What a course; Beautiful shots of the KC skyline, historic tree-lined neighborhoods, and hills,…read morehills and a few more hills. It might seem strange to Yelp a half marathon, but I have to say I read through each and every review while training for this course and I'm glad I did. For instance, Andrew M. called out a gradual, potentially pace wrecking surprise hill around mile 11 so I was ready for it. I headed in to this race for my first time hoping to just finish under two hours and felt surprisingly good throughout it, finishing in 1:56 and change. It thunderstormed in the wee hours of the night before the race making for a crazy humid morning for my first HH experience. However, a little breeze and a light summertime cold front moved in during the race...what timing. The Hospital Hill itself comes so early on in the race, and was also included in the fall KC Marathon course in 2015 that it didn't really phase me much. It's not super steep, it's just a long slow hill around mile 2. From there you get a nice reprieve down Gillham through the midtown area. The next hill is by the Nelson and at that point, the sun was well up in the sky and I noticed this short, steeper hill. Luckily they had a hydration station at the top, which was a nice recurring theme throughout the race. Right when you're coasting after that, bam, the hardest hill of the bunch in my opinion. The hill that snakes around UMKC and goes on for days up Rockhill at mile 5. Not. A. Fan. Aside from some other short bursts here and there, it surprisingly flattens out a bit after that. If you're familiar with the CCVI Trolley Run, you essentially join up with Brookside Boulevard that has a nice mild decline to it all the way to the Plaza area. This is where I saw people start booking it, but knowing that a challenging, long finishing hill was coming, I saved my energy and just kept an average pace. Then came that long slow hill up by Westport and through Midtown. Pay heed to this damn hill, it really is annoyingly long and a bear to tackle. I just made a point to keep jogging no matter what my pace and get through it. It starts to feel like the home stretch followed by one 800 foot climb that opens up the KC skyline, Liberty Memorial and beautiful view. What's even more beautiful is that the road starts winding downwards to the finish at Crown Center and you can practically hear the cheers and smell the Gatorade. All in all, a great, challenging, beautiful and rewarding Half Marathon in KC. I also want to give props to the organizers and volunteers who all did a wonderful job with it. It's a race I'd hate to do if it were 10 degrees hotter, but one I'm penciling in again to kick off next summer.

I ran the half marathon in June 2018 and it's by far my favorite half marathon. People told me that…read moreit's hard and it's hard to conquer the hill....I conquered the hill and it busted my running confidence by letting me know that I was in good shape( I had ran 3 other half marathons in 2018 prior to Hospital Hill). I finished the half marathon without walking and I did a personal record that day. Train, Sweat, Conquer, and Repeat for this race. :)

I sign on for at least one half-marathon a year, and Rock The Parkway is by far my favorite of the…read morebunch. Being an April run, it gives an incentive to stick with cardio throughout the winter, and the weather is often good for this one. If it isn't good, it's typically cold which you'd rather have then hot, so it's a winner either way. Adside from the overall practicality, it isn't everyday that they close by far the most beautiful road in Kansas City just for a big group of runners. When I first did this half-marathon back in 2012, it was good if not a tad messy. There were mobs of people at the start, no wave times, and it made for organized chaos. However as time has gone on, they've adapted and made this as easy and manageable as a half-marathon can be. Wave times, good support throughout, and good fan support* (more on that in a sec). What separates any good run comes down to one main thing: The course. It's no secret that Ward Parkway and the surrounding neighborhoods are the most beautiful in KC, so why not run by them and wonder what it would take to live in those houses? While there are rolling hills with slight inclines, it's a relatively flat course compared to the KC Half Marathon or Hospital Hill. You can really fly here, and there's something nice about not having a million twists and turns. You dip into some neighborhoods on the north end, around Loose Park, and then from there it's straight back down Ward Parkway and you know you're not too far away. In fact the last mile or so is mostly downhill or perfectly flat which allowed me to hit a PR in 2018! One quick note; the spectators really show up in droves for this which overall is great, but this is one of the few races where it caters more to the spectators than the runners. The fans create a massive logjam when trying to get to the corral, it's tough to leave at the end, and they almost always drink up all the coffee and some of the other goodies by the time I'm done which is usually under two hours, so right in the middle. We had to fight to find any sort of carbohydrate at the end of the 2025 race because stuff was picked over. Just some feedback if anyone sees it. Overall, it's a great half-marathon whether you've never done one or just want to be a part of a beautiful KC classic race. PS: This race is somewhat priced fairly, if you're early to sign up. The fact that these races have crept closer to or above $100 is insane, but there are manageable deals to be found with this one.

