As a longtime Austin resident, I will say that this race in its current course is a great tour of our city. It starts in downtown and heads south along S. Congress. As you come back into downtown on S. First, you get some amazing views of the skyline. Next, you travel west along Lake Austin blvd where to your left and straight ahead you'll see some beautiful scenery along Lady Bird Lake. Next you head though an old Austin neighborhood as you get back into downtown. From there, you head north though the University of Texas campus and along the drag, which is a common area for UT students. You then wind through another historic Austin neighborhood known as Hyde Park. Some of the most beautiful homes in the city are in this neighborhood. You'll then travel back south and then into the East Side. You'll get to see some historic sites and awesome graffiti art. The final stretch to downtown is along Cesar Chavez blvd, which is home to many small local eateries and shops. Then finally, you make your way back into downtown via the legendary 6th street and through the Red River Cultural District before running past the State Capitol building and to the finish line.

This route is hilly, particularly the first half to 18 miles. Some hills are more gradual (along Guadalupe) while others are dramatic (Enfield/15th). Though there are some pretty good downhills, particularly along S. First. But that's part of the majesty of this city. If you run this marathon, you'll definitely feel like you saw a good part of this city.

The Expo is pretty easy to get through to get your bib and other swag. There are lots of good vendors there. Under Armour has a big presence in Austin, so they promote the race's t-shirts and other gear. Fleet Feet just recently opened up in our city, so they have played a big part in the event too.

The NYC marathon is quite an experience. If you like the big marathon spectacle, I highly recommend it.

The Expo: The expo is mostly well organized. It's at the Javitz center, which is at the far western edge of 34st. It's not terribly easy to get to, so plan some time to get there and back. Getting your bib and race packet is very well organized. There is separate station at the expo to try on shirt sizes before going to choose one. Plus the race t-shirt is a long sleeve. I thought it was a bit confusing having to go through the New Balance store to get to the other vendors. But the variety of vendors at the expo was pretty good. Plus, the Javitz center has plenty of place to get food/drink and sit.

Getting to the start: I opted for the midtown bus, which was a good idea. It was very well organized by time. The busses leave from front of the library next to Bryant Park but the entrance to the line was at the southwest corner of the park. That added some extra walking for me but it was no big deal. The busses were comfortable and warm. The ride there took about 45 or so minutes. Some of that was waiting to get off the bus at the starting village. It was pretty impressive to me how quickly and efficiently they were able to move that many people to the start.

Starting Village: This was another impressive part of the race. The starting village is separated by color group, which is printed on your bib. There is water, coffee, and pre-race nutrition (bagels, bananas, energy bars, etc). There are lots of bathrooms too. They even have them in the start corrals, which is very nice for that last minute need to go before the start. There were lots of bins to discard your warm up clothes and attendants there to help you. The start corrals were well organized and pace groups were easy to find. Once at the start, there is so much excitement.

The course: The initial ascent on the Verrazano is not bad at all since it is at the beginning. The descent is a little hard to control your pace on though, so be aware of that if you're pacing. The views of lower Manhattan from the bridge are like nothing else on the course. The energy in Brooklyn and Queens is remarkable. There are so many cheering throughout and I hardly recall any spots where it was empty. That said, I highly recommend sticking close to a pacer at your desired pace during this stretch. The energy can make you want to run a little faster. After Queens is a near two mile stretch along the Queensboro bridge. It doesn't seem like much, but at mile 16 the steady ascent of it can be really hard and it's really quiet. You'll get on the other side it and the race energy returns as you go steadily up First Avenue. You'll welcome it after getting off the bridge. The energy on that street and into Harlem are amazing. The jaunt through the Bronx is pretty quite but there are lot of people cheering. The last stretch down 5th avenue and back in the park is mostly downhill with a few bumps. The park is mostly flat, though the final stretch down Central Park South is slightly uphill towards the end. Then there is the last bit through the park and then you're done. It's a thrilling feeling to finish the NYC marathon.

Post race: After getting your medal, there are plenty of photo opportunities. You can get a heat sheet almost immediately if you need one. The recovery bag had some good items in it, like a protein shake, protein bar, apply, gatorade, pretzels, and water. After finishing, it takes about 30-45 minutes to get out of the park provided you don't have a bag to pick up. The post-race poncho is very nice and very warm.

Other thoughts: If you plan to run this race, be sure to set aside a full day. The last busses leave for the start around 7am. Most runners start the race between 10 and 11 and finish sometime in the afternoon. Add to it the time it takes to get out of the park and then find a way back to your hotel. There are aid stations at each mile, which have gatorade and water. Some stops have bananas, bio-freeze, and one has energy gels. Overall, the race is very well organized and well executed. And they treat the runners very well.

I chose Shiner as my first half-marathon and I am glad I did. I had an outstanding experience. The people of Shiner were very friendly and hospitable. I had to pick up my race packet the morning of since we were traveling in from Austin, but I found the experience to be very easy.

The race starts and ends at the Brewery. You see so much of the little charming town of Shiner and some of the surrounding country. The first half is stead uphill and the second half stead downhill. There are some gravelly parts just after the halfway mark. The post race party is a real blast and you get a tour of the brewery.

The only downside I would say is that unless you're coming from a nearby city, getting a motel or something nearby is hard to do. It can be done with a little research though.