I'm in agreement with the reviews that have already been posted. I was one of the people who dropped from the full to the half marathon (needed more time to recover from the full I did in March), so I had my medal mailed to me. The medals at the race site were for the people who had originally signed up for the half - no problem.

The aid stations were some of the best I've encountered, both in terms of what they offered as well as how enthusiastic the volunteers were. I live in the area, so the routes were familiar. Having so many people on the route cheering the runners made a big difference, and I really appreciated it.

Parking/traffic at the start site for the half was very, very congested. The roads in aren't big, and I think the event was much more popular than the organizers anticipated. I was fortunate to have a friend drop me off, but due to the traffic I had 1/2 mile or so to walk to the start. Iowa problems, I suppose.

The major improvement I would suggest is getting people over Rte. 6 more efficiently. This is one of the busier roads in the area. There are a couple of pedestrian bridges that go over it - perhaps including one would make it more efficient and less frustrating for runners. As it was I had to wait for a walk signal, as did everyone else. I've never had to do this in any other organized race I've run.

The multiuse paths in the area were wide enough to support the number of runners in the race, but as others have mentioned, the segment through Coralville routed runners on narrow and uneven sidewalks. That part really wasn't sufficient. If the organizers want the event to grow, I think they'll need to close entire roads off to support the race.

Still, I really enjoyed the event and plan to sign up for next year, when the start will be in Iowa City and go up to Cedar Rapids.

This is the second Rock 'n' Roll race I've run. The first was the 2017 Chicago half marathon. I was really impressed with the race organization and expo so I was glad to sign up for another in the series.

I was able to go on Thursday to the Expo, in the DC Armory, walking distance from RFK stadium, and about one block from the finish line. It's a large expo, with lots of shopping, samples, and demos to see. I was also able to meet Bart Yasso at the Philadelphia Marathon booth. The experience overall is streamlined and very well-organized. Definitely go earlier if possible - this is a big race, with many people in the half marathon and 5K. Not nearly as many ran the marathon.

All races are run on Saturday morning. The marathon started at 7, too early to take the Metro to the starting area. You could either get someone to take you, or pay a fee to park at RFK and take a shuttle to the starting line. Everything ran smoothly, though I did get to the starting area over an hour prior to race start. Nothing was crowded at that time, and you could get water, fruit, and free Dunkin' Donuts coffee samples during the wait. No line at all at any of the restrooms.

New this year, as I found, was the time limit for the marathon - 5 hours 30 minutes from the time the last runner crossed the starting line. There were diversion points if runners didn't make certain distances within the time limit. So this wasn't a good run for walkers. I did see runners who were behind me magically appear ahead of me at mile 25 or so, so the time limits were being enforced.

I enjoyed this course, though I'd agree with others that there are some real hills, a steepish one at mile 6, and a long and winding one from mile 22-24 or so. Many runners walked up both. For the most part, the scenery was pleasant, and the bands were placed well. I found the number of aid stations to be sufficient, though be prepared that the last gel station was at mile 19. The food stop at mile 22 or so only had green bananas, so I passed. The second quarter of the course went through neighborhoods, with many people offering unofficial aid - beer at a couple of places, candy, donuts, etc. The weather was better than in 2017, but still definitely a cool early spring day. The day was clear with a high in the mid-40's. The shady areas were cold! But the course had a lot of sun.

It was hard for spectators to access the second half of the course. My family could only see me at the finish line. So course support was less than for many of the other races I've run.

There was a special marathon recovery zone with free pizza that was pretty good. Plenty of snacks and drinks at the end, though the chocolate milk had just run out by the time I got there. I saw a couple of comments that the half marathon is the big event they plan for here, and I'd agree - I'd say there were 5, maybe 6 times as many runners in that race than in the marathon. And they drank all the chocolate milk!

This was my first marathon, and I ran it because: it was on my birthday, it was my first marathon, and I have family in the area. I'd probably do it again, though the timing isn't optimal for me. The Marine Corps Marathon is something I'd rather do for several reasons, but none of them are due to any lack of satisfaction with this race. I'm glad I ran it.

