Leaf Peepers is at the perfect time of year, and they got the weekend spot on for optimal fall foliage. Nice cold morning to start which turned in to a beautiful afternoon. Race volunteers were very helpful and friendly, and the out and back gives you a chance to watch the winners run by. Most of the race is run along the river, so pretty views abound, with 3 aid stations on course. Overall rolling hills. A tiny taste of trail at the end for less than a mile, though the leftover sand from flooding slowed me down a bit. Great race if you enjoy a smaller town feel! This year we received a long sleeve shirt and medal, as well as chili at the end!

This was my first race since COVID, and I really wanted to like it even after reading previous reviews. I believe only around 750 people ran the half this year (looking at the results). There is very little social media presence or updates about the race, though we did get a couple of emails the two weeks beforehand.
Packet Pickup: Very small. Just showed up to a tent at a local brewery to pickup t-shirt and bib. Earlier in the week they mentioned that there were some issues with a supplier and they wouldn't have enough pint glasses for the half marathoners. So t-shirt, bib, and neck gator was the swag.
Race Day: After reading the reviews and the email reminder to not get water bottles before the race or there wouldn't be enough for everyone at the end I was a little worried about the planning. The race only shut down one lane, which is fair, but which lane was never clearly marked or communicated. What REALLY concerned me was at one point in the race where cars were driving on BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD and having to yell ahead at a runner that a car was pulling up behind them (in the middle of the runners!!!). I didn't feel quite as safe after that. There was even a major intersection that had a cop car but no cop was directing traffic. They did have a cyclist who would chase down and direct some cars on the course, and a runner near me (who I'm assuming was a member of organizing staff) had a walkie talkie to communicate issues.

The course itself was a challenging, hilly route (hello giant hill at mile 4). I only saw water at the aid stations, but they were every 2 miles and had lovely people cheering and handing out water.

After race party - I'd signed up for a beer bash afterwords, but COVID cancelled that, which is understandable. The week before the race, they were able to get some of the breweries to offer deals for the runners (free beer, or pint glass with purchase of beer, etc) which was nice.

I think this race has potential, but the planning and safety concerns would lead me to not recommend to friends. The biggest issue for me was the course safety.

This is one of my favorite races, and I drove from SC to run it by myself! The area is beautiful, and the course if flat and fast. You get to run a bit by the ocean, so if it's a windy day you will definitely feel it. The afterparty was my favorite, with sand sculptures, beer, and soaking my sore feet in the cool ocean afterwords. I'd definitely run it again!

This race is fast and flat, and most people do the half marathon. Not much crowd support, but you do get to run through both shaded areas (a beautiful park) and sunny stretches. The weather can be all over the map, but the year I ran it was beautiful! I would definitely recommend this race, as the course was enjoyable and you were able to hang out on the beach afterwords!

This one of, if not THE BIGGEST, half marathons in the USA. There are a TON of people but the race organizers are well prepared and keep things moving smoothly. Running around the speedway is amazing, and getting to "kiss the bricks" is an experience. The year I ran it, they had the big screens on showing the winners finishing as we were running in the speedway. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone in Indianapolis, which was a great city to visit and run in!