One City Marathon

Chose this race purely for its BQ potential and it did not disappoint. Living in the south, this was perfect for winter training and for excellent race day conditions. The course is very fast with enough turns to keep it from being too mundane but not so many as to affect your time. I do not know how they afford to put this race on as the amount of law enforcement and traffic protection in place was crazy. Never felt exposed and there is no chance to miss a turn. Community and volunteers were outstanding and very surprising. I did not expect the level of enthusiasm or volunteer quality. Most or all seemed very experienced and accommodating. The organization is excellent and literally everything was thought of as to what you may need. From expo to finish, there was no unnecessary waiting or lines. The course is fast with no appreciable uphill or downwhill portions and the scenery, for the most part, was great. There are some really beautiful sections. After party was above expectations as well. And yes, knocked 10 minutes off the PR and made a BQ by 15 minutes so the race delivered.

I chose this race to BQ because of the course and weather. Both were perfect. Packet pick up was simple and easy. No expo but they had a few last minute items if needed. Race start area was in a park, plenty of room to move around. Enough port-a-lets. Energetic atmosphere. Start was not crowded. Ran on roads, thru neighborhoods and parks. Always felt very safe, so much police presence. The course is not completely flat, as there are a few inclines but nothing major and the declines were nice. Enough turns to keep things interesting but not too many and none too tight. Finish line was awesome, turn the corner and it's there. Not a lot of spectators, so if you need that, this may not be the race for you. But plenty of water stations and great volunteers. Finish line party was awesome, great food choices from food trucks and live music. I PRd by 9 minutes and got an 11 min buffer for Boston, so I would definitely recommend this race. Well organized.

The pre race communication was excellent. The expo was at the host hotel and was scaled back this year as they returned to an in-person race so there was only one vendor selling all of the essentials. I thought the course was just average&it had some really nice sections and some decent areas through the neighborhoods . I would not say there were any terrible sections. It is definitely a flat, fast course. The volunteers were excellent from the expo to the finish line&very friendly and supportive and so were the police. Where this race truly shines in my opinion is with the people who make this event happen. Everything was top notch. Organization seemed flawless. Plenty of buses at the start and they left right on time. Runner safety seemed paramount at this race. Busy roads were either closed completely or had a lane coned off. Plenty of volunteers along the way at intersections along with a huge presence of police on the roads holding traffic and keeping the runners safe. Water stops were numerous and well stocked by enthusiastic volunteers. Post race party was fantastic&.the usual fruit, snacks, Gatorade, and water plus a coupon for an item at one of several food trucks and two craft beers. There is a brewery and distillery right there if you wish to continue the party&and you might want to stick around because there were 3 excellent bands playing into the afternoon. Overall great experience.