Overall: 8/10, recommend.

Except for the windy second half, I don't really have many complaints about this race. Everything meets my expectations and the medal is such a beauty.

Course

Pretty flat (415 ft+ according to my Garmin), the biggest "climb" takes place in the first couple of miles. While the race is called "waterfront", you don't really run by the water at all. The closest you get to Lake Ontario is Mile 7-10 running out and back by a waterfront park. Other than that the course is pretty urban.
- Race day conditions: 8°C to 10°C, mostly cloudy. The sun came out for a bit during the first half, then it got cold and windy during the second half.

Logistics

- The Marathon starts and finishes at Nathan Phillips Square in the city center
- There are start corrals and we were able to get into the corral pretty close to start time. The fastest pace group at 3:10 (full) / 1:30 (half).
- Overall the crowd support is decent, but there are some sections that feel quiet (e.g. a long industrial section of Lake Shore Blvd E)
- Plenty of aid stations, full road closure.

Expo & Swag

- The expo is held at Enercare Centre, close to the city center and accessible by public transit. The venue is very spacious.
- Different from most races, the swag shirt is a cotton tee.
- Medal of this year is a real beauty. The round, golden medal looks like an Olympic gold medal!

Overall: 7/10, I recommend this race.
"World class race, small town vibe", that's the slogan of Grandma's Marathon and I agree based on my experience. There are *a lot* of fast runners, accommodations are hard and expensive to secure, but you do get an intimate vibe around town during the race weekend.

Course

Despite being net downhill, this is not a truly fast course. There are a lot of fast runners at Grandma's so the race results look fast, but the course itself isn't.
- The first 5 miles are the net downhill part of the race, with about 100 ft drop. The rest of the race has constant though gentle rolling hills with little net elevation change. Total elevation gain is 484 ft according to my Garmin.
- Mile 20 to Mile 22 is a gradual climb with a visible hill at mile 22.5 (the Lemon Drop).
- This is a point to point course with minimal turns.
- Race day condition: 14°C to 16°C, partly cloudy, cool breeze.

Logistics

- The Marathon starts at 7:45am, Half Marathon at 6am from halfway point. There is minimal overlap.
- No mandatory corrals, with the fastest full pace group at 3:00.
- The start line is way out and only accessible by race shuttles. Buses drop off runners 30+ min before the start so dress warmly. There are many porta-potties at the start line but the lines are still long.
- The finish area is in Downtown Duluth.
- Crowd support is sporadic outside Duluth city center and only gets solid in the last 3 miles.
- Aid stations are plenty.
- Full road closure along the course.

* One big logistic challenge for Grandma's marathon is accommodation.
All hotels in the city and surrounding areas blacked out race weekend availability online and you can only inquire and book by phone. Huge hassle, no transparency, and they are expensive too ($300+/night).
UMD dorms and apartments are the cheaper option ($130/night) but you need to watch out and be quick when they open for reservations.

Expo & Swag

The expo, held at Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, is pretty big. However the venue is a bit old and most exhibitors are small local vendors, no national brands or fun activities.
- No race shirt, finisher shirt is a short-sleeve tech shirt.
- There is a pasta party at the Expo on Saturday 11a-9p. Great running community atmosphere but lines can be long during dinner time.
- Medal is nice, classic look.

Overall: 6/10, recommend.

Course

- The first half has some rolling hills while the back half is mostly flat. Overall, the course has an elevation gain of 928 ft+.
- The first few miles of the course takes runners through the urban areas of St. Louis, featuring landmarks such as the magnificent Forest Park, the WUSTL campus, and the 1904 Olympics site. The highlight of the course is definitely Mile 16, where the course passes right under the Gateway Arch. While the rest of the race is not particularly scenic, the out-and-back 10 miles on the riverfront trail along the Mississippi provides an open environment that I enjoyed.
- Race condition: cloudy, 4°C to 12°C, with a headwind during the final 4 miles. It was a little cold at the start line but once get moving I feel just fine (in a singlet).

Logistics

- The Marathon and Half Marathon both start promptly at 7am. Participants will be placed in start line corrals, with the fastest full/half marathon pace group starting at 3:15/1:30.
- The first 11 miles of the course will be shared by both full and half marathon runners, after which they will split off into their respective routes. While there is minimal crowd support, there will be 20 aid stations. Full road closure along the course.
- The start line is located at Forest Park and is conveniently accessible by light rail on race day. The finish area is located in the new downtown area, providing runners with a convenient and comfortable end to their race.

Expo & Swag

- The expo, held at Tower Grove Park, seemed like a fun little outdoor festival, although I arrived too late to explore it. I appreciate that bib pick up closes at 6pm, one hour later than the expo.
- Race shirt is a short-sleeve tech shirt.
- Medal is pretty standard.

Overall: 5/10, not recommend.

Course

- Oakland's full marathon course runs the half marathon loop twice. During the race, I thought running the second half with a fresh first-hand experience of the course is pretty helpful.
- 568 ft+ according to my Garmin, it feels flat except for a very gradual incline on Broadway (twice).
- The course loops around Lake Merritt and went through downtown Oakland, but the majority of the course isn't very scenic.
- Race day condition: 11°C-14°C, light rain throughout, a little windy.

Logistics

- Marathon and 10K start at 7am, Half Marathon start at 9am. No strict corrals but pace groups available (including 3:00 for marathon). The problem of this set-up and the double loop marathon course is that fast marathoners will run into slow 10K runners , and fast half marathoners will run into slow marathoners. Not a great experience.
- The start/finish area is at Snow Park, like the Expo. Great downtown location though BART (subway) doesn't run until 8am on Sundays! The park is muddy on race day.
- 13 aid stations along the course.
- Minimal crowd support, especially on a rainy day.
- Road closure is good, with controlled through traffic at some intersections.

Expo & Swag

The expo is held at Snow Park in downtown Oakland, which is easy to get by public transit. It's completely outdoor and pretty small. There is one big tent for bib/shirt pickup (but no gear/goodie bag), and several small tents hosting some local exhibitors.
- T-shirt: long sleeve cotton/souvenir shirt
- Medal: designed by a local artist, quite special but it doesn't look regal.

Overall: 5/10, not recommend.

Course

- Hilly! There is hardly any flat segment, my watch recorded 1400 ft+. The course also has tons of turns.
- Crowd support is lacking, Atlanta Run Club at mile 12 is the only run club cheer station I noticed. There were hardly any spectators for the second half of the race. Roads were also shared with traffic for some part of the second half.
- The course does showcase lots of Atlanta landmarks and parks. The views are engaging, if not scenic.
- Race day condition: cloudy, 17°C-20°C, 90% humidity (didn't feel that bad though).

Logistics

- Overall Atlanta Marathon isn't a big race. Fastest pace groups are only 3:30 (full) and 1:35 (half). 6 aid stations in the first half, 7 in the second,
- The start and finish is at Centennial Olympic Park. Mass start with three corrals. There is no corral closure so I was able to jump into the corral 3 minutes before the race started. Full and half races share the course for 13 miles before splitting.
- There are water, bananas, snacks and protein shakes at the finish line area in Centennial Olympic Park, it didn't feel crowded.

Expo & Swag

- The expo was held at the Ocean Ballroom of Georgia Aquarium. Great central location, but it's small. There is an official merch area, a center stage and a handful of brand exhibitors. The highlight of the expo is the underwater full wall windows where you get to see sharks and whales from the aquarium.
- T-shirt: long sleeve tech shirt by Adidas.
- Medal: big, classic, I love it.