There were a few changes to this race over last year, starting with the start/finish area being in Centennial Park instead of Turner Field. The good thing was I could park at my work deck. The bad thing was, I had to walk from there, to gear check on the other side of the park, back across the park (at a sprints pace!) to get to the 15k start line. I did not notice any definitive clear signage and only noticed one person directing 15k runners one side, 5k to the other. I barely made it to my corral in time. The start lines were out on the streets on differing blocks, so clearer directions would have been nice. I looked at the maps beforehand at home but by the time I was downtown in the chaos, all had been forgotten.

The 5k course split less than a mile in I think. I think the route was about the same as last year, but because of the start/finish changes you hit the hills at different times. I saw a pic of Facebook touting it as a "flat and fast course perfect for PRs!" which is laughable bc unless you're running in circles on a high school track, I'm not sure a flat course in Atlanta exists. Though I did PR.

The hot chocolate swag is among the best and I love the jacket, though I think the cut of last years was better for me. The medal is unique and the post race chocolate is delicious! I fully intended to stop and try more of the provided course sweets this year but my stomach wasn't having it. The first aid station had marshmallows that I saw, and the one at mile 6 had m&ms which I had about 5 of. Unsure what the other ones had. All aid stations had water and electrolyte drink which was appreciated. I already plan to register for this race again next year

I ran this race again as part of the 2016 Triple Peach race series. And it's still one of my favorites. The 10 mile distance is a perfect one for me and I like that this race doesn't spend too much time running on just one road, that to me can get boring. I was very untrained this year but it didn't show much. Packet pickup was at Atlantic Station and even less of an expo than the year before but it was quick and easy to get in and out of and get my last minute race fuel purchased. Surprise this year was they actually handed out Clif shot blocks on the course instead of sports beans, which was much appreciated because I love those. Ran with my own electrolyte mix this year but I saw the aid stations had them as well. The hills seemed a little more difficult this year but I wasn't well prepared and had been battling a cold in the days before, so I don't know how much of it was because of that. The t-shirt this year was a dry fit hoodie that I like and can wear to exercise in or just around with jeans. Parking seemed more streamlined this year leaving the Atlantic station parking decks too. Overall a great race.

This race is my favorite one. Every year for a decade I've ran it. It seems it alternates rainy/hottttt every other year and the July summer heat is what makes it so difficult, but it feels like the entire city comes out for support.
Expo- I normally have my packet mailed to me, but this year we went to the expo. Lots of samples and free stuff. I actually like the granola bars I got several samples of and the protein waters. Tons of other vendors and local athletic stores with shoes and last minute gear.

Race morning- I always park at work and take Marta. Normally it's not crowded bc I'm coming from the south but this year it was SO SO PACKED! That was not a pleasant surprise. I can't imagine what it was like coming from the north.
Thanks to a great 5k earlier in the year, I got my best corral placement ever. It was especially nice because it was super humid and got very hot very fast. This race has among the best course support I've ever seen. Outside of official aid stations, plenty of Atlanta residents have bottles of water or Popsicles or water hoses to help cool you off. Towards the end someone had Jell-O shots this year. You can't go 5 feet without finding someone to high 5. There were plenty of medics along the course that I saw which was important bc it was brutally hot. Cardiac/heartbreak hill is, well, awful, but you don't go into this race without knowing that. And unless you're in an early corral, forget about setting a PR because SO many people do this race you will spend a lot of precious time weaving around others.

Finish line - there's a photo finish and a real finish. That's important to know because a few years ago I sprinted across what I thought was the finish line...and it was, for photo purposes only. The real one was still a couple tenths away. Once you cross the real one you are funneled into piedmont park and get your race shirt and other goodies. You only get the race t-shirt if you finish. There's a stage and some entertainment but I don't usually stick around. This year we got a free race photo which was appreciated.

I was not expecting to love this race as much as I did. It was really cold for March that morning, crowded, and long distance races in Atlanta make me nervous because it's such a hilly city.
Expo- another expo at the congress center. My boss let me go during my lunch so I avoided paying for parking by taking a coworkers unlimited Marta card and it was not crowded. There were a lot of vendors and they had some really great stuff - tons of samples, a publix salad shaker, and gear and apparel vendors. I got some really great shirts for future racing.

Race morning-
I can't comment on parking because I work so close I was able to use my work deck and walk over, a nice bonus. Gear check was well organized as was the starting corral line up. I like that they keep the half and full marathoners together for the first few miles of the course. Course support was plentiful and despite the early starting time, well lit. My favorite part of this race though was running through piedmont park. I could hear a couple people gaining on me as I was running into the park, and I turned to see a visually impaired runner KILLING it with 2 guides. Everyone around us was cheering him on. This is why I love the running community.

The last few miles flew by and although the last few tenths heading to the finish are slightly uphill it wasn't bad. I managed to PR this race by 2 minutes and the medal is awesome! It's huge and has a giant 13.1 in it. The recovery jacket was appreciated too. Nice treat box of snacks. I can't wait for this race again, and next time I'm shooting for the marathon distance.