For those of you who are wondering what am I doing in DC? well I bucket listed another Half Marathon with NIKE!!! My 6th half marathon with NWM. What can I say? It was the best out of all the half marathons I've ever done. What makes it spectacular? Hmmm 13.1 miles filled with historical scenery & beautiful weather but over all running with your BFF's beside you on your birthday weekend. Through the course, such a great support system and 15,000 runners right by your side. Mile 1-3 you run passed the US Capitol, the National Gallery of Art, National Archives, Freedom plaza and the White House. Mile 4-8 you run passed George Washington University, WaterGate, The Kennedy Center, Roosevelt Island, Arlington Cemetery, Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, MLK Memorial, and 9-13 Washington Monument, The Holocaust Museum, Bureau of Engraving, Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial and George Mason Memorial. Such a memorable run, which I think I'll run all over again!! BTW I just love the little blue box See you next year DC!!! read more

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Still a great race. I am lucky to have run it two years in a row. A little more crowded this year but still efficient with the start times, no bottlenecks on the course, and easy packet pick up.The best part of this years race, the supporters! Particularly, the three bros with the following signs: Bro 1 sign: swipe right Bro 2: one word TINDER. Bro 3: I'm here for the 14:1 ratio My regret is that I did not run back to take a picture! Until next year... read more

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After running my first Nike Half Marathon in 2013 in San Francisco, I was excited to go to DC to run. I've never been to DC before and figured this would be a good way to cross off two things on my list of things to do/places to see. I was only in town for three nights so I didn't have a chance to see everything, especially all the historical monuments, but luckily we got to run past many of these sites which makes the experience so much better. DC is also very accommodating for runners. I enjoyed the fairly flat course and appreciated all the water stations and volunteers out there to make this a good and fun race. read more

Nike Women's DC Half Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me

I recently heard the news that Nike has discontinued the half marathon in DC so I feel fortunate to have ran the last one in April. The October before, I ran in the San Francisco 10-year anniversary so I was familiar of how smoothly these events run. Just in case you're unaware, the Nike Womens series is so popular that they hold a random drawing to get in. You can register as a group so it's all (in your group) or no one. I've never been to DC so it was a perfect opportunity to fly out and visit our nation's capital. At the expotique, the best part was seeing your name on the wall screen with motivational sayings as you entered the area. While I was there, I took a video analysis of my running. With that info, they suggested the best Nike shoe for me which I so happen to already own. I previously purchased a pair of Nike Lunarglides from the "DC" collection. They're special because it comes with a metallic piece on the shoelace near the tip of the shoe that has the date of the run on one side of it and the swoosh on the other. The course started with a view of the Capitol Building in the distance and took us on some touristy sights (that I took the liberty of visiting the day before). Drummers kept us up beat. It was neat that the WE RUN lit up sign was moved into the tunnel. Thank, DC! Because of your flat terrain, I was able to PR! Again, if you're unfamiliar, at the finish line, instead of getting a medal, you are rewarded with a Tiffany's Nike necklace. I learned one lesson though, to never take a long flight home the same day as running a half marathon. read more

Yay for my first NWM half marathon! I wanted to participate in the inaugural race last year but didn't make the lotto. To my pleasant surprise, i made the cut this time around. I was excited and nervous at the same time given my last half was over 3 years ago. The pre-race events were very well organized and the lines were actually decent. I didn't have to wait to long to pick up my race day packet. There were signs everywhere and people to guide you to where you needed to go. There was separate tents for bib pick up, dry fit shirt, the expotique, etc. so there wasn't too much traffic at any given area...well at least until you got to the expotique. Even the lines to take pic in front of the We Run sign wasn't too bad. There was a traffic jam at the expotique so we didnt stay there long. I really enjoyed my "name in lights" moment as i entered the tent to see my name displayed in bright lights. way cool! I was also able to buy a last minute dry fit cap to wear on race day. Just down the street at Niketown was where you could find your name on the wall amongst the mural of runners. Fast forward to race day. We took the metro to the race. Very convenient. I liked that it began in waves, allowed less congestion near the start, although i knew some bottle necking would be expected at least for the first mile. It was pretty much smooth sailing after that. I enjoyed the markers at each mile. Also liked the fact that there was trackers so friends and family were able to keep track of where you were during the race. The course was pretty flat the entire way. Loved the marching bands, supporters and beautiful scenery along the way. I couldn't have asked for better weather. We got to run through the national mall, the capitol, across the bridge along the river, through a golf course, and georgetown university. I wish i had a go-pro attached to my hat to capture it all. The water stations at nearly each mile kept me hydrated. There was also a few stations that distributed luna bars, and energy chews which also gave me the energy to fuel along. Overall, great race and an amazing experience. To top it off...a nice shiny tiffany's necklace welcoming you at the finish line! Next up...We run SF! read more

