Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Crystal City Twilighter 5K as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRavePro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

I got to run the Crystal City Twilighter 5K, put on by Pacers Running, as a BibRave Pro, and it was a fun race with a great atmosphere! The race started at 8:30 p.m., and participants receive glow sticks, so it's really cool to see everyone with them on the course. The only thing I marked with a lower star rating (other than elevation) was the scenery, because it seemed just like a normal city run to me — and it was dark. The scenery wasn't really the draw of this race to me, so I wasn't bothered by not having breathtaking views. I did actually see the Washington Monument from a distance, which was cool. I really liked the setup where people could hang out before or afterward; there were tables lit in different colors and some other colorful lights.

I was surprised, given the amount of participants, just how few lines there were. I did arrive early, but I was able to get parking in the first parking garage I tried — and it was free. Then, I made my way to packet pickup (there wasn't an expo, so that's why I didn't rate that category), and there was no line there. I also went to the bathroom without a line, and I did not have to wait in line for my post-race beer or food, either.

I was excited to see that the swag item was a tank top, because I have never before received a tank top as a race item in my 13 years of running. It did seem a little big (I normally wear a women's medium, but in some shirts, I prefer a looser fit with the large, so I went with large), but I did not ask to trade sizes. Instead of the tank, participants could choose to get $10 in Pacers Store Race Bucks or to make a $5 donation to Doorways for Women & Families.

I did stop at the first water stop, and there was music playing, which was fun. I also recall seeing a couple portable toilets there, although I didn't use them. I'm pretty sure there was also a place to get water on the way back (there was a turn-around not long after), but one cup was enough for me on this day. Thankfully, some rain seemed to have cooled down the temperature by the time the race started, although it was still humid.

I noticed a couple small hills (I live in a very flat area), but the race course seemed pretty flat.

Particularly as the race got closer, I felt like I saw a good amount of race news on social media from Pacers Running. I will note that I signed up for this race early, and there was still some old information on the website (last year's beneficiary and shirt), so that was a little confusing, but the race certainly seemed well-organized. It was also a chip-timed race.

After the race, participants (21+) were able to trade in a beer ticket on their bibs for a beer, and food options were soft pretzels and bananas.

I had a great time and hope to get some of my fellow running club teammates to join me next year at the Crystal City Twilighter 5K for the Run Club Throw Down.

Check out my blog post here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2017/07/19/my-goals-for-saturdays-crystal-city-twilighter-5k-discount-code/

I enjoyed the Running for Recovery 5-miler, held this year on Saturday, June 10, at the Wakefield Valley Golf Course (no longer a golf course) in Westminster, Maryland. The race benefits Rising Above Addiction. I created the listing for this event and although this race followed a path/trail, I put "Road Race" rather than "Trail Race" because the entire path was paved. However, it is not on actual roads — there were no cars on the course or road crossings.

According to the results, there were 80 finishers of the 5-mile course (there was also a 2.5-mile walk), and I was a little ahead of mid-pack. There were official times, but it was not a chip-timed race, which is fine with me. I am noting this because the start was a little bit narrow for anyone who didn't start near the front. I did start by the front, so I had no problems with getting an accurate time. I also didn't have any problems with crowding on the trail.

The 5-mile course was two 2.5-mile loops on the scenic property. I am from a flat area and was worried about hills, but the course only included some smaller rolling hills.

There was one water stop in the middle of the course. I requested two cups of water (which I often do), and I had to wait a second because they didn't have a bunch of water cups ready and I didn't want to take water meant for someone else (that runner ended up getting another cup). It wasn't a huge deal, but it's nice when there is plenty of water ready to go.

The swag was a light blue tech shirt (for women - the men's shirt was gray). I thought it was a nice shirt and I was actually expecting a T-shirt, so this was more than what I thought. There were women's and men's cuts. My mom picked up my packet for me since I live out of town. The packet pickup was held at a store about half an hour away from the race location, but it appeared that you could pick up your packet on race day (I am not sure; I would confirm with the race organizer).

After the race, there were coffee and bagels for participants. There was plenty of parking close to the race start, and I thought it was well-organized. The course was easy to follow, but I liked that there were volunteers at spots where people could have potentially taken a wrong turn. Things seemed to go smoothly and I enjoyed myself.

Also: In 2017, there was a $250 cash prize for the top male and female!

Check out my blog post here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2017/06/18/running-for-recovery-a-fun-event-with-the-family/

I was a pacer for this race and so was given a comped entry as a pacer.

Unfortunately, the race this year landed on a very hot and humid late-April day! I was the 2:30 pacer and although I tried, I came in just short of reaching my goal. I do enjoy this race, though. Here's a breakdown of my ratings:

T-Shirts/Swag: I loved the pace shirt, but the race shirt seemed about average. I like it, but it doesn't really stand out. I have not worn it yet, but it feels a little thick. The medal was nice!

Aid Stations: On such a hot and humid day, I would have liked to have seen more aid stations. At the first one, they were pouring water into the cups from a pitcher as we were at the stop, but after that, the aid stations were fine.

Course Scenery/Elevation: The beginning and end of the course are awesome -- the course starts at Assateague Island State Park and goes over the Verrazano Bridge (the only real hill on the course) up Route 611 before turning toward Ocean City. The race finishes on the Boardwalk. So, the beginning and end would be a "5" rating for me, but I rated the course a "4" because the middle isn't especially interesting. There is a nice pond in a neighborhood that we went through. Overall, it's a very flat course.

Parking/Access: For this race, runners park at or near the Ocean City Inlet and take a bus to Assateague — it is a point-to-point race. This does mean an early wake-up call, but the buses went smoothly and my group and I didn't have to wait in line to get on one. Then, I was really close to my car at the end. Our group did have to pay $8 for parking when leaving the Inlet parking lot.

