The Rudolph Ramble 8k was held on Sunday, December 14 at 9am. Somehow Chicago managed to have a bit of a 'heat' wave in December, so the weather was wonderful. It was overcast with a bit of sun shining through now and again, and was somewhere in the low-to-mid 40s.

What I enjoyed:
+ Packet pick up on Friday and Saturday at the store.
+ Packet pick up on race day (on site from 7:30–9am) - this is what I utilized and it was a breeze.
+ 9am start.
+ Parking on the streets isn't great in this area, but you can pay for zoo parking or for a lot in the area.
+ If you live in the city, easy enough to get to via public transportation or bike.
+ Cute Norwegian-inspired winter ski cap - in your choice of pink/white/blue or blue/white/red.
+ Commemorative antlers.
+ Donner Dash for children 2 to 12 years old
+ Photos with Santa at the finish line party.
+ Coffee truck (I don't drink coffee, but noticed a lot of people in line).
+ Professionally timed using B-tag.
+ Aid stations with Gatorade and water.
+ Bananas, Clif Bar Minis (choice of chocolate chip or white macadamia nut), Ritz Bits - cheese or peanut butter, candy canes, bottled water and bottled Gatorade at the finish.
+ The start and finish were near Diversey Harbor (by Lincoln Park Zoo/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum).
+ The top three overall male and female finishers will receive awards
+ Age group awards (2014 Commemorative Holiday Ornament) will be given to the top three finishers.
+ Fun course - some was on Lakefront Path, but not all of it. It was a nice change of pace from races that are farther south near Soldier Field.
+ Helpful, energetic volunteers.
+ Pace signage so you know where to line up.
+ Limited amount of runners, which meant congestion on the course was pretty much non-existant, which is more than I can say for most other races I've done lately. Looks like there were maybe just over 1,100 participants – loved this aspect.