Expo:
Quick and easy packet pick-up at Road Runner Sports in Torrance
This year you received a medal instead of the t-shirt offered in previous years, but you could purchase the t-shirt at pick up

Neighborhood around Start/Finish:
BEAUTIFUL! We spent our last night in California in San Pedro for this race and the Ports O' Call Village is filled with great shops and restaurants.

Race day parking:
We didn't park right at the start, but up the street within easy walking distance. There appeared to be plenty of parking, but we parked in a pay-to-park lot. Easy!

Port O' Potties at the Start:
No issues. Easy in and out!

Start/Finish Line:
There weren't corrals, but it wasn't chaotic or crowded. It was exciting and well-organized.

Course:
I am from the comparatively flat Midwest, so the hills, the bridge, and the port were breathtaking. I loved this race and it is something fun to tack on at the end of a Disney race too.

You can read my entire report at:
http://www.willrunforamedal.blogspot.com/2014/09/conquer-bridge-53-miler-on-labor-day.html

This St. Louis area 5K, 10K, and Family Fun Run is a great deal! We paid $35 for the 5K on race day and received a nice tech t-shirt, a medal once we had finished, and good post-race food and entertainment. Parking for the race was across the street from packet pick-up and the start/finish line. The race started and ended at the Creve Coeur government center. The start lead us up a hill to a main thoroughfare (Olive Avenue), through a business district, and through quaint residential streets. There were two water stops along the 5K route, which were well-staffed. The end of the race included another hill with a downhill to the finish line. At the finish you received your medal and were greeted by entertainers on stilts. Music was playing in the background throughout the morning. Finish line food included bagels, oranges, and bananas with water. Free stretching and massages were also available.

Great race to start off your summer and benefit the Creve Coeur Parks and Recreation Department.

For more pictures go to: http://www.willrunforamedal.blogspot.com/2014/06/creve-coeur-heart-to-heart-5k.html

This was the inaugural running of the River Town Run 5K and Half Marathon in Washington, MO. Packet pick-up was available in South St. Louis County on Friday and in Washington on Saturday and race day morning. This course is filled with hills, so be sure you train properly. The course took you through the town of Washington, into the country past farms, through industrial parks, along the Missouri River and the riverfront area, and then back to the fairgrounds where we started. Even though the roads were open during the race, traffic was very light and I never felt unsafe as the course was clearly marked with signs and volunteers guiding the way and warning vehicles. I don't remember seeing Gatorade or Gu at any of the aid stations, so bring these items if you need them during the race.

The finish was a nice downhill at the fairgrounds and immediately after you received your medal, the food and water were at your finger tips. Food included various types of granola bars, bagels, water, and chocolate milk. Music was also playing as you crossed the finish like and plenty of people were there cheering you on.

I really enjoyed this race, but want to stress that this was a hilly course so be sure to train appropriately. The goodie bag included the shirts (nice white tech shirts), fliers for future races, chapstick, nail files, a frisbee, sunscreen, shoe laces, and many other advertisements for local businesses. I attached a picture of the medal for you to check out, but overall the swag was a bit above what I expected.

If you are coming from out of town for this race, I would recommend either staying in St. Charles and taking Highway 94 to and from the race so that you can see the BEAUTIFUL Missouri Rhineland and hit some of the wineries after the race. Or stay in Washington and travel to St. Charles via 94 after the race. Either way, this trek is totally worth it and filled with wineries and quaint towns.

The only issue I came across was access to restrooms on race morning. When I arrived at 7:30 there was one porta potty for everyone. Race officials stressed that it was not their fault and the parks department were on their way to unlock the restrooms. By 7:40 or so, they were open. Hopefully next year they will be open as soon as race day packet pick up begins.

The expo was downtown near many parking garages and restaurants, so it was very convenient. There were many other races with booths at the expo, as well as vendors selling running gear. This was one of the best expos that I have been to.

This race is advertised as the largest half marathon in the country, so EXPECT constant runner density equal to Disney and Rock and Roll half/full marathons.

The 5K actually started before the half marathon, which was surprising, but I think they ran a different course so there weren't any problems with this. It was this race's first year with a wave start and again, I did not experience any problems.

Water/Gatorade stops are called Pit Areas but what made them even more unique was that they would have a water only stop, then .25 miles or so later would be the Gatorade so there was never a shortage of beverages or volunteers cheering you on. The bibs had your name on them, so many of the volunteers would call out your name.

Stay downtown if at all possible because there are plenty of hotels near the expo and start/finish line. You just can't beat leaving your hotel and being in your corral in less than ten minutes.

Remember to stop and kiss the bricks. I saw many runners who passed the bricks on the race track only to have to run back to kiss them. If you don't stop to kiss the bricks, just be aware that many runners do, so pay attention to the runners in front of you at that point.

The last time I ran this was was 2011 and it rained. This year was sunny and beautiful, which seemed to make a difference with the entertainment on the course. There were so many bands and entertainers along the course that as soon as you would get out of ear-shot of one band, you would hear another in the distance. This was not the case in 2011 from what I remember, so this feature may be totally weather dependent, but it was a great experience.

The finish line food reminded me of trick or treat. We were given Finish Line plastic bags and as you walked past the various food tables, volunteers just placed items in our bags. What a genius idea!

I would highly recommend this race and just visiting downtown Indianapolis. The city is very clean and walkable. There is also plenty to do if you are making a mini vacation out of race weekend.

This was my first color run and it happened to take place on Memorial Day Weekend, when I would be in DC. The race expo was at Road Runner Sport in Falls Church, VA but day-of packet pick-up was also available. We opted to metro in, rather than drive but parking was around $10. Either way, you are right by the start/finish line.

We opted to purchase additional color packets, which I would recommend for families to make it more fun. We all wore our race t-shirts, which were of course white but many people dressed up for the race. I wore sunglasses because I have contacts and my friends daughter actually wore goggles to protect her eyes. The run was pretty laid-back with some people choosing to run and many walking. The course started and ended at RFK Stadium and looped behind it along a trail. Color stations were scattered throughout the course, and volunteers would reach into boxes and throw handfuls of color at runners. The color stations were of course fun, you could see them coming since the color was everywhere and it was windy that day, but it made me feel a bit sorry for the volunteers who were in the haze of color during the entire race. They weren't wearing masks or anything and I know the color is supposedly non-toxic, but I got some of it in my mouth during the race and it was an unpleasant feeling. So I would suggest that the race offer better dust protection for the volunteers and on the flip-side I would suggest that runners thank those volunteers, well once you get past the color station so that you do not get a mouth full of color like my friend's daughter did when she screamed "color me" at a color station.

Overall, I had a great time and recommend color runs especially for families. Just keep in mind that you pay for the experience of being pelted with color rather than the swag.

www.willrunforamedal.blogspot.com