The race starts on the Congress bridge, right next to the main sponsor, the Austin American-Statesman. Runners head north on Congress Ave., turn right at the state capitol building, and then go onto 15th Street. This is where the main challenge of the race starts. 15th is a steady incline with a massive hill nearing Enfield Rd. The hill is so intense the race has a King/Queen of the Hill challenge to see who has the best splits for that portion!

Once the hill is conquered, runners zoom down the hill (seriously, it's a controlled fall. I've witnessed a few people take a tumble on the downhill) and underneath an overpass to end the 5k. If you're lucky, you'll make it there in time to hear a local school's jazz band playing "Final Countdown" or "Eye of the Tiger" it's a MAJOR boost.

The rest of the race is downhill and flat, as you head down the feeder for MoPac, past Austin High School, and onto Cesar Chavez. Runners turn onto S. 1st street and cross the finish line at Auditorium Shores! Be ready to enjoy the finish line festival which features post-race snacks (water, Nuun, bananas, chips, gatorade, etc.), a kids play area, live music, beer garden, food trucks, local vendors, and tents for those who entered a team.

SUMMARY: Overall, the race is a staple of Austin culture and lifestyle. The course is well-supported with many water stations and TONS of Austinites out cheering. I don't think I passed one section of the race that didn't have someone there cheering for runners. When you pass by houses, people have music playing in their driveway and oftentimes, orange slices and bananas for runners to grab as they go. This year, there were people cooking and handing out bacon on the course! Also, there's lots of costumed runners -- armadillos, bananas, superheros and Queen Elizabeths!

NEGATIVES: So, I only have one negative about the race. But it's a big one. I believe it cost me time and made me miss out on an even better PR. When I got close the end of the chute, still yards away from the timing mats, everyone was at a DEAD STOP. No exaggeration. We were not moving. People were getting angry at me because I continued to push through to cross the timing mat. Yes, lots of people are just there for fun, but this year I have seriously stepped up my training and my time is important to me. I wasn't going to add minutes to my time by stopping and waiting for people to cross. My final time was 1:14:09...I honestly believe I would've gotten at least 1:13-something if the finish had been cleared. So disappointing and something the race director has to fix for next year.