This is a spring racing staple in Kentucky! The half marathon course is fun-you are able to run by many Louisville sights and through Churchill Downs before ending at Lynn Family Stadium.
The expo is easy to access, free parking and has several fun vendors. Race morning parking can be a challenge if you aren't familiar with the area-check the website for suggested parking areas!
Overall, a fun, Derby-themed event.

This is my fourth time running this race. The race management thinks of all the details! Highlights of this race:
*Swag and finisher's medals are high quality
*Expo is small but quick to get in and out! You can also do packet pick up the morning of if you can't make the expo pickup.
*Aid stations are amazing! They have pretty much anything you need.
*Parking and crew tents are in close proximity to start/finish area.

Overall this race is great for anyone wanting an ultra distance, but it is especially nice for first-timers or training runs. I highly recommend this one!

I signed up for this race for 3 reasons: 1) It is VIRTUAL which means I can run it anytime, anywhere - which fits in great with my training schedule. 2) SWAG - the price is right for the amount & quality of the race swag. 3) MINIONS. Who doesn't love them?

It is freezing in January in Kentucky, so I opted to complete my run on the treadmill. I loved that I didn't have to cancel/postpone a race due to ice on the roads that week - when it is virtual, you can do your race inside! You can also opt to run farther than 3.1 miles if you want. The flexibility of this type of run is great. They even include a bib number for those of us who like to keep our bibs on our medal racks.

I loved the swag-the pom beanie and the hat are super soft and fun. I get compliments on the beanie a lot.

The virtual support included emails and instructions on how to log our miles on race day to complete the Minions Run. It was super easy to do. Now I am just waiting on that fun finisher medal to come in the mail and complete my celebration of yet another 5K!

This was my first year running Hood to Coast; I was a member of Team Knockaround (a sponsor for the race)! We had an amazing time. I was Runner 9 and enjoyed all of my legs, although my leg at 2 am was so dusty I couldn't really see anything. But I could smell the forest and feel the energy and that is all I needed. The energy is amazing and my teammates were the best I could ask for! I thought the race management company did a great job at communicating all of the basic information and anything I couldn't find on the website, my team, or other Facebook groups easily helped me to prepare in terms of what to pack and expect. The exchange stations and volunteers were awesome and I honestly feel like the drivers of the vans have the hardest job out there but they were also amazing. You can't beat the scenery and the energy of this race. I dare you to at least do it once (warning: you are probably going to want to do it more than once)!