Let's start with
Registration: Easy online registration with email updates.
Packet pick-up: Relatively easy. We needed to go on base and having a military id, and sticker on the car made it easy.
Expo: Only about 20 vendors and two of those were for running related.
Information: Out of the three people that we asked no one knew which metro stop we needed to take in order to get to the race. NO ONE. (Grant it the information was online, but at a minimum someone at the expo SHOULD have that vital information!)
Race day: Metro didn't open early and we got to the race with 1/2 hour to spare. Lines to bathroom were really long and it turned out the the line we were waiting in was for VIP's. We begged the woman who closed the line to let us use the VIP portajohns since runners were being called to the starting line and she refused to let us through.
Race course: Nice course, not to hilly. Ran through Rock Creek Park which is something I've always wanted to do. Gorgeous day as well. Water stations were well stocked with water and Gatorade. We only saw one volunteer who was cheering the runners, all others looked like they were having a bad day.
Race Finish: Beautiful coin received at the end of the race. Apples (what about bananas? I've never had apples at the end of a race), muffins and cookies to munch on at the end, BUT they ran out of water.....oh, yes, by the time I finished and I was by no means at the end, there was NO WATER!
Overall we would rate this race a C-. It is was the inaugural 1/2 marathon, but the 5 mile race has been going on for several years, it is inexcusable to run out of water at the end of a race. We all agreed that there is room for improvement and that we would try this race again.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for writing this review nor was my registration paid for by race promoters.
