MM#11717 -- Reviewing this race seems somewhat moot, as it was the last year for this distance in Denver. Unfortunately, due to not being able to align with the city, the course was changed, and it lost the Rock 'n' Roll vibe so many people were looking for. Thankfully, I live in Colorado, so I didn't have airfare spent (only hotels and 7 hours of driving), but had I known how the day would end up, I would have opted for a different race.

Expo: Compared to their Denver expos in the past, this year's had very little to offer. And paying to park was disappointing -- especially given how little time was actually spent inside the expo.

Start: We were bussed to the start from a few blocks off Civic Center Park. By the time my bus arrived at the start, the port-a-pot lines were 20+ people deep, so I was not able to go before having to line up in my corral. The corrals were not organized in any real manner, so switching corrals was not necessary or regulated.

Course: Those who were expecting an urban race with music and spectators were sorely disappointed. The course started near a golf course, switched to a gravel path and then moved onto a paved trail system near water (pond and river). The smells were not fantastic, to be honest. There were definitely areas of the course where it was tight to run because of the width of the path. Music, when it was there, was lackluster -- with one station having just a guy standing there with a mic saying stuff as people passed. There were a couple of aid station with only jugs of water sitting there and no cups filled, which was disappointing given the heat of the day.

Finish: For those who finished later, the support at the finish was lacking. Water was not on ice, but Gatorade was. Many areas were already completely packed up when there was nearly 45 minutes until the cut-off. No one was directing people to where they should pick up their finisher's jacket or drop bags. Also, when I went to pick up my finisher's jacket, they were all out of the smaller sizes.

While I like having a fall marathon in the city, it's probably best this one is over. I wish they could have agreed to the old course, as it was much better.