Overall: 8/10, recommend.

Course

-Houston is know for its flat course. 300 ft+ according to my Garmin. Not a whole lot of turns.
-However, it's far from scenic and not many spectators. My favorite thing of the race is watching the sunrise as we headed south crossing Buffalo Bayou. Oak tree lined boulevard (Main Street) next to Rice University is also nice. Otherwise it's mostly urban sprawl.
- Race condition: mostly cloudy, 14°C-17°C, not too warm or humid.

Logistics

- 3:00 marathon pace group available. 16 aid stations along the course, 8 in the first half and 8 in second.
- The start line is in downtown Houston and I was able to get there by light rail 40 minutes in advance. Gear check took place in a colossal hall in the convention center and the start line is about half mile away. I didn't like the fact that corral A closes 15 minutes before race started but there were porta potties inside the corral shute so I got to use one just before the race started.
- After the finish, runners are given some water and snacks, Then we got in the convention center for gear pickup, finisher's shirt and one plate of real food. Outside in the park runners can hang out with family and friends with more food and drinks options.

Expo & Swag

The expo is held at the convention center, which easy to get to by public transit. There are two halls, one for bib pick up, one for expo. The gear/goodie bag only contains a nylon souvenir bag and no goodies at all. Race shirt is handed out at the *finish line*, not expo. Brooks and Fleet Feet were the two major exhibitors at the expo, besides lots of smaller brands and companies.
- T-shirt: short sleeve tech shirt by Brooks.
- Medal: decent, simple and neat design.