What could be more fun than running a scenic half marathon and learning about bourbon all in the same weekend!?

With this being our first time to participate in the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon, my husband and I sprang for the VIP packet pick-up, and we are very thankful that we did. It was located inside the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in downtown Louisville. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Lisa and Julie from the Louisville Sports Commission. They had us checked in with our packets within minutes of walking into the VIP Bar. This allowed us plenty of time to socialize, nibble on the tasty hors d’oeuvres, and have a complimentary bourbon cocktail before the guided tour of the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience facility (which was also complimentary). It was by far the most pleasant packet pick-up experience that I have encountered for any run.

I was a little concerned about there only being one start corral, but it was very well organized, and I had no problem getting into the area of the corral that I wanted to start from. Overall, the participants were very courteous in the order that they entered the corral...with those who were planning to run slower or walk staying towards the rear to allow faster runners towards the front.

We were surrounded by picturesque fall foliage throughout the course. The hills around miles 5 through 7 were pretty extreme, but they were manageable. The time lost running uphill was countered by the faster downhill pace.

The finish area was not overly crowded, and they had plenty of refueling food and beverages. The Bourbon Bash on the Belvedere was the post race party. It included even more food, bourbon & beer tastings, a live band, and an upbeat group of runners and organizers to chat with.

There are no negatives that I could come up with for the overall experience. I look forward to participating again in 2016!