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My favorite half marathon location so far! The route is so perfect. You get to pass by the Washington monument and the Capitol building and the White House during the run. And then you run along the water. Gorgeous scenic route! read more

Nike Women's DC Half Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me

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If I could review this race in two sections it would be better. First the not so good.... The packet pick up lines were just insane. I've run MUCH larger races, NYC, San Diego, etc and NEVER waited in a line that long. Much less OUTSIDE. You have folks who may be out in the sun for 3hours during their race, it's just not safe to have them stand outside in the sun for an hour waiting in line for their packet. Dehydration will sneak up on you, if you're not super careful. Expo....was unique. However, I personally enjoy the traditional expos where I can check out new gear related to RUNNING! I understand Nike has clothes & shoes, but going to a large race allows you to see manufacturers of gear that you most times wouldn't have access to. There was no one besides NIke, BareEssentials, Paul Mitchell, Luna, Nuun and a few charity booths set up. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all these companies, but they're not really what I think of in terms of race expo attendees. Or they would be interspersed with other vendors. Location....even taking the metro having packet pick up in Georgetown was a nightmare! DC is a logistical challenge no matter where you are, but Georgetown is probably one of the most difficult places to access along with the fact that there's thousands of non-runners there on the weekends too. And the fact that gear was at the store & not the expo, just made for more walking back & forth throughout the day. Pre-race festivities I would give a big fat 0 on a scale of 1-5. Seriously the worst I've ever experienced. Now the good!! :) One small suggestion........WAVE START!!!!! You've got 15,000 runners running through the narrow streets of DC. Give us all some space so we're not stuck in a giant mob & can't move faster or slower if we so choose. The course itself was flat and fast (although VERY crowded). BEAUTIFUL sights and really great crowd support the whole way! Even around the tidal basin where it's a hike to get to folks made it out there to cheer. The drum lines were AMAZING!!!! Especially the all women's group near the JFK memorial! KICK A$$. Of course, the finish line, red carpet, tuxes, Tiffany's, etc were all great! Food and water was easy to access and the process moved rather quickly once you were finished. Race itself was GREAT! (other than the congestion, but that's typical of most DC races). Overall, pre-race was terrible. But the race was great. So as long as you've got the time and patience to deal with lines.........you'll have a great time!!! read more

I totally want to rate this higher since I love the Nike Women's San Francisco one in the fall... but this one has more downsides and the same organizational issues. 2013 was the first year of it and both my hubby and I ran in it this year. Pros: - Cute clothing and limited edition items - woot, Tiffany blue Nike free 5.0's? Check! - Tiffany necklace instead of a finisher medal - Flat course, fun to run through the DC area and key monuments - Ellie Goulding concert - thanks Nike! This was a great invite-only event - loved the venue and the early timing on Saturday evening. Great way to have fun but still get enough rest the night before the race. - Improved porta potties compared to San Fran at start and finish - Love the Luna bars and Somersaults sponsorship :) Paul Mitchell is great too! - Expo was smooth - Great spectator support Cons: - Facebook communication! Argh - I can't say how annoying this is. Nike uses this as their primary means of communication... it just comes off as disorganized and the same questions keep getting posted. - Limited/delayed communication - I'm sure someone in advertising has told Nike that suspenseful/last-minute e-mails/posts will increase interest, but for the average person, it's just annoying. i.e. styles of limited shoes, photos, finishing times... all that should be clearly communicated - Start corrals - I run fast enough to be in a corral where there's fewer issues, but Nike needs to have smaller pace groups and rely on some sort of pace verification since there are still a number of women who have poor race etiquette and clearly put themselves in the wrong pace group. - Fluids should have been on both sides of the course, or at least consistent which side they would be on Minor gripes: - For the inaugural event, I expected a bit more. The necklace was way too similar to NWM 2012 in San Francisco. The expo was much smaller and there was less swag/activities to do at the expo itself. Less finish line bonuses too (i.e. no massages, no Neutrogena here and no on-course photography.) - Georgetown is great to visit, but poorly accessible by metro - Shopping tent at the finisher section was too small and the lines were too long - needed to have made a bigger space and more checkout areas Overall, it was worth the $160 price tag (the necklace, cute tee and concert were worth that alone), but I would say it's an average race especially if you don't get the extra invites and the terrible pre-race communication/organization. read more

