Janelle Wharry's Staging Area

This race always ranks at the top of “best half marathons in America” lists, but I was still not sure whether to believe all the hype. But yeah, can confirm. Most impressive to me was the exceptional course support that makes the miles absolutely *fly* by. You literally can’t go more than 0.5 mile without encountering a major “milestone” (for lack of a better word) — water station, Gatorade station, energizing music group, major landmark. For me, those types of milestones make it so mentally easy and quick to tick off the miles. It feels like a party the whole time, and the course is never boring.

Beyond that, all aid stations and the finish line area were well-stocked and staffed with plenty of volunteers. None of the stations were running out of anything, and with so many along the course, it’s not necessary to carry your own hydration.

Other than the lap through the Speedway, the route itself isn’t scenic or noteworthy. But it’s an easy and flat route. The roads are wide, and the organizers are really good about placing people into proper starting corrals, so even the first 1-2 miles didn’t feel as congested as I expected such a large race to be.

The 2023 shirt is perhaps the nicest race shirt I’ve ever received. It’s a soft performance poly-rayon blend that feels much higher quality than many of the cheap “tech shirts” that races give out. And it’s a simple heathered grey with the race logo in a normal orientation on the front. This is a shirt that I’ll actually wear!