I didn't have any problems with the race management. I knew all the details that I needed to know and the race went smoothly for me, aside from heat issues.

Runners were able to get a beer, a piece of pizza, water and other snacks (granola bars, bananas) post-race. The after-party is in the Inlet parking lot, right by the beach in Ocean City!

I also did this race in 2016, and the weather was totally fine! I think 2017 was kind of an off-year for heat on this date.

To read my full blog post, go here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2017/04/30/a-tough-race-to-pace-the-hot-ocmd-island-to-island-half-marathon-2017/

This was my third year returning to the Run for the Animals in Onancock, Virginia, and although it's about an hour and 15 minutes away from my house, it's definitely worth the trip. The first year I participated, I ran the half marathon, and this year and last year I ran the 10K. One of the highlights for me is the amazing food spread. There is everything from doughnuts to fried chicken to cake -- and there's also beer.

This year, participants received a mug -- which I thought was awesome! Runners also received a finisher medal as they crossed the finish line. The shirt was a relatively basic light gray short-sleeve tech shirt, but I gave the swag a "5" rating because I thought the mug was a really cool item to have. I actually would have been fine with just getting the mug.

Aid stations were simple, but I feel they still earned a "5" because I got what I needed and didn't have any problems. People were friendly and there were three aid stations (one at the turnaround and one that we hit twice), which definitely seemed like enough for a 10K. A local resident had also set up an aid station with water at her home.

The first part of the course is pretty, going through neighborhoods and over a bridge -- my favorite part -- into the small town of Onancock. It's an out-and-back, and after you leave the "downtown" area (it's a small town), the scenery is a little boring but certainly not ugly after that. Then, of course, since it's an out-and-back, you turn around and follow the course the opposite way. Although there are some small hills, I still gave the course a "1" for elevation difficulty because it's pretty flat.

It was not hard to find parking, being a rural area. Some people did have to park on the road, but I don't think anyone was too far from the start of the race.

Race management was great. There were regular updates on Facebook and there were opportunities to win RoadID gift cards (I won one!) and for the restaurant/shop on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The course was well-marked, and although roads were not blocked by police, I did not have to wait for any cars. I will note that this is not a chip-timed race, so if you are fast or going for a PR, you probably want to start close to the front. There were also 5K walkers coming in at the end, so I had to go around some people (and looking at the photos, it reminded me that I also dodged a dog).

I didn't rate the expo because there wasn't really one, but there were tables set up outside in conjunction with the packet pickup before the race.

There are awards for first and second place in each five-year age group for men and women, and they are always unique. I didn't win one this year, but the award was a horseshoe trophy, and for the previous two years, there have been trophies with two people running (gold) and with a cat (black).

My blog recap can be found here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2017/04/06/run-for-the-animals-a-delicious-and-fun-time/

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Tim Kennard River Run through the Eastern Shore Running Club's sponsorship of the event.

The Tim Kennard River Run is one of my favorite races, and I come back to it every year (this was my seventh year running it, with just one year off when I watched a participant's daughter during the race). It's held in the city where I live, Salisbury, Maryland, and it's a great chance to see so many runners from our community out there.

I didn't rate the expo because there isn't too much of an expo — although Salisbury is technically a city, it isn't a large metro area. I'm the Eastern Shore Running Club secretary, and we had a table set up that I was at the whole time (11 a.m.-5 p.m.). Other vendors included TriCycle and Run, a table with Tim Kennard merchandise from previous years and what I believe was a vitamin vendor (they packed up early). The free Rob's Run for Kids was also held Saturday, March 4.

I participated in the 10-mile race, which, along with the 5K, was held on Sunday, March 5, starting and finishing at Salisbury University. The course goes into neighborhoods, down Riverside Drive into downtown Salisbury and back up Riverside to finish at the university. I do like this course, although running Big Sur has made it hard to rate other races when it comes to scenery. I gave the elevation difficulty a "1" because it really is a pretty flat course. However, for some reason, I seemed to feel all the hills this year. Somebody from a more hilly (or hilly at all) area probably wouldn't have really noticed the hills.

There were ample aid stations and I got water at each of them. The cups weren't filled too high, but I'm sure I could have asked for a second cup if necessary. There was also lots of music throughout the course, something I'm now going to add to my blog!

Parking is easy at this race. I actually went to Salisbury University and taught there for a year as well, and I'm very familiar with the campus, so I knew exactly where to go. I was able to get a parking spot in the lot closest to the start/finish line by the Guerrieri University Center. There's also a parking garage across Route 13 that is not far from the start/finish and Maggs Physical Activities Center.

I love this year's shirt, pictured in the photo. It says "Crush it!" on the front, and I have the feeling I'll be wearing it a lot. I had originally ordered a women's medium, but I decided to get a women's large because the medium looked a little small. I wavered between a 4 and 5 rating because there's no additional swag as some races offer, but it does benefit charities — so, the more swag they were to give out (unless it was donated), less money would be able to go to the charities. There are also unique awards for age group winners, but I didn't earn one this year.

I gave race management a 5-star rating. Disclaimer: I am friends with the race directors — but this race does deserve a 5. This was the 14th year of the race, and the course was very well-marked and easy to follow. The race was fun, safe and there was nothing I needed that was not available. I got emails leading up to the race and followed along on social media when not running.

After finishing the race, I went into Maggs Physical Activities Center (gym) and enjoyed some items from the wide array of food. There's also the opportunity to sit in the bleachers, which was appreciated after 10 miles.

I'll certainly be back next year! Visit www.TimKennard.org to learn more, and check out my blog post here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2017/03/08/tim-kennard-river-run-a-fun-time-as-always/