Advance warning: this review might be a little biased, because I ran in DC 2013, and I loved it so much that I'm a brand ambassador for the college program this year (which means there's a STUDENT DISCOUNT after the jump)! I can't say enough good things about this! Tiffany necklace, cute guys, flat/fast course, entertainment along the run, great sponsors, plenty of fun! The Expotique (their fancy name for packet pickup) was an event itself! The entire weekend was centered around their runners, and it felt like they really put a lot of effort into making it a unique race for women. Before the race, I had never run more than 6 miles - the course made it a great one for first-timers, but the corrals allow more experienced runners to race for time. So if you're hooked, head over to www.nike.com/events/register/werundc. If you have a valid academic ID, use the brand ambassador code KATI and get a $25 discount plus GUARANTEED REGISTRATION - that's right, students don't have to do random draw! read more

I'd definitely have to say that Nike sets up one of the best organized road races. They take such good care of you, your needs, and the needs of your spectators. Nike has got it all covered, from directions, to recommendations, run perks & friendly staff, they really try and cover ever facet of the race weekend. I find it really hard to enjoy any of the other tri state NYC races after having participated in both the San Francisco full Nike Women's Marathon and now, this past DC half inauguration. The staff / pacers, the volunteers, and the entertainers along the route really deserve praise. Nike has the best strategy for keeping the crowds moving along and keeping the crowd pumped up. The expos and their trained staff really help pump the energy; speakers and sponsors are generous with advice and love. I really hope to run D.C. again next year. Things I learned from this past race: 1. Your gps may go in and out of tracking by the golf course. 2. Depending on your time, yes you'll run into several congested areas. The water stations were somewhat congested - sometimes I found it hard to grab a drink. 4. The motivational signs really help during the straight paths. 5. Go to the EXPO EARLY to pick up your bibs. 6. BRING YOUR CREDIT CARDS & CASH because the running gear, clothes, and shoes are sooooooo cute. So woman friendly. Definitely an awesome race - very cooperative and comfortable weather. A women's race for all ages. Awesome times - hope to see pictures soon! read more

The Nike Women's Half Marathon is one of those races you sign up for (months in advance via lottery) and then it sneaks up on you when the race day finally arrives. I know I always say that, but I seriously think it's true in this case. It doesn't seem too long ago that I ran the first Nike Women's Half in DC last year. Anyway, this time around I was able to recruit my sisters and two of my friends to join in on the fun. Although they had early registration at several suburban running stores, my sisters and I opted to go to the official expo at the Georgetown Waterfront (same as last year). And you know, it was even more glitzier than ever. They had a lot of light-up signs and even had a light up map of the course, which was similar to last year as well (with a few differences!). Instead, of tackling the U.S. Capitol at the end, it was one of the first stops of the race. Of course the expo was crowded, but that is to be expected since we came on the last day (during the last hours too)! They had the Nike outfit displays, as well as Luna Bar and Nuun tasting stations. They even had a booth where you could get your running supplies (e.g.: GU gels). Now, for the race! Although they didn't have multi-wave starts, they did have somewhat of a staggered start so everyone wasn't stampeding all at once. Of course, it got a bit crowded around Hains Point but that is to be expected with the number of runners and the narrow streets. I had to go to the bathroom within the first two miles *wah, wah* so that definitely slowed me down. Not like I was expecting to PR, but still... There was plenty of crowd support and entertainment along the way. My favorites were the Chinese dragon dancers and the all-female drum band, Batala. There was plenty of snack stations along the way providing Luna Bars, Clif Bloks and even chocolate! I couldn't even think of eating anything while running so I squirreled away all my snacks in my hydration belt. Speaking of hydration, water and Nuun hydration beverages were available at nearly every mile! You didn't have go very far to get a drink. But of course the Tiffany's necklace is what makes it worth it in the end! I really loved the running this race. I really liked how they were able to keep it super organized despite the large number of participants. They utilized technology by personalizing video screens with your name as your ran by. I liked all the hydration, snack, and entertainment stations along the course. The actual course can't be beat either! Since it is relatively flat I'm sure a lot of people were able to PR (not me this time). One thing that I didn't like was the shirt. Although, it was dri-fit, it didn't say "finisher" and only had one screen print color (white). One small negative, in an overall terrific race. read more

