Race expo: The volunteers were really helpful in getting me switched from the "Three Way with Extra Cheese" option to the regular "Three Way" option which is what I thought I signed up for. Olive pointed out this Expo is much bigger than Twin Cities, and I think she's right. I tried on a pair of Salming shoes (I'm a size 7) and almost tried on a pair of the On Shoes.
My favorite part of the Expo is that Goodwill had a Pop-up store. If it was there, it was $3. So I got a throw away pair of pants and Olive got a throw away shirt. I'm going to write TCM and tell them they need to do this too.
SWAG: Flying Pig brings it with the SWAG. I got a shirt for each race, a poster (I could've had 3), and a super nice backpack for the half marathon. I also got a coupon for a coney and $5 gift certificate to Skyline which were used before I left town. After the races, I got an extra medal for the challenge and an extra long sleeve shirt which is pretty nice. And I got a free beer at the end (in addition to the one I'm holding as I cross the finish line).
Transportation to and from the race: For all the races, we parked in the Stadium Garage, and it was the best spot ever.
Start Line: All 3 races had corrals to some degree or other. The 10K was a mass start, but was organized by corral, and it was fine. The 5K had corrals and 3 waves to the start which made it supposedly less crowded on the course. Corrals for the 10K were used The half marathon had the most organized corrals and several waves to the start.
Pace Team: I did not run with a pace team this year. I have run with them in the past. They are the teams from the local running store in town.
Fan Support: Just the bomb! All three races feel like small town races, but the half marathon in particular. It runs through a bunch of different areas both high and low income areas of town. Everyone comes out like it is their job. There's also a ton of "squeal teams" that cheer along the course, including some of the cheer leading squads from the local schools. My heart just felt bigger and bigger the more I ran because of all the support.
Finish: All of the races share the same finish. It is a false flat. Note to self, there's a little up and then a little down, But it does end on a down. At the half marathon people hand out beer about .2 miles from the finish, so in my finisher pictures I'm literally holding a beer this time.
Race Recommended For:
10K: Olive loves the 10K for the scenery. I think it's a very challenging course. It's also very well supported. It's great for fist timers and experienced runners.
5K: This is a well organized and well supported race. It has tons of school groups and great for families and kids old enough to go 3 miles. As a mid-back of the pack runner, I find it quite crowded. I wouldn't run it if it weren't part of the race series. That said, it's a great first 5K because of the crowd support.
Half Marathon: First timers because of the pace crews and support. Experienced runners because the course is crazy challenging. Anyone from Cincinnati because it is the home town race. Everyone will be there. Go out and enjoy it.
3-Way Challenge: I loved this becuase it made me feel like part of the whole weekend. This is good for out of town people or locals who want a whole bunch of racing in one weekend.
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