On Thursday,  I went to the RnR USA Expo at the DC Armory. It closed at 7 so I had to jet over there quickly after work and grab my packet. My only real pet peeve about this expo was it’s closing time. 7pm! That’s not long enough, at least stay open till 8. I got there at 5:40 and went through the motions, but I would of like to not feel so rushed.

First Stop: Packets!

We went into the “basement” of the Armory to grab the packets. It was fast and very straight forward. Everything was laid out well and clearly marked. I grabbed my bib and safety pins, then headed back upstairs to get shirts and bags! They had out drawstring bags to hold all your items. (I love these bags, because they are fantastic for travelling! You can use them to hold shoes or laundry!)

The main athletic sponsor was Brooks, which is good and bad. It’s good cause I’m a huge fan of Brooks and bad because I’m a huge fan of Brooks. When I saw the race shirts debut online, I have to admit… I was not impressed. However, in person the shirt works.

U-S-A!!

I knew going in, that I wanted to pick up some official merchandise. Number 1 item on my list were the new Brooks Ravenna 5’s! They were reduced at the expo and I’m in need of a second pair of running sneakers.

Hey Bluefly, I think I love you!

I also picked up 2 tanks and a half zip. What can I say I really like Brooks Running gear. So after sufficiently having a great time in the Brooks Merchandise area, I found out that because I spent a certain amount ,I qualified to get VIP Porter Potty access at the race. Whoever said shopping didn’t have it’s perks, well you were wrong!

So this is happening…..

While at the expo I sampled the samples the new Powerade bar Mint chocolate chip which tasted just like Thin Mints. And, the Powerade new fruit juice “Gu” is out of the world delicious. How it fairs on a run is a whole other issue.

To wrap up the evening we visited booths, signed up for new races (King Crab Challenge), and purchased a few necessities.

Like this shirt, necessity! FYI There’s a good chance I’m wearing this while I type.

Overall the expo was laid out well and had lots of fantastic vendors. I think I’m a Rock N’ Roll Marathon fan (well at least the expo).

I’m ready to race, Let’s do this!

What’s your favorite race expo? Have you run DC before? What do you look forward to at your race expos?