This was a very nice race (I ran the half). It's not too big, so the most awesome thing is that I…read morewas able to leave my hotel and be in my corral in five minutes. Also, the race ended right at my hotel so that was great. Corrals were very orderly. Music along the course was good but not as much as other Rock N Roll events I've run. Volunteers everywhere were outstanding. They really did a good job there. Plenty of course support from spectators, policy and EMTs. Really pretty well organized. The weather was perfect the day I ran so I won't even bother to complain about the hills, although the one before mile 7 and the little one right before mile 12 I thought would kill me. Expo was small but efficient. On the not so great side, I don't like the company that did the timing for this race. It was hard to navigate on mobile and if you were a runner they made you sign up to get data (so just pretend you're a specator) and even then, the data was bare minimum. They need to look at how timing is done at other races to see it done correctly. Another thing I have to say is that Rock N Roll races make their websites overly complex and hard to navigate. To find info about the start corrals, I had to click a lot and then I just got a map. There were no instructions that said how you should enter the corrals, which would have been helpful since the bag check was in front of the start line across the course and the corrals went around the block. Make the logistics easy to find with one or two clicks. Especially on mobile. When people are traveling around they are more likely to have a phone or tablet than a full PC so optimize your website for mobile. Very poor mobile experience. I don't advocate traveling to NC due to their regressive and repressive governor but if they ever get their act together and decide to join the 21st century, this would be a fun race for everyone.

3/15 runs for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 2015!…read more WHERE IS RALEIGH? jk. If it weren't for this Rock n Roll thing, I would have never even considered Raleigh as a travel destination, running destination, or anything destination. I'm from sunny San Diego, and we have everything. lol. jk. THE EXPO If you've been to one RnR Expo, you've been to them all. There were a bunch of booths promoting some type of fitness food, gadget, destination, ect. Outside of the convention center, I loved how they dressed up the statue of Sir Walter Raleigh with racing gear. It was cute. I love the community spirit. THE SHIRT Also cute. Loved the squirrel! Wish the medal and the shirt would coordinate because they were two completely different designs. RnR should probably consider that for all its races. And you Raleigh folks, someone should have dressed up as a squirrel, or even Sir Walter Raleigh. Show your pride in your city. lol. THE ROUTE It was a little challenging, but doable. There were hills, and a lot of trees. Raleigh is known for being "The City of Oaks" thus a piece of bark flew into my mouth and it made me choke during the race. lol. Considering that this was a spring race, and with things starting to bloom... hello allergies! Pollen levels were HIGH. In addition to choking, I was sneezing a lot, and my eyes kept watering up. To my allergy-friendly friends -- start taking some allergy medicine prior to the race, and make sure it's the non-drowsy kind. You don't want to look drunk on the course. Despite the hills and the allergy attacks, I actually did fairly well. THE SOUTH You need to remember, you are in the South, home of the Chick-Fil-A. lol. jk. (They were everywhere though!) Sunday's in the South... prepare for closure! A lot of restaurants, grocery stores, sightseeing places were closed. Surprisingly, the half marathon was on a Sunday, as opposed to the typical South hosting races on Saturday's. The places I had in mind to check-out were all closed -- especially the restaurant I had plans to pig out at after the race, and unexpectedly, convenience stores for allergy medicine. I was hungry with a runny nose. Luckily Jimmy John's (gourmet sandwich joint like Quiznos) were handing out free sandwiches after the race, so half my problems were solved. It may not seem like I had a good time in Raleigh, but I did. A lot of funny stories came out from this mini vacation. (ie I ALMOST DIED VIA UBER. Well not really, but I had the potential to. And, weird people asking for my number... are Asians non-existent in the South or something? lol. jk.) Would I probably do it again? No, but you gotta do what you gotta do for the bling-age. lol. **If you run the 3 out of the 4 Rock n Roll marathon/half marathons in the same calendar year - New Orleans, Raleigh, St. Jude Country or Savannah you will earn the Southern Charm medal!

Great race track. It's a paved race track too. It's located way out in the middle of no where also…read more I really enjoyed visiting the racing facilities here. Bathrooms have a place where you can wash your hands. They also concession stands that have great food. They also had no lines every time I wanted something to drink and eat. Race track view: all seats are good seats from what I see. But, I would recommend sitting up as high as possible to get an even better view. I could see the race cars driving around the whole race track. I met a friend beside me while here. I said he was a regular and used to have a race team and come to this race track in his younger days. He mentioned a few drivers that were racing today that used to drive for him. Prices for admission was very reasonable. They were charging $15 to get in. They also have senior citizens discount where it was only $12 for admission. In summary, I had a great time. I will definitely come back to this race track soon. Everyone was nice and friendly.

