In my search for a race over my birthday weekend BibRave led me to the Austin marathon. Fair warning, if you live and train in a flat area (like Chicago), find a treadmill and do the hill work. You will thank yourself when you get to the race. The GREAT news, most of the hills are in the first half AND they are long steady climbs rather than the short burst. However, there are two or three short, steep ones about the middle of the race and then two shortly before (or after) mile 26. Be ready, be confident and you’ll be fine!

The swag for this race was definitely a step up from standard. I wasn’t thrilled with the black tech-tee (I mean outside a treadmill, when are you combining a tee and black!). But they won me over with the one shoulder backpack they gave out. The medal was also a quality medal.

The expo was full of vendors and they had a small selection of race specific gear. I got to the expo around 2:00 on day 2 of the expo and they were sold out of the smaller women’s sizes in some of the popular styles. So if you are interested in getting “good” gear, get there early.

The expo and start/finish were all easily accessible from downtown hotels. If you stay downtown I recommend doing your last call potty break in the hotel. I’m not sure if I just went to the wrong spot or if it was really this bad, but I saw a sign for “restrooms”, which I followed. I got back there (about 30 minutes before race start) and the line wasn’t too bad. I saw 4 potties, but as I got toward the front of the line realized only one was unlocked. By the time I left the line (10 minutes to start), the line was super long and there was no TP. Hopefully I just misdirected myself to the wrong line!

I enjoyed the course. It went through a number of residential areas where locals were out cheering. There were some areas where there weren’t many spectators, but I didn’t feel like those areas lasted a long time. And there were always spectators when you needed them (think hills at mile 26). My only complaint, early in the race when still combined with the half marathon runners, the water/Gatorade stations were limited to one side of the course. It was very hard to get in and get your hydration efficiently.

I wasn’t impressed with the finish line goodies. For starters, somehow I missed the heat sheet station, I feel like that should be a prominent one. Also, the finish water/Gatorade was still just a cup. I hardly ever take the Gatorade bottle, but the water bottle is key. They did have fruit cups, chips, fresh fruit, cookies, etc. There was nothing that blew me away.

My phone died so I went straight back to the hotel so I have no insight on the post-race party.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend the race to other runners both as a getaway race and for locals. I don’t think it is one that I would repeat as an out-of-town runner.

This was my second year running this race. I enjoy the route and it is perfect for this size of race (I think this year there were just shy of 2,000 running the half marathon). The route starts at Soldier Field, loops around the stadium and then does an out and back on the path. I love running south on the path because I don't do it often so the views are fresh. And the best part about a south start is you get an amazing view of the skyline on the return. I think that is crazy motivating.

Other positives that stick out in my mind for 2016 are (a) the pre-race is housed inside the stadium so no freezing until you have to, (b) this also means there are warm restrooms and clothes when you finish, (c) the swag is unique and includes a beanie, (d) parking is super convenient, (e) there were plenty of aid stations that were well manned.

Some of the changes that I wasn't so excited about from the prior year (a) they moved the post-race to a bar, which makes me lose interest in hanging around, so no free beer for me, (b) last year they also handed out gloves in the swag (which were super awesome), no gloves this year, (c) they switched back to a long-sleeve tee from the quarter zip

One other issue that I didn't think was handled as well as I've seen other race organizers handle it is the delayed receipt of their shirts. They were not included at bib pick-up, I'm not sure if that was intentional or part of the hangup of the shirts in customs. My complaint is that they sent out an email asking that local runners refrain from picking up their shirt at the finish and we would be required to make a special trip to a Road Runner Sports to pick it up. I've been part of a race that had this same issue and they shipped the shirts to the runners. There was no expectation that the runner go out of their way to get the swag they earned. I do not fault them for the delay, but think it could have been handled better. I will say as a local that is not going to be able to make a special trip, they did give me mine at the finish with no argument, so props on that.

I'd definitely recommend this race to other runners and hope they have success and the race continues to grow!

I'd like to give the race 3.5 stars as I don't feel it quite hit that 4 level but I think 3 is too harsh. I'd definitely recommend the race to others as the location is amazing. I don't think it is a "must do again" race as I'm not local.

