I ran the Surftown Half Marathon as a training run for the Chicago Marathon. The race is held in Westerly, Rhode Island and the course offers some great ocean views. While advertised as "flat and fast" I would describe the course more as gently rolling, with one killer hill at Watch Hill just around the 10-mile mark. The volunteers along the course and at the aid stations were great! The medal is super cute, but the T-shirt is pretty drab. Overall this a well-organized race and definitely one I would run again.

The Narragansett Summer Running Festival is a two-day event held on the Stonehill College campus. The 5K and 10K were held on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. Runners also had the option of running the “Beat the Heat” challenge – combining either the 5 or 10K with the half.

The course was a winding loop through the campus – a mix of paved road, gravel, grass, and even a couple of wooden bridges. Without any form of self-seeding, the start was a bit jumbled, but the crowd quickly spread out and you could run comfortably. The volunteers were enthusiastic and encouraging which was welcome on such a hot day!

Vibe of the post-race party was low-keyed and friendly. And the Narragansett beer was frosty and so good. No medals, but the tech t-shirt design is fun.

I've run the BAA 10K 3 times and I can say it never disappoints! It is super well-organized, and even with 10,000 runners, it never felt too crowded. The volunteers, especially at the water stops, were awesome and super encouraging! And the course itself is a great little out and back tour of Boston’s Back Bay, Kenmore Square, and part of the BU campus.

The Boston Athletic Association always puts on a great race. The start/finish location lends itself nicely to taking public transportation. There are also plenty of parking garages nearby. Gear check was super efficient, and the post-race food was plentiful. And, how can you not love the Unicorn medal?!

Overall this was a well organized race. While security lines were long, they moved along well. Expected to see more bands along the course, which would have helped to keep the out and back course more interesting. The bands that were on course were good and added to the race energy. The course finishes in Prospect Park, which made for a nice spot to hang post race and listen to the music. There was plenty of food and drink post race, and the finisher medal did not disappoint. The biggest detraction was the expo, which was small and held in a cramped section of the Penn Pavilion.