I ran the 5k in 2013, and basically kicking myself for not springing for the half marathon! (I was…read morein the best shape ever at the time of the 2013 5k, but I hadn't done a 13.1 in maybe 2 years so my butt was afraid) Why am I kicking myself? Pretty much the baddest-assed bling ever. I like bling, what can I say. And no, you don't get bling for the 5k (which is fine, I don't believe you should have to) The race itself was nice. I didn't know what to expect...being not from the area (The Ben Franklin Parkway in Philly is like a major city street whereas the George Washington Parkway in DC is a quiet trail with trees and a river and lovelyness) This parkway was more like the GW Parkway in DC. Very doubtful I'll be back unless I go to visit my friend who lives out there (the whole reason I did the 5k last year anyway) But if you're in the area totally worth checking out :)

I ran middle distance races in high school and college, and I have worked on my fitness in various…read moreways since then. I started with a personal trainer 19 years ago, and began working with Lindsey about 7 years ago. For the past 3 years, Lindsey has done "tandem training" with my wife and me. She is very creative designing our workouts, introducing just enough competition to keep it interesting without sending us to a marriage counselor! I had a total knee replacement about 10 years ago (so, no more running for me), and I have my share of arthritic complaints befitting my advanced age (I'll be 80 in January), but Lindsey has found many ways to modify our sessions to keep me going without producing more injury! On top of all that, she is a wonderful person, a great dancer, and she likes my jokes! My wife and I love training with her, and we love her gym and the other trainers working there!

Awesome service and great customer service and staff!! From…read morethe fitting to the ladder laces it was impressive. Thanks

We visited this store for the first time and left totally impressed with the excellent service…read moreprovided by the staff. (Gaelynn, and the trainee currently hired). They are without a doubt very knowledgable of the shoe products they sell and excellent at helping get fitted for the proper shoe. Although a smaller store-; the selection definitely met my needs. Don, the owner, was really cordial and also provided great service.

I went up to see Pat Cole the reflexologist. She was amazing and is here sometimes on Saturdays…read more The Foot Spot is GREAT!! I got some KC Sock Co socks for my wife and I. They are a bit pricey, but locally made. Also, The Foot Spot has Brooks and other fantastic walking and running shoes. They can make orthotics too. But my favorite thing is the HUGE selection of Oofos!! I wear them a lot. I have slides, house shoes and sneakers by Oofos. I had to play the send it back and forth game with Zappos because the sizing is a little different. For my subsequent pairs, I will just visit The Foot Spot. Yay! Great shop and knowledgeable staff and owners.

I learned about Karen and the Foot Spot from my podiatrist. I had been in excruciating pain until I…read moremet Karen. She properly sized me for some supporting sneakers and got me set up with my custom made orthotics. I've been walking on air ever since. Thank you Karen for your knowledge, kindness, and expertise. I never thought my feet would feel this good ever again. I am truly grateful

Hi. I called this company on Thursday 2/02 and requested a repair man to look at my treadmill to…read morehelp figure out what was wrong with it. They gave me a window on 10 to noon on Monday, 2/06 to have someone come to my home and look at my treadmill and help me figure out what was wrong with it. I received a call from NJ at almost 1pm saying he had a job in the morning and was running late and would be at my house by 2pm... It is after 3pm and still no call no show. Not reliable...and don't want them in my home or working on my equipment.

Stride Fitness Solutions is a really affordable service company. Their technicians are always on…read moretime. They are great at repairing fitness equipment at the lowest cost possible.

My wife purchased some New Balance running shoes from the Running Well Store at a price of about…read more$168 last September. Both of these shoes have exhibited the same problem; the sole is separating from the shoe and after very little actual use. We understand the limit of returns/exchanges is 30 days and under normal circumstances do understand the policy. We were given the New Balance phone number which we appreciated but I would have expected the store to take a more active role in addressing this with New Balance on our behalf. We purposely bought locally to support business in Lee's Summit but given this experience, we might as well buy on-line.

I'm a long time fan of the Running Well Store being a continuous washed up college avid runner. The…read moreservice is always friendly and they can tell I know what I want. You'll find good deals on their products and selection of products is always improving every time I visit the store. If you are an avid runner and enjoy in person shoe stores this is the place to go.

I have been coming here on and off for the last few weeks. Overall, both Joe and Ezra are…read moreexceptional trainers. Great people and motivating skills. They care about what they do as a craft. I have been here for a few weeks and it's been a motivation to change my diet and not be terrified of weights. Joe and Ezra are great coaches that walk you through the "know how's. They are cognizant that life happens and you may an injury/ watch your form to see if you need to change the approach of a form of exercise. I typically come in their first class of the day at 5:30am or 8:30am on Saturdays. The parking is plenty. There is park across the street if you are motivated to take a walk/run after class.

I frequent this gym a lot because, my trainer trains his clients here. Good location even though…read moreparking can be hassle depending on the day. It's a decent size gym, with the necessary equipment. I believe they only offer personal training and group classes which look fun. Everyone is very nice. It's a no judgment zone. The cell service sucks here for Sprint customers. It's very hard to get a signal and there's no free wifi available. There are two bathrooms with showers too that are fairly kept well.