Beijing Marathon

Overall, it is a good race, with some flaws. Pros: 1- Flat course with good weather and (usually) good air quality 2- Well-stocked aid stations (both long, frequent, and full of plenty of water, energy drink, Gus, and bananas - seriously they did not skimp on this stuff) 3- An excellent finisher's medal - truly outstanding and gorgeous 4- Great goodies for runners (two shirts, a medal, water/energy drinks/almond milk, sleeves, a drawstring bag, some food etc.) Cons: 1- Very crowded (plus Chinese culture has very little mindfulness around personal space, which means that I had several near collisions with other runners and getting into the coral was an unpleasant experience) 2- Not many signs (while spectators had excellent chants to cheer runners on, I kinda missed the punny/funny/clever/witty signs present in most western marathons, but I guess this is a minor point) 3- The area around the entrance and exit was poorly managed, crowded, and difficult to get through quickly (both due to the vast numbers of runners, and Point #1)