This is one of the best put together races I've done which is amazing because this was a first year race!
This race was also crowd funded. Kind of cool to see how much money it takes to put on a superb event. If you helped fund the event, you got to vote on medal design and tshirt design! The race runners built!
I was supposed to do the full marathon but felt like I should down grade due to knee problems. Emailed the race director and got a very prompt response. Said it wouldn't be a prriblem! Nice! You could actually downgrade at the expo and even during the race ( you werent eligible for awards).
The expo was good. Packet picket was easy. Volunteers were very nice. The girl who gave me my bib double checked to see if the half is what I wanted. Kill Cliff gave out samples of their energy/recovery drink. We were in and out in 10 minutes.

The race started early. 6:00 am for marathoners and 6:30 for half marathoners. I arrived at 5:30 and had no issues finding a spot. I parked a couple of blocks away. There were about 30 porta potties ligned up and I never saw a big line form. I went to use the bathroom around 6:00 and walked straight in.
The course was an out and back. We ran through a small boardwalk type area, over the Bridge that goes into Destin and down hwy. 98. I saw some dolphins going over the bridge which was pretty cool! The main stretch on 98 is a bunch of sand dunes and then a nice view of a bay. The temperature was cool at first but quickly warmed up. We had an amazing tail wind going out and horrendous 20 mph headwind coming back. I'm sure the kiteboarders were loving the wind! The runners not so much! There were plenty of stations. All with ICE! water and some with Nuun, Gatorade and gels.
I felt bad for the marathoners because of that crazy wind. They deserved 2 medals for that!
The medal was quite large and doubled as a bottle opener. Bright and Beautiful!
You got instant print out results when you finished! Post race party was fun! They gave out flip flops, Kill Cliff, and beer. There was a red beans and rice and nacho station. I don't remember seeing more food but I was in a rush to get back to my camp ground for beach time!
I highly recommend this race but be prepared for hot temperatures and windy conditions! We camped at Top Sail park and enjoyed it very much. Take advange of the beautiful beaches before and after the race!

Mobile is where I reside so I may be a bit biased. :)

The First Light Marathon is a great smaller race. The race benefits the L'Arche community in Mobile. L'arche helps adults with intellectual disabilities. The race medals and winner plaques are made by them. If you are fortunate to win an age group award or participate in the MS blues Marathon the previous day, you will get a beautiful one of a kind award with the artist's bio on the back!
The half course if flat and fast. The marathon has some nice hills in the middle to break it up a bit. You run through our beautiful historic districts, parks and two colleges. There were potties at all the water stations and I know this because I think I used every single one after the half way point. There is an amazing aid station at 17 that has all the snack food, pickle juice and candy you can carry. Our cycling community here is very supportive and we had many volunteers that day handing out Gu's or just checking up on you.
The after party is good. I got a full plate of food and my marathon time was around 5:30. The beer was a bit hidden this year though so I had to hobble around to find it.
Overall I had a great experience! If you are up for the challenge the Blues Marathon in Jackson, MS and the First Light Marathon offers a Back 2 Back Challenge. Two races in one weekend. You can choose any combo of halfs or the fills and still get a total of 3 medals and a one of a kind plaque.