Emily DeTray's Staging Area

I was warned that the course was hilly, but was not prepared for the hills to go on so long! It pretty much killed me. I did PR, but had to walk much of the way. I guess my long flat training runs hadn’t prepared me for the reality!
The finish line area was a madhouse, requiring a 90 degree turn after running through a waterfront crowd of kids and dogs and grandmas just having a day at the beach. There was no fenced off course there, and the lack of labeling or signage towards the end left me wondering when it would EVER end, or how many more convolutions through the park there would be.
However, that was only the end, and most of the course was wonderfully clear and easy to follow, with volunteers & police everywhere crossings were needed. I was bummed so much was along roadways, until we finally hit a long section in a lovely park with a wide open trail. I would have preferred to go out and back on that trail several times to avoid the hills and vehicle traffic!
The refreshments at the end were OK, but disappointing as my last half provided a catered hot meal, so the packaged snack foods and oranges left me a little wistful. But I was so wiped out all I could really do was lie on the grass in the shade anyway!
The medal was very pretty, simple and easy on the eyes. It surprised me that the t-shirt was cotton, instead of a tech fabric. It’s very soft, but I don’t know too many people who wear cotton for runs.