I just ran the 10th annual St. Paddy's day race. I was visiting from out of state and unfamiliar with the town or surrounding area. Pick up the day of the race went very smoothly. We easily found parking a block from the start, so I could stay warm while waiting (7 am temps in the 30s). The majority of the race is along Ruston street, which showed the beautiful Olympic mountain range heading out from downtown, and views of Mt. Rainer on the way back. Just past halfway where a series of hills up into a nice neighborhood. The last 2 miles or so seemed all uphill to me. I heard the race was hilly, and it was, but I managed a PR. The race organizers I asked had never heard of a PR bell, but, no biggie. Nice tee shirt and snazzy medal. Good party atmosphere, there were booths along the finish line and probably beer but I was with family and we had other plans after the race. No shops close by were open after the race, so plan accordingly if you want to stay downtown. Being from the Midwest the views and scenery really lifted my spirits and kept me from having bad running thoughts. Nicely marked run, but I thought the aid stations were a little less frequent or staffed than what I'm used to. Great run! Tacoma is a fun town.