This was the third time I've run the Hartford Marathon. It is always really well done. The race staff is very organized. I really appreciate the efforts they take to be a "green" race. The expo was small, but had some good vendors, bib and swag pickup is smooth. The course goes through the downtown, along some nice city parks, and then does an out and back through a suburban neighborhood. There was a good crowd of spectators, especially in the city. The finish line is spectacular, you finish under the Bushnell park arch. It feels really momentous. There is an area to find your friends/ family after the race and plenty of vendors to check out. They have post race massage and a nice selection of Athlete food. I appreciate that they always have at least a couple vegan options. The beer garden is fun, and this year Harpoon had a special beer just for the 25th anniversary of the marathon. I'll be back every year that I can!

I did this race while I was on Cape Cod for the Another Mother Runner retreat. The expo was small, but had some nice vendors. The line to pick up your bib was a bit long. However the race had made everyone at the retreat a special purple bib, which was a really great touch and make it easy to find other retreaters on course. The course is a fairly flat out and back along the water in Falmouth, some rolling hills typical of new england but no hills are too hard. The day of the race the weather was crazy. It was a nor'easter- super windy with a chilly rain and huge waves (some that were even crashing over the sea wall onto the street. Even with the crazy weather, there were still a number of spectators and a few aid stations. I honestly don't remember the aid stations too well, just that they were there. I had a lot of fun and was very impressed with how organized the race was. Post race there were space blankets and hot soup in a covered tent, perfect for the temperature. They had vegan minestrone soup and clam chowder. I definitely appreciated the vegan options. I couldn't stick around long because I started to get really cold. It was really nice race and I would gladly do it again (hopefully in better conditions)