Our 100 Half Marathons Club members had voted this race one of the best in the nation. The half marathon sells out in one day. Friends swear by this race. So, I registered and participated in 2015, and had a great time.

The race is in Cocoa Beach, FL. The best airport is Orlando. The host hotel offers clean, affordable rooms. The expo was mid-sized and had a lot of great booths. Packet pickup was fast and easy. The race provides great information before the race about lodging, transportation, participant information, etc.

The race shirt is amazing, and the medal is wonderful. Definitely among my all-time favorites. The medals change every year to honor a different shuttle.

Race participants get a discount to visit the Kennedy Space Center. If you've never been (or haven't been in years) and you are interested in NASA, it is a great side-trip. It was amazing to see all the Apollo rockets, to go on the tour of NASA property, see the Space X work area, see the actual Atlantis space shuttle, and see the memories they set up for the astronauts who died.

The race course: the course is an out and back, flat and fast. Marathoners start at a different time and spot than the half marathoners, but the leaders will catch half marathon race walkers on the course. The course is very narrow and crowded at the start and will thin out around mile 6. The out and back gives you a great opportunity to see friends on the course. The volunteers were great- many dressed up in space outfits. The post-race food area has tons to offer- eggs and pancakes, pizza, soda, water, seating areas (room to sit on the grassy area), the chance to watch your friends run in to finish, and photo ops with statues of astronauts and the space shuttle. The finisher's towel is great too- perfect for sitting on the grass area to relax after your race.

The course is a hard cement surface that many people (especially from the north) may not be used to. You may feel this on your joints/feet.

Weather- you may need a throwaway layer to keep warm before the sun comes up. Also, when the sun comes up, it's going to get WARM. Keep hydrated.

Shuttles from the hotel: this was the only iffy part. The shuttles have a few times leaving from the hotels. I went with the earlier shuttles to be safe. The post-race lines for the shuttles were quite long and confusing (no signage to tell you which line was what). Not the race's fault: the shuttles were delayed from an accident on a nearby road, so I am sure that contributed to the long lines/delays.

Overall a great experience and an enjoyable race, with beautiful views of the ocean front, palm trees, and gorgeous Florida houses.

If you are planning on this race in the next few years, you need to be on your computer (or have someone do it for you) when registration opens. Since there is a special mulit-year medal challenge going on, people in the challenge have pre-registration, so general public registration fills immediately.

If you are doing 50 states, if you want a great half PR course, and if you want to participate in a well-run, great event that supports its local community- this is the race for you.

I did the 2015 Maine Half Marathon and loved the event. I had twice done this race's marathon before but never the half. The full and half share part of the same course (the half turns around at about the halfway point).

This race always has one of the biggest and best swag bags. Participants get a great tote bag full of samples and goodies, many from local Maine companies (what other race will give you a can of B&M baked beans). The race shirts are excellent. The medals are also gorgeous. Post-race food is plentiful- bananas, snack bars, chips, water, pizza. Parking is quite convenient with the nearby university garage.

The local community is excellent for this race as well. Residents come out and cheer from their houses/yards. The volunteers are excellent. You get the sense that the areas *wants* you there as an athlete versus other races where you feel like a traffic inconvenience.

In 2015 the race added pace group leaders, and hopefully will have them again.

Advice- if you see a bathroom and you need it- use it. They are spaced out a little.

For those doing 50 states- if you want to do two races in one weekend, do the Bristol Half Marathon in New Hampshire the day before.

Just an update- the course and the parking for this race changed in 2015. Now you park in the Fort Getty parking lots near the start/finish versus having to park in Newport and be bused over the bridge. Still, you should park as early as you can, and bring a flashlight if you can because the sun may not be up when you head to packet pickup. Although the start/finish and course did change slightly, it's still a very hilly course, and can get very humid when the sun comes up.

The Cox Providence Rhode Races Half Marathon is the largest half marathon in Rhode Island. The full marathon starts a half hour before the half marathon, and the races split courses until the marathoners come back and join the half around their mile 11.5. The half marathon takes participants up Blackstone Boulevard, a beautiful tree-lined street that is very popular with runners and cyclists in Providence. The race takes participants through neighborhoods, by the bay, and then back into the city for the downtown finish.

Parking is quite convenient. Participants can park in the Providence Place Mall lot or in the Convention Center parking garage with a quick and easy walk to the start/finish. The race provides ample water stations and great course police/security support. The half marathon is walker-friendly, with a 3:30 time limit.

The course has a variety of road elevations- flat; slight rolling hills, and long but not too steep uphills.

Do not expect a "big" expo- there are some vendors and charity booths, but most people come just for packet pick up.

This year was my 4th time doing this half marathon, and the race gets better each year.

EDITED TO ADD: in 2016 the race has a new organizer- it is not longer run by Eident and is now coordinated by Rhode Races Events.

I did the inaugural half marathon in 2011, and raced again in 2014 and 2015. I've seen this race get better each time.

Parking: give yourself plenty of time to get there. There is ample parking, there are just limited roads in and out (small beach community with few roads in and out of the beach). Earlier finishers should expect to wait in traffic while leaving, partially because of the one road in/out, and partially because other runners are coming in to finish, slowing down road traffic.

Bring a throwaway layer. There's a chance of high winds (we are standing near the ocean front). Temps will go up as the race starts. The weather is a little different each year.

There is an early start for walkers! It is great to see a race that supports all paces. If your finish time is over 3 hours, definitely take the early start.

Each year the shirts and the medals have gotten better! I love that they change the shirt each year. The race staff has done an excellent job of asking for and listening to feedback every year and you can see the improvements.

The course has a lot of hills, either rolling or constant uphill or downhill. What goes up must come down (and vice versa). Remember that the fast downhill you have at the beginning will become your tough uphill in the last 5K of the race. If you need hill training for a longer distance race- this race will definitely cover that.

Since it's an out and back, you will go out on what you're going to finish back on. When you go out on the course and see the water, look for the two lighthouses- those are the "Twin Lights" that the race gets its name from. The out and back course gives you a chance to see the lead and faster runners returning while you head out.

The race goes out into the town of Rockport and passes by a quaint New England shopping and residential area (a nice place to check out if you don't have to rush home). If you have to go to the bathroom and miss a porta potty- when you are by the oceanfront area, look for a white building- it's actually a public bathroom.

The race does a great job of providing post race food AND making sure everyone gets post-race food (there's plenty still there for the last people coming in).

Safety tips: make sure you stay to the side of the road the race wants you on. Traffic will increase dramatically as it gets later in the race. Do not wear earbuds in both ears and blast your music/be oblivious to the other runners and cars around you.

Overall this is a well-run race that shows off old-style New England, our beautiful coasts, and great shore communities.