trashed. I've hear a lot of people tout how beautiful and scenic the course is, but not to sound stuck-up, but I didn't find it beautiful of scenic. The scenery is very reminiscent of northern Nevada/California. Brown and sagebrushy. There was one section (maybe visible to about a mile) that showcased some beautiful red rocks, but that was about it. If you're not familiar with Northern NV/CA then perhaps this is beautiful to you. As far as crowd support goes, there were very few spots where people were cheering. There were some at mile 7 (the uphill), but until you hit around mile 23ish, there wasn't much else. I will say that mile 23 and beyond the crowd support was great. There are plenty of aid stations along the course. Some have extra snacks. There aren't a lot of areas for shade along the course and unfortunately, this year was a hot one.

SWAG: I loved the medal and long sleeve tech shirt!

ADVICE: Train for downhills! Mentally prepare yourself for some uphills along the course. If you're a first timer, hit up the first timers clinic at the expo!