I was super excited to have gotten into this Half Marathon in December. Even though it was a steep price tag ($166). However, it was definitely not worth the excitement and the price tag. I got down to DC Saturday afternoon and went straight to bib pick up. I asked the woman by the bib pick up if this was the line and she pointed me to the back of the line. Me: "wait, that's the line?" Her: "yes, its only 30 minutes" UM ONLY 30 MINUTES?!?! Right... I've done numerous other races and never had to wait...EVER. Not for NYRR races, not for other half marathons, never ever had to wait. Although it amused me that as I was waiting in line, other ladies were equally, if not more pissed about waiting in the hot sun for their bibs. After picking up my bib, I was so pissed that I just did not even want to go to the Expo. We decided to drive to the expo which was a mistake because it was so busy but it was also in a random area of DC that was not close to the metro. The next day was the race and since my hotel was right by the start I got there around 6:40. However the corral was packed! There were so many runners poured out on the side especially for the 10-11:59 minute corral. When the race started, runners tried to get into their respective corrals but the 13,14,15 minute runners just did not let that happen. Once I got into the corral, I stopped to take off my long sleeved shirt was watched in horror as 2 ladies who were 9 minute milers get SCREAMED at by a race official for trying to get into the race.....um are you kidding me?!?! REALLY NIKE? Take about professional. For the next 4-5 miles I was dodging so many runners, I've never ran a race where it was so packed. Or where there were more people walking than running. To a certain group of runners (okay walkers) that were wearing purple...coughcoughcoughTNTcough...you guys need to be taught race etiquette. I'm glad you raised money for a great cause. However, bringing the cash doesn't mean you get to act like an epic a-hole to other runners during the race. Stopping and taking pics in the middle of the road during the race is not acceptable. Walking 8 people across is not acceptable. Despite the terrible course (most of it was in a random park in DC), the lack of bathrooms (I saw one woman who crapped her running shorts in the last mile - nice job Nike), and the lack or race course water support, the only good things were the race swag and vendors. The shirts were awesome as were the tshirts. I finished well before 9:30am so we went to brunch and came back around noon where there was no one left and got some free dry shampoo from Paul Mitchell, makeovers and free lipgloss from bare essentials and got to take pics in front of the Nike slogans. I got so much free swag. Immediately after the race ended, as I was grabbing food like bananas and such. There were also Luna bars, where each runner was only supposed to take one. Well okay Nike, you can't put food out and expected runners to only take one. You should probably do what NYRR does and give out bags with the food already in them. Either way, I probably grabbed about 20 Luna bars. Sorry I'm not sorry. I need to get my $166 worth of stuff. Either way, I can safely say that I never want to run a race with Nike ever again. read more