Been coming here since before I could walk and i don't regret it. It's so fun and interesting every…read moretime I come. Especially when my dad races but I can't wait to be able to race here!

Want a day out with the family to have a good ole American time, then swing over to Wake County…read moreSpeedway! We had so much fun watching all the cars racing and eating the 'not so healthy' food. They have an area to buy items, where you can find some collectible pieces as well here and there. This NASCAR short track is pretty hidden from the road, but there is a ton of seating for all. Check out the schedule online to see the upcoming races, and support this local gem!

We went for opening night last spring and had a blast. Hoping to make it out again this year for a…read morerace or two. Definitely wish they could have better parking but know land is limited so we suggest getting there early like we did. Also would love a few more food & beverage options but we did enjoy some fried deliciousness

My friend group and I went here recently for a friend's birthday. The first thing I noticed was…read morethat parking is tight, so just be aware of that. The site itself is quite nice and very large. Apparently renovations were done recently so it has an updated feel to it. When you walk in you sign up to race at the counter area, and you also take your picture and pick a racing name. The majority of our group was guys, with the exception of three ladies. Us ladies didn't race and instead ended up getting drinks from the bar, playing a few of the arcade games, and cheering on our guy friends who raced. The bar area has a pretty good selection of drinks and food, and for it being an "amusement" type center, I'd say the quality was pretty decent! There were a solid amount of things you could do besides the racing. They had axe throwing, a rock climbing wall, arcade games, and an interactive game arena. The racing did look fun and our friends had a good time doing it. Those karts go up to around 40mph so they're no joke. I do feel like they do a good job with their safety measures. They give you solid racing helmets, and if you spin out they'll make sure to help safely get you straightened back out. They'll also enforce some set track rules to make sure you're racing safely. My two friends and I watched our other friends race from a large viewing platform near the top of the track. The only negative thing I'd say about our experience is that it's loud (I'm sensitive to high pitched squealing sounds, so I shoved some bits of napkin in my ears and that helped lol), heavily smells of gas (they do have ventilation in place but it's still very noticeable), and it's also pretty hot in there. The area with the arcade, bar, and other entertainment is separate from the racing track, which is good because you can get some relief in between races in there. Overall, it was a fun experience! We all had a good time and would go back again. This time I'd bring ear plugs lol.

My son and I had fun we paid for 6 total races (3 each) but after two the exhaust fumes were…read moregetting to both of us. I asked an employee how do they deal with it because we stopped racing after our second time and went inside. The place needs to update the video games or make sure they are working with we didn't see anything to play some of the non-arcade games.

Just an all out amazing time. There is so much to see....so many vendors. The vendors have…read moresamples and authentic products. The Carolina Pig Jig is held outside. There are over 20 Masonic lodges that are competing for a win for best bbq and sauce. The tickets are only $20 and you cannot eat as much bbq as your soul desires. I look at this festival as a prequel to the state fair that is held in October.

I love this festival…read more The fact there is an NC based festival that focuses on local vendors and creators is such a wonderful idea! I went to the sip and shop area where you can get an alcoholic drink and wander around. I got to sample so many amazing local foods, sauces, and sweets. I walked out of that place work so much stuff! Then the agriculture center has livestock and learning experiences for the little ones. This festival is definitely a must try if you've never been!

We absolutely enjoy the fair!…read more Going to the fair is easy- buy your tickets online- it's free to park. We parked in the field on Edwards Mill- buses came every 5 minutes- very comfortable! Friendly drivers. We got dropped at the gate- then enjoyed ourselves- We didn't ride any rides - way too expensive (giant slide $7) unbelievable. The food was so pricey- one sausage $18 - lol - eat before you come (and bring snacks) Seeing all the shows and all the vendors- so much fun!

I had a blast at the NC State Fair this year. My favorite food came from Peachey's: the best donut…read moreand pretzel I've ever had! Food was pricy as always, but I've come to expect from the fair. The garden/flower area was beautiful and they had some volunteers stationed to take your picture. "The Art of Bonsai" demonstration courtesy of the Triangle Bonsai Society my favorite activity this year. It was awesome to learn (and see) how Bonsai trees are raised.

This is on of the nicest BMX Parks in the are. The track is a lined packed clay and asphalt racing…read moresurface with lots of dips, valleys, and curved twist. The track is said to be challenging for lots of riders at various skill levels. The track is just beside the Community Center which is open seven days a week, right now.

From the owner: Capital City BMX is a bicycle motocross track located inside Lions Park of Raleigh, NC. We are…read moreopen to the public for track access Tuesday and Thursday and Sunday Evenings 5:00 until dark. You are welcome to ride any bike you have on the dirt track but we do have bikes for rent. Practices are just $3 and bike rentals are $5. You will need to wear long pants, long sleeves and helmet. We have helmets for rent as well for $2. It is always free to watch.

