Expo:  One of the better expos I've encountered lately. Lots of vendors (loved seeing nuun) and a celebration of Rock n Roll race series from the year. RnR had gathered all the banners from each race expo and put them together to celebrate their 20th anniversary and the final RnR race of the year. We found our banner from Dallas and I added a message to the San Antonio banner. The expo was also incredibly convenient. We walked past the 5K/10K race on the way to the expo (held at the convention center).

Weather:  Horrible! I had low expectations (Texas in December is incredibly unpredictable and the news showed the race was in a rainstorm last year) but hoped for maybe 60s. Instead, we got an incredibly humid start, two rainstorms during the race, a light sprinkling later, and a warm sunny finish. 

Support:  Friendly volunteers and lots of water, but support ran out of Gatorade during the later miles (fortunately I drink Nuun instead). There were more medical tents than I usually see, which offered vaseline and salt packets along the way. During one of the toughest miles, mariachi bands dotted every corner and a folklorico dancer performed above us on a bridge.

Course:  Mostly a good tour of the city. We began downtown and ran right past San Fernando Cathedral (with the priests blessing us as we ran past) and the Alamo early on, then past UTSA before heading north into the newly revamped Pearl District. The next highlight was Brackenridge Park, a delight for anyone who thinks Texas doesn't get a beautiful taste of fall. The trees were rich in autumn hues and American flags lined the way with photos of fallen soldiers. From there, we turned south along the Mission Trail. Unfortunately, we ran through the back way and could only spot one mission from a distance even though the missions were nearby. Miles 18-20 overlap with 20-24, providing more support than usual on some of the tougher stretches. The last mile took us through the gorgeous and historical King William Historic District to cheering crowds just in front of La Villita. Overall, a good pass through the city but would've liked to see more of the missions and run along any part of the river walk, even on its far reaches.

This was my first marathon completely and purposely without music. I planned to listen to the Rock n Roll provided bands every mile, but the frequency was lower than I expected. I would run RnR San Antonio again in the future but opt for a shorter distance.

Racing at night has got to be one of the coolest race experiences ever. While the race started late afternoon and I spent most of it in daylight, night fell during my last mile.

Expo:  As basic as basic gets but with the benefit of multiple packet pickup locations or having your bib shipped to you (for an additional fee). PlayTri hosted, and I was in and out of my local location in five minutes. The race shirt is a really cool 360-degree print of the Dallas skyline at night. I saw many runners post jokingly they were running this race "just for the cool race shirt."


Weather:  Almost perfect! The race started in the high 60s and finished around 60 degrees with a light breeze. It was a little humid at times, but that's Dallas for you. I only wish the sky had been clear for a beautiful sunset view while running. instead, it was overcast all evening.


Support:  Water and Gatorade every two miles but the separation between the two wasn't obvious enough for runners. I found myself grabbing Gatorade by accident multiple times. I don't use water stops much in a half, so this wasn't too big of a deal. Crowd support was minimal, probably because of the location and time of day, but there were several police officers all along the course. While working the course and directing traffic, the officers also seemed genuinely invested in spectating.


Course:  Nothing compares to racing at night with a perfect view of the Dallas skyline. If you need any more motivation to push yourself the last couple miles, just look ahead. Overall, I loved running this course along the Trinity River ("river" used loosely in its modern representation), through the Design District and parts of South/West Dallas. The trails don't quite connect enough for the half marathon distance, so some of the time is spent on the road with a couple brief gravel patches. I would like to see completely paved trails in the future. Enjoy the cool murals along the Trinity Strand Trail and the finish by Trinity Groves. The course is flat, except for a few bridge ramps.


I had so much fun racing at night! I can't wait to find my next half marathon--and hopefully another night run.

I look forward to the DRC Half every year in part for the food at the end. It’s the only race I know of that has bundt cake--and the beer garden features local Lakewood Brewing! This year, I ran as a pacer. It’s a completely different race experience.

Pacing presents challenges of its own. I paced 2:35, and we finished exactly to the hundredth of a second. However, pacing is also about consistency throughout the race--not just a finish time. I learned from my first time pacing how we had to adjust and keep on track each mile. This year was an unusually humid (and record-breaking) hot race day, so I’m glad to have paced without the pressure of racing.

Expo:  Local running store Luke’s Locker hosted a small expo with coupons, DRC merchandise and a special store discount for runners. The race shirt this year is one of my new all-time favorites. It’s a soft dry fit long-sleeved shirt in a nice shade of green. The front has a design of White Rock Lake (where the race mostly takes place) with a heart and landmarks.

