The Medina Half Marathon is a very small race (I believe less than 700 people ran the half) in my hometown. The pros of running this race is the convenience of location, the low cost of participating, great food at the end, and it is very well organized. The cons would include running on roads that aren't closed (cars passing right by you on streets where the speed limit is 35mph or higher), it tends to be pretty warm/humid when the race is held, and the expo was a mess.

T-Shirt/Swag: The shirts were very small. It did mention to go up a size and mine was fine, but I heard many women complaining about how there is no way the shirts were appropriate. They would not allow any shirt swaps at the expo. There really wasn't any other swag outside of the medal (shaped like a beehive).

Aid Stations: There were proper aid stations every 1.5 miles which was perfect for this course.

Scenery: This is mostly a race through housing developments and a small portion around a lake. I enjoyed running through my hometown, but it's personal preference on what you like to see while running.

Expo: I did not enjoy the expo. You were forced down a tiny hallway and the booths were very sales oriented. Being a smaller expo, I felt the booths were in my face trying to force their product or company on me. The person greeting me as I entered the room for bib pickup was very abrupt and rude. I couldn't wait to just get my stuff and leave. Normally I love hanging out and chatting at expos, but this was cramped and unorganized.

Elevation: The first half of the race is mostly downhill, but what goes down must come up!

Parking: The great thing about this race is that it starts and finishes in the town square. There is a giant parking garage that is free and available! No problems parking at the start or when my husband came back to the finish line to pick me up (he cheered for me along the course with no problems as well).

Finish line: Wonderful way to end a race right in the square where you started! We were given bananas, chocolate milk, water, pizza, and snow cones which was amazing after such a warm run.

Overall I felt this race was managed well and run smoothly. I would improve the flow of the expo and shirts for next year, but overall fantastic for a price of $65 or less depending on when you sign up!