Great family runs this track and they have done a whole lot to enhance the experience at this…read moretrack. Today Ryan Newman was on track and they have had several known nascar drivers now come to race here.. it's our own local track and super family friendly.. they even have playground for the kids. The concession stand has good food and bathrooms are pretty clean. We try to always get a trackside spot so we can do our own tailgating thing..we always have good time here.

It was the first time signing up for a Race 13.1 half marathon series, so I didn't know what to…read moreexpect. They're a relatively new race series that have set up shop in various race cities across mainly in the central and Eastern Time zones. I thought that I should give them a try, especially when it's a half marathon. A little surprised that there's no previous reviews posted on Yelp for Race 13.1 Raleigh, but there are previous photos for Race 13.1 but for Fayetteville, NC, not in Raleigh. It's kind of weird and disappointing, but what can you do really? I entertained the notion of racing a half marathon in Raleigh, NC as an integral part of my own personal goal of running a half marathon in all 50 states, especially when I've done a marathon in all 50 states already. I love new goals and the extensive traveling, so I was like, why not grab North Carolina for my 50 states half marathon goal in 2016? Race 13.1 series is a growing brand with some name recognition there, which is how I got to choosing this race. They kind of operate like Competitor and the Rock n Roll marathon race series, in that they tout themselves as being awesome and superior to other races out there, promising a great experience to everyone. Then they offer bonus bling aka finisher medallions to those participants who do 3 or more races in a calendar year within their series. They operate in 11 states right now, but surely as the years go by, they may be in more and more places as popularity in the half marathon distance continues to grow and mature. For me, it was just another half marathon event for me in a growing list of achievements that started back in 2007 with my first half marathon and first marathon. Pretty cool on where life takes you when running leads the way. Race 13.1 Raleigh sets up shop at the 4120 Main at the North Hills shopping mall complex, at least in the 2016 edition of the race. I The race venue is the surrounding areas that included bike paths at Shelley Lake Park, which was very picturesque, scenic, and beautiful. Running around a lake and shaded bike trail / walking path was quite nice and very quiet. You never know a race was going on there, unless you are a local, who happened to know what was going on that day or are a participant in the race. Race 13.1 offers their signature headline half marathon, as well, as offering a 10km and a 5km race distance. There was the long out and back from mile 6 to mile 11, which I didn't particularly enjoy, but it was scenic and quiet to tend to my thoughts. While I was out there, I met up with a dude who was sort of struggling and I ended up chatting to him. Turns out he was doing his very first half marathon event and he had gone only 10km this far, so it was inspiring to see him go 13.1 miles for the first time. We both made it, of course, but the weather conditions were borderline warm hot and the hills didn't make it seem anything but easy. We had to work those miles to get to the finish line, which we did. Race 13.1 registration fees are reasonable for a half marathon, averaging around $50-$65 per person. Everything is usually online registration nowadays, so they do accept major credit cards, which is always a great thing. They did offer late registration at packet pick up, which was at the Omega Sports store inside the North Hills mall complex. Not too shabby, but all I cared about was finishing and getting another half marathon under my belt. I believe right now, it's 28 half marathons so far and just 5 states for my 50 states half goal. There is plenty of parking for race morning. The race advises participants to park inside the underground parking garage, which I did, arriving around 5:30am for 7:15am start to secure prime parking. You never want to be that guy or gal to a race and there's no parking to be found. Better to have that piece of mind rather than scrambling around that morning. For what its worth, this race has plenty of hills to be shared with everyone. Be wary of the weather conditions, since it's in early June and can get warm really fast, even though the morning temps can be a soothing low 60's. It can climb up fairly quickly. The finisher medals were nice and quirky. I don't mind it, although the cardinal was kind of cute in a way. While I've race in better venues, I did enjoy the mile around the lake front here at the Shelley Lake Park. The bike / walking trails that serve half of the course miles were safe and you would only have to worry about those rogue cyclists who think they own the road when they zip by you at a fast clip. I'd rate the Race 13.1 as a 3.5 stars, bumped up to 4.0 stars. Scenery was great, but please try to have less hills! Maybe move race day to early May so that it'll be in cooler weather? Just a thought though. Race more! Support local! B-

Race 13.1 is really does a great job... I've run both Raleigh races and Wilmington. They say that…read morethey provide 'Big Race Perks with a Local Race Feel' and I think they do just that. Their customer service is better than any other race I've ever experienced. You can actually call them and talk to someone on the phone!