Bucktown 5k

Bucktown 5k

Bucktown 5k

( 14 reviews )
92% of reviewers recommend this race
  • Chicago,
    Illinois,
    United States
  • September
  • 3 miles/5K
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

Annabelle

chicago, Illinois, United States
25 14
2013
"Big, but reliable."
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Annabelle 's thoughts:

I'm trying to think of a clever analogy here but can't come up with something else that has grown rapidly but is always the same...

What I mean is, the Bucktown 5k has been around for a while now, I've run it 4 times (non-consecutively), and was a little overwhelmed at first in 2013 when I saw how many people there are now. It's a 5k that is tucked onto neighborhood streets, so a 5k that requires start corrals seems like a recipe for disaster. But whaddyaknow, each year it is reliably held without any drama (to my knowledge).

I do wonder if they can get any bigger without moving to the lakefront of onto some major streets, and that would definitely changes the feel of the event. It might slow you down a little bit, but I really enjoy 5's that have lots of turns and stay away from major intersections, it makes you feel like you are flying, even if you are having a bad day. It also means that even if it's only a handful of spectators, they seem like the world.

The race swag is different each year, but they do stay (as I think all R.A.M. event tend to) away from t-shirts. 2013, was a hoodie, a fairly snuggly one at that.

The biggest challenge for this race is possibly navigating over speed bumps (as with any neighborhood course) while trying to run fast, and getting tucked into the appropriate spot at the start. Given the large number of runners, and the limited space, you could potentially have a very rough start, so mind the corrals.

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