Amy Driskill's Staging Area

This was my first time to run this marathon but it was my 32nd marathon. One of the best things about this race was the consistency of the pacers. I ran with the 3:30 pacers and they were the best that I’ve ever had. The course had several turns but I liked that part better than running in a straight line for too many miles. The hills were not too bad. There is a big incline at mile 9 on a bridge, but they had several race spectators that were along this part cheering us on. I loved seeing various parts of the city, especially the Fort Worth Stockyards. There were cowboys on horses cheering us on. Lots of fan support in this area as well. This is also a great place to visit with friends and family after the race. Lots of shops and places to eat. We went to Billy Bob’s afterwards and found a cheap place to park across the street ($5). We stayed at the Holiday Inn & Suites while there. Parking was free for guests at the hotel since they were a marathon hotel. This hotel is on the same street as the race so we just warmed up and ran to the start (1.8 miles). Bag check was super easy inside the expo center. You could also stretch inside or wait until closer to the start to get lined up in your corral. I would highly recommend this race. It was very organized and there were plenty of water stations along the way. The after party/food had a lot of choices, for example, chicken noodle soup in a cup. They had fruit, chocolate milk, beer, and several other options. I was worried about the weather since it was cold and drizzly the day before. Race morning was around 25 but heated up throughout the race.