This was my first time running Surf City and I really enjoyed it. and am sure I will be back! I stayed at an Airbnb about 2 miles from the race because I had planned on taking a few extra days to relax at the beach and the hotels are rather pricey. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. I did get some time walking along the beach but not as much as I would have liked. Anyway, back to what I though of the race.

Race organization: There were quite a few emails leading up to the race with all the information you could want/need which was much appreciated since I was coming from out of state and had never participated in this race before.

Expo: I thought the expo was decent sized but I did not like that they have quite a few vendors that had nothing to do with running or fitness. I would have liked to see a few more options as far as shoes. I am in need of a new pair and would have bought one had there been more vendors with more options. The expo was set up very nice and easy to navigate. Packet pick up went very smooth and they even had a shirt exchange in case yours didn't fit. That is a huge plus in my book!

Parking: During the expo there was free parking right near the expo. It was raining pretty hard that day so that was a bonus to park close. Race day parking was not bad. There were hotels that offered parking but the $40 was a bit steep so we found metered parking on the street and paid $10. We were only a few blocks from the race so it was nice for a pre race warm up.

Race and Course: I prefer an early start time so I had wished that the half marathon would have started earlier. I know some people run both the 5K and the half but if it would have been sunny or warmer it would have been an issue for me starting that late. The corrals have a time listed but as we all know most people do not start in the corral that they should so for a bit it was tough getting around people who were slower. I know there is nothing the race can do to prevent that unless you have to show proof of time and then the corrals would have to be assigned as well. The course had beautiful ocean views and it was primarily flat. There were a few areas that got a bit congested so it was a bit slow moving. There were a few inclines/rolling hills that I was not prepared for because the description said the course was flat. But it really was not bad. There is not a lot of crowd support but the volunteers and the other runners/walkers made for a fun race.

Aid Stations: For most of the race the aid stations were great! They had plenty of water and Nuun as well as honey stinger gels but, towards the end they seemed to have less volunteers manning the stations. I am slow but there were still a lot of runners/walkers behind me yet.

Swag: You got a cool bag which was decent sized. The surfboard medal is one of my favorites! I like the v-neck tech shirt we received and blue is my favorite color so I was very happy with the color. The post race food was the usual, bananas, pretzels, protein bars, fruit cups and chocolate milk! Plus they had the sand bar (beer garden) which was perfect for after the race. I always love a beer when I am done with a race. They also had a great band and I wish I would have stuck around a bit longer.

Overall I really enjoyed this race and it is one I would highly recommend. I am hoping to run this one again.