The parts I enjoyed... The swag was something other than a t-shirt. Okay, okay it was a long-sleeve but hey, not a t-shirt. The scenery was great. It runs around the island resort and is mostly shaded with trees. We went into some areas with pond/swamp. The general location, it was a great getaway for me and a few girlfriends to celebrate one's birthday. We rented a Villa on the beach (an absolute must). Which meant the day after I did a nice recovery run on the beach - simply unbeatable! I don't know how, but I almost forgot to mention - the finish line goodies ROCK!! They had unlimited (until they ran out) beer - choice of an Amber, Michelob Ultra, and Cider; there was a full buffet as well. The buffet had a couple pasta salads, another salad, delicious corn muffins, brownies, bananas, oranges, and soup. Simply AMAZING.

The parts I wasn't such a fan of.... the race was a pseudo out and back. When we turned back we were forced onto a sidewalk/bike path that was super narrow. It made it really hard to get around other runners that were slowing down. I wasn't looking to PR but was trying to hit my goal time. I think if I'd been stuck behind a large pace group I wouldn't have been able to pass for 3 - 4 miles. A weird pet peeve... they had water first and gatorade second at the stops. I like to rinse my mouth of the gatorade taste so that wasn't cool. Also, it was a bit warm and they only had aid stations every 2 to 2.5 miles. I would have liked to see one or two more on the half marathon course.

I'd certainly recommend this race for someone looking to hit up South Carolina with a group of runners.

First and foremost, the volunteers at the 2015 race deserve a huge shout-out. It was windy, chilly, and rained for a bit. It takes a lot of dedication to stand out there and help the runners out. So THANK YOU to anyone that volunteered!

Onward... The expo was solid with a fair amount of vendors. Smaller than Chicago but larger than you're hometown race. If you forgot something (or well packed for warmer weather) you'll be able to find the gear or supplies you need before the race. The expo was at the convention center which was pretty simple to get to. If you are staying on the strip there is a monorail stop right at the convention center. It also appeared there was ample parking.

I really liked the pre-race concert, especially given it was a big name (Kid Rock). It was pretty unique to be able to enjoy the concert before the run. I suppose most acts don't want to get up at 3am to perform. Certainly enjoyed the concert as I don't typically stick around after the race.

The course had it's ups and downs with scenery as a lot of races do. The first bit was running south off the Strip so there wasn't a lot to look at. The cool thing about this piece of the race was the photographer staged at the Welcome to Vegas sign. Running down the strip was so cool. I'd been doing it all week in the morning but the evening lights and taking over the street was an awesome experience. Once you get off the strip it gets a bit boring as you run down some older (or less reinvigorated) parts of Vegas and then through a bit of a neighborhood. Hitting downtown (old) Vegas was awesome. Again the lights just pumped me up and seeing this whole other part of Vegas that I didn't know about was neat (now I want to go back).

The finish line was well equipped with chocolate milk, beer, and other goodies. My two complaints on the finish line 1) the heat sheets were SOOOO far away and 2) the volunteer gave me the wrong medal. Unfortunately I didn't realize the medal snafu until I'd walked the mile past gear pick-up. When I went back to medal engraving (because once you left the shoot you couldn't get back in), the man in charge refused to let me switch unless I paid for the engraving. I thought that was a bit of poor customer service, but I wanted a medal for the race I completed so I sucked it up and paid the $20.

I'd certainly recommend this race to a fellow running if they register SUPER early or have the tour pass (I paid $170) because it was certainly a cool experience.

Oh and lesson for all runners - check your medal before you exit!!! :)

This was a good local race. I wouldn't recommend driving out of the way to participate but for someone local it is a great way to burn some of those Thanksgiving calories.

There are two options for parking, either near the start line or near the finish (not the same). They provide a shuttle to the start line if you park near the finish. Ample parking for all participants.

They offer both the half marathon and 5k distances. The 5k started 45 minutes before the half marathon so when the half started most 5k runners were wrapping up. The race runs through the Busse woods, mostly on the path. There was a brief section that ran across the grass. This was not ideal and could have been a lot worse if the weather leading up to the event had been wetter.

There was an aid station about every 2 miles, which given the cool temperatures was plenty. Be warned, there are not potties at each of those. The potties are limited - I believe there were only 2 stops actually on the course.

The post-race refreshments were fairly consistent with other ACM races. Water bottle, cups of gatorade, cookies, banana, and granola bars. The great addition to the normal goodies was warm apple cider! Great for a warm-up.

My favorite part of the race/experience was the shirt. It wasn't a tech-tee!! Runners received a hooded sweatshirt which was a nice change to the normal swag for races.