I began composing this race report in my head while running the half marathon last Sunday, but gave myself time to cool off and gain some perspective.

Signing Up: Sign up was easy. I treated myself to VIP (more later) and it was a complete miss. I highly regret paying them an extra $99 for that ripoff and if you take nothing else from this review, remember that THE VIP UPGRADE IS A WASTE OF MONEY. They have a good website full of information and their email updates were timely and informative.

Expo: The expo was a cluster. It's at the Palmer Center, convenient to nothing and no one. On-site parking for it had a long ~30 minute line that backed well onto Barton Springs Road. I found $5 parking nearby, but felt very lucky to do so. For a large event like this, they should have their expo in a more central, convenient, and accessible location...Austin is FULL of options that are better suited for the expo than the Palmer Center. Additionally, there was a false alarm on the fire alarm system on Saturday, an hour before the expo closed. They evacuated the entire place even though they acknowledged there was no fire. Security was rude to the point of roughness about it. I understand safety protocols, but I also believe we're all humans who deserve to be treated with respect and as guests. They could have been much more proactive about addressing the alarm and getting people back into the expo. I was not comfortable as a guest at the Palmer Center and hope to never go back there. The expo itself was disorganized...picking up my VIP bracelet was a pain, the lines for bibs, shirts and bags all ran together in a mess at the back of the room, and generally I just wanted to get out of there ASAP. Not conducive to shopping or browsing at all. Worst expo I've seen.

Running the Race: The race has one big corral for everybody: approx 10,000 half marathoners and 3,000 full marathoners all in one big block. They put up big yellow pace signs but nobody appeared to care. I'm a mid-pack, 2 hour half marathoner and passed thousands of people on S Congress before mile 3. I ran an extra half mile uphill dodging walkers, cutting around big groups of joggers four-abreast, and trying to avoid the open drain holes in the street. Step wrong, and you'll snap an ankle. The race desperately needs dedicated corrals with timed, segregated starts between them. This is common for most races this size, rather than the current free-for-all.

Once the pack thinned out around Mile 6, I enjoyed the scenery and hills. I would love to run the route again with better management. It was rewarding.

Aid Stations: Not nearly enough port-a-potties. For the first time in my racing life, I saw guys just pulling off the course and relieving themselves right by the course...it didn't bother me, but it sure isn't a sign of a well-organized and resourced race. The water/Nuun stations were fine, and the volunteers were great, but due to the race's lack of corrals/organization there was always a line or a huge throng of people standing (yes...standing) in front of the volunteers blocking other runners. This makes it hard to get your water and keep pace.

VIP: Can I give this zero stars? The VIP was a TOTAL ripoff. They should be ashamed of themselves. They market this $99 upcharge as an opportunity to have private breakfast (picked over bagels and ice water), a dedicated VIP-only restroom (the VIP restroom was really just the lobby restroom of the JW Marriott which was OUTSIDE of the VIP zone. Anyone could use it. The line was 20 deep outside of the door and it smelled like a slaughterhouse in summertime), and a VIP tent to cool off afterward.

I'd like to talk about that VIP Tent. An email sent the morning of the race said we could access the VIP tent "10th & Congress Ave. Access on the West Side of Congress". Being savvy, I parked near that location to make a quick getaway after enjoying my amenities post-race. The exit for the race chute is at 4th and Congress so once i got my medal and water, I exited onto the west side of Congress and hobbled the 6 blocks against the mob until reaching 10th and Congress. Turns out, the VIP tent was on the EAST SIDE of Congress. To get to it, I would have to walk 12 more blocks (6 each way), fighting extrememly crowded sidewalks the whole way, just to get to it. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. It's pretty easy to tell east from west, but they failed us here. I wrote to them expressing my displeasure at their lack of dedicated VIP bathrooms pre-race and their complete disorganization in post-race planning, but they got my money a long time ago and I doubt they'll bother to reply. Lesson learned = VIP is an insulting waste of money here.

Value: This is what sticks with me...Austin Marathon is far more expensive than other, similar-sized races, yet they fall short with what they offer. The race started forty minutes late. This was the 29th time they've done this race. I realize that stuff happens, but forty minutes? Come on, do better Austin Marathon! There are many, many races out there that provide stellar experiences for runners. I recommend giving them your business and passing on the shoddy and disorganized Austin Marathon. Thanks for reading.