This is the second year I've run this race, and I would happily do it again. It's small, well-organized, and has good beer (the race is run by the New Tyranena Brewing Co), food, and music afterwards in a heated tent. It's also only about a 20 minute drive from my in-laws' place, but I'd run it anyway.

This year's weather wasn't great - low 40's, misty, some wind. That slowed the race down just a little. The course is about 1/2 paved road (with open roads) about 1/2 packed gravel and dirt trail, that is, the Glacial Drumlin Trail, and begins and ends at the brewery. There are hills in the first half of the course, steepish but short, though the second half is fairly flat. My only criticism of the course is the open road segment, but the race is small, the roads all have wide shoulders and aren't heavily travelled, and Wisconsin drivers are polite.

Packet pickup is the morning of the run, and was very efficient. This year it was held in the brewery itself, perhaps due to the wet weather. There is also lots of beer, good beer, at a really nice price, that you could buy before or after the race.

Rest stops for this race are about every 2 miles, with water and gatorade. We were notified ahead of time to bring our own food. There's also an unofficial beer stop at about the 4.7 mile mark - why not stop for a sip or two?

After finishing the race, runners are guided into a tent with a LOT of food and bottled water to take. This is where medals are given out as well. Every runner also got a thermal wrap this year due to the colder wet weather. It was all set out very well.
Every runner got a full lasagna dinner with 2 pints of beer (or other drinks) as part of the race fee. It's a huge amount of food! You can buy additional dinners/drink tickets as well. The atmosphere is great! Brewery tours are also available after the run.

So this race sells out every year, and I'm not surprised. I will definitely run this race again - easy choice.

I did the Live It Up 5 Mile Loop on Saturday and ran the half-marathon on Sunday.

Both were really well-organized races. The weather was cool and rainy on Saturday, and I think that must have lowered the number of racers for the 5 mile to just over 400. The race started and finished at Principal Park, where the Iowa Cubs play. The course went around Gray Lake, with a couple of water stops. At the finish, racers could get water, fruit, and very generous food boxes.

The weather the next day was cooler and overcast/clear - no rain! But as you would expect after a rainy day, it was windy. I really felt the wind when the course was next to the water.

This is a very well organized and supported race. Hydration stops about every 1.5 miles, and fruit or energy gels about every 3. The course is flat. Bands/music were playing at many stops, and a group of cheerleaders formed an arch that runners could go under - of course I did this!

This is a larger race, and for about 1/3 of the course the path is rather narrow. Be prepared, based on your pace, to have race officials on motorcycles clear the left for wheelchair athletes or the elite marathoners. Though this was not a big deal.

As those who ran in earlier years noted, the after-race food is top-notch. We had very nice arrangements for the Saturday 5 mile race, and Samuel Adams beer and many food options after the Sunday races, such as pulled pork sliders, pizza, and good deli sandwiches.

This one's easy: sign up! The town's very manageable, the races are very well organized, and the support is fantastic.

I've run (or signed up for) this race every year since it started. The first four iterations used the same course - a loop around a residential area, once for the 5K, twice for the 10K. This year, the course was updated so that both courses were generally separate and the distances were as advertised. The distance on my Garmin was 6.25K.

Another new feature was that the event became an official part of the North Liberty Blues and BBQ. It's on the same day, and the race site is the same location as the music festival.

I live very close to the race site, and because I support this food pantry, I love being able to do the run. For a smaller community run, it's very well-supported, and has good food and nice swag, like a performance T and lip balm. There were some supporters along the course, but not nearly as many as there might be for a very large race, such as the Chicago RNR half I just did. The only thing I miss about this race is the home-baked goodies from a previous year.

I'll probably sign up for this race every year because of the community organization it supports as well as the location. And another nice feature is that if I'm training for longer distances, as I am this year, I can just run to the race site and back for another 5.5-6+ miles. And voila, the long weekend run is done!