Review

It's a beautiful course around a new park, it's well organized and has a nice atmosphere. Like the previous reviewer said, you basically go around a 4-mile loop six times, with a one mile entry and exit. I found it nice to get accustomed to what turns were coming up, and when to expect those aid stations. There are a few short gentle hills in one section of the loop, and the only 'sharp' turn is during the entry/exit (so you hit it twice), and it's not even that sharp.
The previous reviewer who went in 2016 unfortunately suffered warmer weather, and had a mild complaint about gel being handed out at the end of the line. Well, in 2017, we had perfect weather right around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. And they were handing out gel at both the beginning and end of the line. Many of the volunteers handing out drinks would move along with you to help hand-off without slowing you down much. I thought they all did a great job.
My biggest complaint? There was a slight sulphur or rotten egg smell near the beginning of the race which dissipated after a lap or two. The park is an old gravel pit, and they have some sort of oil drilling machines; I'm not sure if those are the source of the smell. But really, it was nothing significant. I'm only mentioning it because I have no other complaints.

Race Tips

You really don't need a specific pacing strategy for this course. The entry to the loop at the start is *slightly* downhill, so you should know that the exit from the loop at the finish is *slightly* uphill. I didn't find it to be a big deal, though.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

OK, I went for a cheap motel called America's Best Value Inn on the northwest side of Grand Rapids. I would recommend against repeating my mistake. It's not all that helpful to have riffraff yapping away on the balcony until 3am. Room wasn't very clean and there were some maintenance issues.