I've done the SHAPE half twice now - a women's only race with two runs around the Big Loop of Central Park. It's a lot of hills - Cat Hill x2, Harlem Hill x2, and the "Three Sisters" hills x2. But for some reason I love it, even though I hate hills! I had my best half marathon time at it this year - felt great.

The Hapalua organizers did a great job! Plentiful water stations, sponsors with that numbing spray for sore legs, TONS of snacks at the end, even for us slow runners. Love the big screen where you can see your finish @20 minutes after you cross. Had the bad luck to do it on a more-challenging-than-usual weather day - the organizer said the roughest humidity he'd seen for a race there there in 20+ years! And yet it was still a lot of fun.

The New York Roadrunners always put on a great race. I ran this one before the course change, when it was around the big loop of Central Park and then downtown to the Seaport area. It was my first half, and I was too nervous to enjoy it as much as I should have- I'd like to try it again with the new course, and three more halfs under my belt.