I have to say I was totally thrilled to be chosen in the drawing for the race. It ended up being my second half, but 8th of all lengths race in the last 4 months. I ran mostly in the Dallas and the surrounding area, but also a race in San Francisco. This was hands down the WORST race I have done. It started with terrible communication - a complete lack of a website with information. You had to go on the FB page for anything. Half the times the links they provided didn't work. If you wanted any info, you had to read through hundreds of questions and the moderator responded (this was the one stand out for me. The FB moderator was FANTASTIC). The "Expotique" was terrible. Since I would say a large portion of the 15K traveled from somewhere and were counting on public transportation - to have it in Georgetown was poor planning. The lines for packet pickup (not technically at the expo) were ridiculous! I waited almost 45 minutes. Race day had no pre-race entertainment or excitement to speak of. I was there within plenty of time (arrived about 5:45) and it was quiet and boring. Corrals were not policed. I saw DOZENS of people jumping over the barriers. Not safe for them, and not safe for those packed into the corrals. Slow people were in the early corrals and walked in the first mile (stopping in the middle of the road!) They started 15 thousand people at once. I am not sure what their thoughts on that were. 15,000 is a lot of people. There were only 4 or 5 corrals. I doubt it would have hurt anyone to start 60-90 seconds between even those corrals. Especially when 6 times in the first 2 miles I was forced to STOP (not just walk, STOP) because the path went from 4 lanes of traffic around a corner of two lanes or into the tunnel where I still don't understand why people stopped there. At the first two water stops I poured my own water. There were no waters available so I grabbed a gallon of water and lined up some cups and started pouring. Then when I took the last cup in my hand to drink someone waiting yelled at me, then realized I was a runner too and backed off. Several water stops were not marked and I missed them until I tripped on water cups on the road. I saw unbelievable lines at the restrooms. I saw ladies using the bushes, we do what we have to do, but clearly there should have been more bathrooms available. There was some terrible runner's etiquette. Shockingly, I think the biggest offenders were the Team in Training Runners. Stopping in the middle of the road, walking side by side (holding hands!) without regard to people trying to RUN the race. Taking pictures in the middle of the road, texting, talking on their phones. This is basic racing rules! I assumed part of what TNT does is educating you on the safe way to race. The race map showed us running by some amazing sites. Either I missed them or we ran by the backs of the memorials. That was a HUGE disappointment. There were no race photographers. Overall I was happy to be able to run 13.1 miles and excited at the number of other first time half runners. I was touched to see the Boston memorial shirts and have it all brought me back to being happy to be there and happy to have family waiting at the finish line for me. I think my expectations were that it was a Nike race and it would be run at least as good as the Rock and Roll I ran in Dallas, or better, when it reality it wasn't. I am sure a large portion of this can be fixed and hope that Nike takes comments and feedback to heart and makes some major changes if they run this in D.C. again. As of now, I do not plan to run another Nike race, unless I see acknowledging the major flaws in this D.C. race and making public the plans to make sure some of these things don't happen again. read more

I feel very honored to be part of the Nike Women's first ever race in DC! 15,000 women ran the race, as well as some men. I love the expo. Free hairstyling by Paul Mitchell, free make up by Bare Minerals, lots of free samples of Luna bar fiber (I tried the strawberry peanut butter and blueberry vanilla), and free cheer posters by Luna Bar. There was also a display of different types of Nike sneakers. I had lots of fun. Packet pick up took some time, I stood under the hot sun for almost an hour. Good thing I didn't get a heat stroke. I didn't expect there to be such a long line! As for the race, it was awesome. I was surprised the different corrals weren't spaced out that much in terms of start time, so the race was a little crowded at the start. It got better after a while. It was awesome to be able to run past the national monument, the capita and other famous sights of DC. This was my first time in DC- what a great way to see the city! They supplied water and Nuun drinks. I wasn't used to drinking Nuun, (I am accustomed to Gatorade) but it worked. They also handed out Luna bars. The best part was finishing the race and getting your very own Tiffany Necklace from firemen in Tuxedos. What good looking firemen! They were happy to pose for photos as well. We also received an awesome finisher T-shirt, love it!!! This was such an awesome race and I hope to be able to do it again and collect all the different necklaces! read more

