A caveat: I'm not usually into races like this (and color runs, etc), but a friend invited me to join her team, so I decided to give it a chance. This is part of a series of runs, and was the inaugural race for this location. Honestly, I was disappointed in many ways. It seemed that the series organizers were not really involved in organizing the local race. "Swag" was a cotton T-shirt, and not even a bag to put it in--I expected more for over $35. Parking was an additional fee the day of the event; this should have been included in the race costs. The parking attendants were also absent post-race, which led to dangerous conditions, as the last part of the race course ran past the parking lot. Another issue was that volunteers spraying the runners were apparently never told to NOT SPRAY ANYWHERE NEAR THE FACE. The expo was one of the nicer ones I've seen, which was a positive.

The 2016 Brevard Zoo race was themed the "Sloth Skedaddle", and it was once again well done. There are two options for the race: an earlier start time for serious runners, and a later start time for the more leisurely crowd. The race always goes through the zoo, so runners in the second group should be prepared to encountered stopped traffic for photos. There are a few portions of the course that are single-file. Parking was more of an issue this year, as a large field that was formerly available was a construction site this year. Plan to arrive over an hour early if you're in the second group, in order to find adequate parking.

This is the third year for the race, and it keeps getting bigger. The course is relatively easy and fast, and it was nice to have both free beer and substantial food (sandwiches and chips) at the finish for an evening race. My biggest criticism was the placement of the water stations--one at about the half-mile mark, and another somewhere before mile 2, and no more. For a race in hot and humid conditions, the first station was too soon, and there needed to be another one closer to the end.

This is a great race, and each year it gets better. The course was modified this year to lessen bottlenecks. Cold, wet towels were available at the start and finish, which provided great relief from the heat and humidity. Funny signs along the course helped the mood, especially in the latter part of the race. Post-race snacks were abundant. Parking continues to be an issue, and it would have been helpful to have someone directing parking traffic.

This is always a great race. The course is fast, and the volunteers are friendly. New improvements for this year included 4 water stations on the course (great relief from coastal Florida heat and humidity) and free finisher medals.