Weather:  Hot and humid in the 80s. These were summer racing conditions but atypical for this race. We did have a nice breeze most of the time, which helped significantly. Typically the weather is much cooler and contributes to many PRs.

Support:  Water and Gatorade every few miles plus a really fun unofficial stop around mile 11. The Dallas Dirt Runners hosted Fireball shots and other surprises. Overall, expect great support at every Dallas Running Club event. It’s a completely volunteer organization but full of runners passionate about the sport and supporting other runners. Where the course passes through neighborhoods west of the lake, several families and neighbors came out to cheer.

Course:  The course is very familiar to local runners because it mostly loops around White Rock Lake. To make the full half marathon distance, the course extends into some of the hilly neighborhoods west of the lake. Expect the hilliest portions in the first half of the race. The race starts and finishes in Norbuck Park. Prepare to ride the free shuttle to and from the race, since there is no finish line parking on race day.

The DRC Half is a local favorite. Register early for a good deal. The DRC Half is one of the two signature club races. Sign up also for the White Rock ‘N’ Roll 10 miler for a discount and special bonus medal. The DRC Half is a great choice for a first half marathon or an annual personal challenge. It’s also a great introduction to the club itself, which hosts training programs year round.

I originally planned to run the marathon distance, but it got cancelled almost last-minute because of unseasonably warm temperatures. I elected to run the half instead of taking a deferment or refund. I would run Montreal again and again, especially if the temperatures lived up to a true Canadian fall next time. Marathon finishers (in this case, half finishers who had originally registered for the cancelled marathon) received a finishers jacket written in French, unique to other Rock’N’Roll race events.

The expo was smaller than most RnR Expos, and I was disappointed that neither of my favorite brands (Honey Stinger and Nuun) made an appearance. While the site itself was easy to find, navigating within the convention center took awhile. I don’t like expos that make you walk so much just to get to the entrance. Shirt distribution also seemed a little disorganized.

Canadians were very scared of the unseasonably warm temperatures, so they added extra water stops and support. Every fire hydrant along the way was open, which seemed a little bit overkill but were fun to run through like a child in the sprinklers. Local run clubs and Lululemon staffed cheering stations near one of the final hills. I ran the free Lululemon Shakeout Run the day before, so it was nice to look forward to seeing new “friends” along the course. They even invited us out for drinks and poutine after the race, which we declined in favor of recovery naps. The city showed up to support this race, which made it one of the most fun I’ve ever run.

I’d been planning to run this race for a couple years because of how much I love Montreal. The views did not disappoint. We began* on an island, circled around to another and then crossed into the main city (technically also an island)–running along the old port most of the way. One of my favorite parts was through the art installation over Saint Catherine Street in Gay Village. We finished in the park with a large beer garden and plenty of entertainment. *Take note that this is a point-to-point course, and the start line is accessible only by metro then walking about 20 minutes. Neither the start nor finish is close to the old port, but the finish does have a metro station nearby. The race provided every participant with a free one-day metro pass.

This is my all-time favorite race! I'm a little biased as a Baylor alum, but the course is worth it for me every year. I've run 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and am signed up again for 2018. Something unique is that this race is completely organized by Baylor students and also a fundraiser for student scholarships. The finish is a glorious sprint across the stadium bridge over the Brazos River into a large cheering crowd.

The toughest half in Texas is not just the race moniker. The race breaks down into 5 miles along the Brazos River, 5 miles of hills in Cameron Park (you will feel like you are going uphill almost the whole time) and a flat 5K to the finish. You'll see surprisingly scenic views along the river, crossing two bridges and get a peak into the Cameron Park Zoo just before beginning the first ascent. Then it's rolling hills until the peak at Lovers Leap--the best view of all in Cameron Park. I'm always tempted to stop for photos, but instead use this opportunity for gels/nutrition since it falls about halfway through my race.

The crowd support is fantastic because Baylor organizations staff the water stops and compete to have the best cheering section. You'll never see so many water stops in any other race, along with a huge line of portable toilets around mile two (so don't fret if you can't make the line at the start in time). The community also really comes out to support, with the last couple miles taking you along the edge of downtown Waco toward campus. For a race of its size, the cheering crowds and after party are very large.

The race begins and ends outside McLane Stadium, and there is plenty of parking in the stadium lot. You'll get a mini tour of Baylor's campus. If you want to see more, run the 5K instead, which goes all through campus and starts a half hour later.

The one negative of this race is that the weather is always unpredictable--but that's spring in Texas! 2013 was absolutely perfect weather, 2015 was torrential downpours, 2016 was freezing cold, 2017 was warm with heavy winds. Registration typically opens in November each year.