My first half marathon was the Nike Women's SF Half in 2005, so I wanted to take part of the first one in DC. I managed to snagged a confirmation without doing the lottery because I was a grad student. YES! I thought my race experience was fun and smooth. With Nike races, I think you get the full experience if you can fly in on Thursday and stay through Sunday because many events take place throughout the weekend. I know for some people that it's not possible, but you can get the opportunity to work out and meet Nike athletes at the expo. I was ecstatic to meet Joan Benoit Samuelson. I missed out on meeting Shalane Flanagan though. There's always next time. I wanted to meet Kara Goucher, but I read somewhere that she was at another race event. The expo itself was just okay. I didn't have any problems picking up my race packet. No line at all because I went on a Friday afternoon. As much as I love Nike, the expo was more like a showcase of their products. I wanted to buy my racing supplies like Gu, etc. Unfortunately, they only had Clif products. I am one of those runners who won't try anything new on race day. I had Clif gels before and I remembered not liking it, so I got some Clif shot blocks. Also thank God that I had an extra Gu packet on my running belt! I didn't get any of the special edition shoes. If you wanted those, be prepared to stalk Nike.com or go to Niketown as soon as possible. Don't wait until Saturday. Also I got invited to the private Nike concert with Ellie Goulding who was in DC because she was running the half as well. That was fun! Then I got to meet her after the show and had a few pics with her. The race itself was fantastic. One of the best races I ever did. The course was relatively flat except for the bridges. It was fun running throughout the city past the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, US Capitol, and the Washington Monument. Since I wanted to PR, I skipped the water stations and depended on my water belt. I started behind the 2:20 pace group and began to do negative splits and finished ahead of the 2:10 pace group at 2:06. After you are finished, you are greeted by the sight of men in tuxes holding Tiffany boxes on silver platters. After 13.1 miles, that's the best sight ever! I collected my prize and got my finisher's shirt. Some of the post-race disappointments: 1) No photography services and 2) You had to wait in line for finisher's gear (over an hour!). I thought that was a bit ridiculous. I did like the styles offered but after running a long race, that's the last thing on my mind is to wait in line. Overall, a 5 star experience. Mainly for my PR. Hopefully I get into the Nike Women Half SF again this fall. read more

i was surprised at how much i liked it!! i heard some not so good stories about last year's run. this was nothing short of perfect organization! decided the day before to run this went on craigslist bought it at discounted price ;) ran it the next day course is really beautiful and great way to explore the town. it's the same as last year's ... runs across part so the national mall up the coast of what i think is adam's morgan (it's not!), and down through the golf course park before going back to the start line. it's a very easy run ... mostly flat and scenic. lots of water stations and mile markers are very visible. porta pottie stations are in every stop and they tell you when the next bathroom stop is i do have to say, the swag isn't as nice as i remember *but maybe that's cuz i ran the marathon and this was only the half*. finisher shirts have to be bought (and it's a long line). would i do it again? sure, at the right price. :) read more

Great race! Thank you for all the high fives from the crowd. But I wanna rate the runners. I found a lot of them to be rude. I got a terrible side stich, so I needed to take a walking break. Moved to the side of course. A lot of runners got very pissed. I was like c'mon, people can get sick, injured where one needs to slow down. Some sections of the streets were very narrow. Once I picked up my pace, I did see others people taking walking breaks getting attitude. It's it bothers you, OK you are free to feel the way, but you have no right to disrespect anybody. Plus if you put yourself on the sides expect to come across someone walking, so for God's sake just run around, that simple. don't make it a big deal. Let's respect each other out there. read more

Loved it! Will do it again next year! Wish the expo didn't focus so much on outer beauty/putting on a mask and dolling yourself up...but more on inner beauty and strength! Need more vendors that actually have to do with running read more

Had a great experience from start to finish. Picked up my packet Thursday and had no wait. Found bag check, etc on the morning of to be very convenient and not crowded (but I was there by 6:30). I didn't find the start to be crowded but was in one of early corrals, which probably helped. I agree that Nike and Team in Training need to do a better job about emphasizing race etiquette. My experience is that the gangs of TNTers tend to be the mostly disrespectful about starting in the wrong corral, walking 6-abreast, etc. read more

