For those in the Tri-State Area or Pennsylvania Area, the Philadelphia Marathon can be a great for you if its your first marathon or if the NYC Marathon lottery didn't work out for the 7th year in a row. This flat course sends you through your tour of the city first, which is scenically painted with the residents of those neighborhoods. The crowds may be sparse at times, but the scenery keeps your attention.

After a brief stint in the city, you make your way towards Drexel, and to one of few inclines on the course. This gradual ascent is over before you can blink and you can catch a steep descent of which you should take advantage. Now, the lonely miles begin. Very few spectators until you return to the city at the halfway mark.

The final stretch of out and back on the river has some incline but the view of the river is gorgeous and the turnaround point at mile 20 has an electrifying atmosphere. However, this was the windiest part of the run with gusts of 25+ mph. Although this was an unexpected weather condition, the season in Philly breeds some tough conditions. You may be in for some wind or rain or cold or something crazy this weekend.

Finish line food trucks are a welcomed sight when you finish, but the finisher's food is a bit sub par. The shirt was also a little lackluster, but the overall experience.

Pro Tip: If you can find a hotel or airbnb within a mile of the starting line, you can most likely jog to the starting line and cut down on the commuting stress.

Accessibility: We ran this race as a tune-up for our November marathon. As a Massachusetts resident, it was relatively easy to get in and out of Hartford on race day, which was a pleasant surprise.
Gear: The event T-shirt was great and the medal was cool too! However, the merchandise for sale through HMF may be worth passing up--no compelling designs, etc.
Aid Stations: Hartford has a great contingent of volunteers at aid stations, which keeps the stations well staffed and running efficiently.
Scenery: The half marathon course mainly takes place in the 'burbs so if you're looking for city sights, maybe pass this course up. The suburban scenery was pleasant and made it feel more like a jog instead of a race. The drawback was the lack of support, which is to be expected in a course of this type. The direction of the race through a park was a welcomed change of green (and provided a slight downhill moment as well).
Elevation: The elevation gain of the race was around 500 feet. There are several slow climbs on the course, but no quad busters.
Race Management: as with every race, access to portable toilets before the race were scarce and caused HUGE lines and delays. This was STRESSSSFULLLLLL.

Overall: if you're within driving distance of this race, it's definitely worth running a solid race and adding another medal to the collection.

Nestled in the scenic Blue Hills Reservation outside of Boston, this 7-mile jaunt is worth the views. The start of this race is a pure gun start and there was no chip time, so if you care about your results, GET UP TO THE FRONT OF THE PACK FOR THE START. If you decide to hang back, you may need to fight your way up through the pack on some tough terrain. The terrain itself is pretty concentrated with roots and rocks, which provide a welcomed challenge. Approximately 4 hills provide 700 feet of elevation gain for the race. If you're new to trails like me, this is a TREAT. Enjoy it. Have no fear, the finish of the race spits you out on to dirt so you can pick your pace up for the finish!

This local gem is a solid trail race organized by a dedicated local running team. Give it a shot for sure