This is a race to do IF you are an OSU fan. It is NOT a race to expect a PR. There is the experience to run onto the football field and down the tunnel which is awesome! The actual running can be tricky, the corrals are usually a mess, walkers at the front, people not moving to the the right for passing and people grouping the length of the street. A VERY casual race, but a lot of GREAT fun!

I drove in from Ohio and stayed at the host hotel. Check in was pretty easy except they changed my room to "an upgrade" but ended up being extremely loud because of where it was located. But it was roomy which was nice with my bike. At the expo there was a mandatory meeting that gave some general information about the race which was nice, you didn't get your ticket to pick your packet up until the end of the meeting. Packet pick up was well organized, you HAD to have your ID to get your packet. Then you could browse around the Expo. The expo had a lot of vendors, lots of merchandise to choose from. The only thing would have been a bit more merchandise with Chicago TRI on it.
There were pretty specific times to go to the transition area which was a decent distance from the hotel. The only thing that I didn't really understand was you could drop bike off day before but then you HAD to go back to transition in the morning several hours before the race, then transition closed.
The swim was good, you hop in, tread water until they blow the horn. The water was a little choppy but not too bad and there were volunteers at the end to help you out because the steps were a bit slippery. The bike route was good, nothing too hilly and you went under the city for a small portion which was pretty cool, messes with watch and mileage but worth it! The run was along the water and there were several water stations. The finish area was crowded but fine, food was OK, nothing memorable.
Overall the race was great, I would recommend it for anyone and do it again.

This was my first full marathon.
The expo is great, lots of vendors and is a serpent style so you see everything before you get your bib. Your packet pickup is down the flight of steps so be prepared to go up and down a long flight.
The course is fairly flat with just a few ramps/hills. The actual course is a variety of scenery which is nice change of pace. There is some great crowd support on the main roads but a lot of solo time while running on the base and area around it.
The race was well organized except the parking. The finish line is great and has a ton of spectators, it is awesome to run past the airplanes!!!
Parking is a mess, it is a far walk, it is in a wet field and getting out is ridiculous. Give yourself plenty of time before and after! I did not take a shuttle but heard they aren't great, so just be prepared before and after to have plenty of time to get there and get back out.
Overall, this is a great race and lots of fun.

This was my first ever half marathon. I signed up with a friend and we trained together to get ready for the race. We booked a hotel very early close to the start/finish which I highly suggest. We had hotel parking and the walk was easy and convenient.
We arrived and checked out the expo, picked up packets and walked around the convention center. It had a lot of booths with lots of product.
The day of the race we got down to the start early and hung out. It was a good start, nothing out of the ordinary or hard. The course itself for the majority was around the city and some neighborhoods, pretty standard but of course the best part was running into the raceway. Being on the raceway, getting pics and running on the brick was the coolest experience. It was so massive and knowing how fast the cars go on the raceway and being able to run on it was just awesome.
The aid stations were plentiful and some even had some "unique" items if you chose to try :)
The crowd was pretty awesome too. LOTS of entertainment, music, bands, and just all around fun.
I would recommend this for any level athlete as the experience alone is worth it but the course is well supported, great swag and fun photo ops!!!