This is my second time doing the half. I originally ran the race back in 2010, and I have a previous review for that race on BibRave.

I had originally signed up for the full marathon, but due to an injury, I dropped down to the half. I'm glad I did -- I wasn't prepared for the full anyway.

The race was just as I remembered. The expo was AMAZING, and the race swag was top-notch. I finally got a replacement for my old Flying Pig running bag. The whole expo takes up almost all of the Duke Energy Center, and the pick-up process was easy.

I was a little worried about the start of the race because the local weathermen had been changing the forecast from storms to no storms to dry to drizzle. I packed for every eventuality, and race morning started with a slight rain. The forecast was for 60 degrees and overcast -- great running weather.

Due to all of the rain the days before and the rain that morning, the humidity was insane! My shirt was soaked after the first mile and we hadn't even hit the hills yet. To be honest, I really don't remember the hills being as bad as they were, but they are -- especially when you're 20 pounds heavier and 6 years older. Coupled with the humidity and the sun being "here and there," it made for a difficult race. Still, this doesn't take away from the fact that the race is run very efficiently and the directors obviously care about the runners' experiences.

The crowd support was awesome! It seemed like the bigger crowds were stationed at the toughest parts of the course, providing runners with much needed encouragement when tackling the hills.

All of the hills are in the half marathon portion of the race, and from about mile 10.5, it's all downhill -- and I do mean downhill! Take care and your quads will thank you.

If you plan on staying overnight or making a weekend of it, I really recommend the Hyatt Regency downtown. It is a little pricey, but the have a special marathon rate, valet parking, and a 2pm checkout.

I will definitely do this one again ... and again.

This was the final year for this event. The larger Monumental Marathon bought absorbed this smaller race beginning in 2016.

The course is run around Fort Harrison State Park in Indiana, and the scenery was beautiful with the changing leaves and rural setting. The course is mainly flat and provided opportunities for PR's and BQ's.

The weather for the time of year was pretty chilly, and we had to walk a rather long way to the start of the race. Again, this wasn't too bad, but when we got to the start, there were enormous lines for the porta-potties. The distance from the race's start/finish to the parking felt much longer and more difficult after running 26.2 miles.

This is (was) a course that provided chances for PR's (I got mine there). I would've probably run this race again, if only to improve upon my finishing time.

The expo was small and generally reminded me of a packet pick-up for a 5K or 10K. There were items for sale from previous races and other sale items, along with nutrition and hydration aids.

Maybe I'll try the larger Monumental marathon one year...

This is an annual event for me. The race is held in downtown Lexington, KY and attracts a large number of runners. There is really no expo, but simply a place to pick-up your shirt and packet.

The course is out-and-back and mostly flat, with runners able to see those ahead of them on the way to the finish. The course allows for very fast 10K times, but the weather can be very hot and humid during this time. Many homeowners along the route stand in the yards and spray the runners with hoses to help keep them cool. The finish is a slight downhill, with the finish banner in sight for much of the time on the straight stretch.

This is a great local summer race that doesn't take all that much training and still leaves plenty of time for other July 4th activities after the finish. The entry fee is reasonable and the shirts are always of good quality and design.

I had never run a 5-miler race before, so this was going to be an automatic PR. I went into the race with no real goals other than beating my 5 mile training times.

The day of the race was unseasonably warm -- In fact, it was HOT and HUMID. The course could be described as rural rolling hills, but combined with the heat and humidity, some of those hills felt like little mountains. The course is point-to-point, and there is a school bus that shuttles you back to the start. There were some that chose to run the 5 miles back (obviously locals), but my group and I opted to sit back and let our driver take us back to our car.

After the race, there is a small awards ceremony and runners are allowed to change and shower in the locker room of the local community pool that sits adjacent to the race staging area.

All-in-all, there was nothing unique about the race, given the fact that I've run many other rural courses, but the director and volunteers were extremely nice and accommodating.

I don't think I'll put this race of my calendar in the future, but that's not a negative strike against the race or the community. We marked this county off of our list, so it's on to the next...

My weekend running group decided to run this race in order to PR at the marathon distance. We had PR's and a BQ (Boston Qualifying Time).

The course is mainly around the downtown area and Marshall University, completing two loops and finishing in the end zone of the football stadium.

I tend to prefer hillier courses, and the flat ones are the ones that really seem to beat me up. I guess it's something about seeing miles ahead of you and particular points never seeming to get any closer. Anyway, the course is nice and flat and many people seek out this race for good finishing times.

The expo was small, but adequate and the race director was very accommodating.

Accommodations were readily available in the area and very reasonable in price.

A good race for a first marathon or for those seeking PR's