This past weekend, I had the opportunity to run in the inaugural Hotlanta Half. This was my first time running in the capital city of Georgia and I would like to share my experience with you.

Online was registration was quick and simple. Packet pick-up was available at the various Big Peach Running Company locations throughout Atlanta starting 5 days prior to the race. However, this was the first race I have seen that had no race day pick-up. I live about 90 minutes (light traffic) south of Atlanta so I had to drive up Saturday to pick up my packet. It wasn't really cost effective for me to drive back home so I ended up staying in Atlanta Saturday night. If they had race day pick-up, I would have left early Sunday morning instead. Other than that, the swag bag was awesome for the most part. It was loaded with 5 energy bars, 2 sticks of deodorant, Electro-Bites, Aspirin, Emergen-C, and coupons. The only disappointment was the T-Shirt. While the design was nice, it wasn't Dri-Fit. This was my 3rd half and the previous 2 had Dri-Fit shirts.

If you are staying in the Atlanta area prior to the race, I recommend taking the MARTA. Even though there was parking available near Underground Atlanta for $3, I didn't have to deal with the traffic. Round Trip cost was only $5 (plus $1 for the reloaded card). MARTA riders can also drop off a small bag at the volunteer tent.

The race course was very scenic that went around the heart of Atlanta. We ran by famous landmarks like the State Capitol, Turner Field, Georgia State University, Piedmont Park, CNN Center, Georgia Dome, and Centennial Park. Part of the course was on a fitness trail called “The Beltline”. Hydration stations were located at every mile with portable toilets located near the starting line, and miles 2,4,10 and 12.4, Fixed rest restroom facilities are located at Piedmont Park at between miles 7-8. Public safety did an excellent job managing traffic along the course. At various points, spectators lined the course cheering everyone on and some were handing out small water bottles for the runners.

Out of all the races I have ran in the past year, this was the most challenging. Why? HILLS. They are everywhere! Especially the final 3 miles; even the finish line is up a hill! I strongly recommend and encourage to incorporate hills at least once a week in your training plan. Even though some of the hills seemed tiring, I was able to conquer them all because I trained for it.

At the finish line, the volunteers passed out the finisher medals, cool down towels, and water. Also available was bagels and bananas. The Expo was awesome with a variety of fitness vendors and other sponsors.

This race did not offer pace groups. The closet thing to it was a temporary tattoo you can put on your arm that outlines what time you should be at for each mile depending on your desired finishing time. Hopefully the race will have pace groups on hand next year. If not, I recommend finding a running buddy to help pace if you have a goal to finish in a certain time.

Every race has it's quirks but overall I really enjoyed the inaugural Hotlanta Half. Despite the challenging terrain, I believe everyone from the beginner to the expert would enjoy this race and see the city of Atlanta from a different point of view. Just remember to practice running on hills prior to the race ;-)