I was searching for a half marathon to do in preparation for the Philadelphia Marathon at the end of November and came across the Trenton Half Marathon. What a well manned and organized race. I was able to pick up my packet on race day which was a huge plus coming from Philly. Parking was easy and readily available. I thought I would have to park on the PA side and walk over, but there was ample parking in NJ. Packet pick up and bag check went smoothly. I have never seen shorter lines at porta potties! What a welcome 'relief' before the race!

The course was relatively flat with a slight uphill grade from miles 8-9. Miles `10-12.5 are crowd supported by outgoing participants for the half marathon. There was a steady stream of cheering during a vital portion of the race. The half ended with a loop around and into the stadium. Here, we circled around the outfield before tearing down the 3rd base line to cheering crowds, our names on the jumbotron and an announcer letting everyone know we finished!

There were a few timing issues for some of the participants (myself included) but they were quickly remedied by the race director. For some reason, my times never came up at the end despite receiving emails for all of my splits. I would advise you check your times after the race at the designated table and talk to someone if the results aren't showing.

The weather was perfect, the refreshments (fully supplied by Wegman's and they definitely do it right!) were flowing and the energy at the race was palpable! There was representation from multiple running groups in the area Black Girls RUN, Black Men RUN, Latina's in Motion just to name a few.

As for the Swag, the medal was pretty standard but did come equipped with a bottle opener, which was a nice addition. The shirt was one of the better ones I have received at a race. It was half zip with thumb holes and interesting coloration. The women's shirt was a teal heather color while the men's was a purple heather. I will have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the single color print (white) on the women's shirt compared to the men's (blue and yellow). I don't know, maybe its just me being picky having worked with a shirt screen printer for years, but having multiple colors printed on a shirt is a huge upgrade!

All in all I would have to give this race 2 thumbs up! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a half marathon, 10k or 5k!

Enjoy the race!