Rod Robey's Staging Area

The expo was well organized and fairly large for a COVID race (masks are optional). The city of Dallas LOVES this race and the sponsor (BMW) gives away a 4 series BMW. Lots of communication from the organization via Pre race emails.
There’s great energy at the start/finish line with a giant video board and the announcers are top notch and keeping everyone hyped up. The corrals are well spaced so as not to be too crowded during the first couple of miles.
The scenery is OK and you run by the infamous spot where JFK was shot within the first mile. There are some large homes/ palatial estates you run by in Highland Park, near the homes of Troy Aikman and Jerry Jones. There’s a 10mile loop around White Rock lake that is preceded by a steep downhill and finishes coming up the hill on the way back which is at mile 20. Once you get to mile 21 it’s downhill the rest of the way. With countdown markers at 8, 6, 4 & 200 meters the excitement increases from the roar of the increased spectators and the finish line music. The chute exit is short and leads right to the gear check and post run festivities. It’s a great race, but light on crowd support. Plenty of hydration throughout.

The 5k is pretty flat and fast. The 10k has 2 big hills that makes the run more fun and challenging.
Most of the runners show up 15 min. before the race starts which I don’t recommend because if you’re doing race day packet pick up you’ll need extra time to find out which room in which building inside the school has the bibs.
Once the race starts, it’s fun and there is plenty of volunteers on the course, but don’t expect a finishers medal at the end.

Has the feeling of a small, local 5k. There are multiple distance races going off roughly the same time. The course is really narrow at points and is extremely difficult to maneuver around the slower runners/walkers that are doing the shorter distances as the shorter distances courses blend together with the half marathon.
At the end, everyone gets the exact same finishers medal.

The hill on the 163 at mile 22-25 will be hell on your joints because of the left to rt lean and then the rt to let lean.
The course support is excellent as is the enthusiasm of the locals

Staggered starts for the different distances keeps the crowd in check for the start of the race. The ocean breezes and starting times keeps the race cool.

I love HB and have lived here for 20yrs, but the course needs some pizazz.
Too many people starting in the wrong corral making everyone else weave through