This is a great race and well-executed marathon. There are three distances available, but I liked that all the distances started at the same time and we could run together for a while. This wasn't a huge race, and I liked the personal feel and the course was along a river

"Fun 5k through midtown and into Central Park. Has a great marathon-week vibe, with runners from all over the world warming up for the big day.

Packet pick-up at the Javits Center is a pain, especially given the marathon crowds, but understandable for those doing both. Coming from Bkln and

The La Jolla half is the second race of the Triple Crown (Carlsbad Half, La Jolla Half, America's Finest City Half). This course is BEAUTIFUL! It is also a very challenging course, as it has a little over a mile straight up starting at mile 6. This challenging uphill goes through