I have mixed feelings about this race - some aspects were awesome, and some were kind of not so awesome. So to break it down: The awesome: Most aspects of the actual race day. From my experience, the whole day was pretty well organized, which sort of surprised me after reading some of the Nike Women Marathon San Fran reviews. I did not have any walkers in front of me for the start, but I did hear that there were walkers in the 9 min/mile corral which is unacceptable - more on that later. Personally, I had no issues with the corral at all (it helped that I got in about half an hour early) and never had to weave around anyone. Additionally, there were SO MANY PORTA-POTTIES at the start. Thank you God (and Nike, of course). There was a wait for the first 10, but no one for the next 40 or so! That's why I don't get why there was a long line for the first on-course porta-potties at mile 3 - why didn't you go before the race?? The race itself was great (and flat), though running on Hains Point did get a bit boring. The spectators were also great. I was able to get my necklace, shirt and food easily, and I can't speak for the 'finishers' boutique' ie a chance to give Nike even more of your money, since I didn't go in there. Also, the online runner tracking was awesome. You could actually see the person moving through the course instead of just getting a couple split times! Not sure how that even works, but it's pretty cool. The not-so-awesome: - The expo. Oh, I mean the 'expotique' (excuse me while I roll my eyes). Sorry, it just sucked. As people have said, there were only a couple vendors, plus some Nike stuff. It was the worst expo I've ever attended. I suppose women who don't actually care about running may have enjoyed the 'make unders' by BareMinerals and the blowouts by Paul Mitchell, but for people who go to expos expecting to see RUNNING STUFF, it was a big letdown. I at least had no issues with packet pickup because I went on Thursday. - Some of the corrals. Now, as I said, I had no issue with the corrals, but I feel the need to warn people who think they may be in any corral slower than 8:59 min/miles. Apparently, walkers/slower runners were sneaking into faster corrals, most likely because they were afraid of getting swept from the course, which, I'm sorry, is obnoxious. Nike can't fix all of this (we did have wristbands with our stated corrals with security checking those wristbands at the corral entrances so I guess these people entered in their corral and THEN made their way up), but a wave start, as opposed to the waterfall start, would help crowding a bit. Just simply waiting a minute between corrals would be great. Also, they should have made the corrals smaller - big difference beween 7:30 min/mile and 8:59 min/mile, just like there's a big difference between 10 min/miles and 12 min/miles (also in the same corral). - The lack of running etiquette. Now, I know there are a LOT of first time runners (or walkers) in this race, which is awesome, but makes the course a bit hazardous. So, I really wish Nike had a way of letting these people know what not to do in a race. For example: no stopping in the middle of the road suddenly to take a picture, no sneaking up to faster corrals and then walking before mile 1, if you do need to walk, get to the right, NO HAND-HOLDING, etc. - The Nike race website. Or rather, the lack of a Nike Women Half Marathon race site. They only used the Facebook page for updates and any race info. The page was helpful, but really, you need a race site. Not everyone has Facebook, and it's annoying to not be able to go to one site to see all the race info together. So why am I giving the race 4 stars? Because I sign up for races for the actual race. I am willing to forgive Nike for the crappy expo, and I personally had no huge problems on race day, so therefore, good job Nike. Also, it was the inaugural race, so you have to cut them a little slack. read more

I was so excited to run this race. I've never been to DC and I LOVE the SF Nike race, so I thought this would be well run & thoughtful of what women need. That being said, maybe my expectations were too high. I've read all the other reviews, the lines, corrals, and the congestion was overwhelming. The morning of the race the lines for the bathrooms were too long and in all the SF races there were plenty of restrooms on the course so I waited... BIG MISTAKE! First everyone left at the same time and when we all merged into the tunnel (The Drums were incredible) but we were all crammed in like sardines basically running in place, when all of a sudden I was on the ground. My feet found their way into a medal ring and swept me off my feet. Luckily people around me got me up before I was trampled. I'm still having nightmares. Shaking that off now it's time to find a bathroom and regroup.... but not one to be found. I waited in what looked like a bathroom line, to find out 10 women deep were waiting for a semi sheltered area behind a building, no bathroom. Sigh, how could a "women's" event let us down. What I saw on the course for the next 10 miles made me so mad. I did find a bathrooms eventually but only 6 and waited 35 minutes. which put me behind and had to bob and weave between walkers for the next 7 miles. I saw women jumping behind bushes, girls shielding their friends so they could relieve themselves right off the course. THAT'S ON YOU NIKE! It should be about the people, you have to think of what women need and that's a basic. read more