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.

What I didn't enjoy:
Nothing to add here! I loved this race!

I would definitely recommend this race and plan on registering in 2015 :)

This 5k was held on Saturday, November 29 at 9:00am. It would definitely be under the category of a fun run and a family event. Lots of large groups running together, which can mean a hard time actually running/getting around people. The weather was actually pretty nice - a little cold and windy, but not bad for the end of November.

Things I enjoyed:
+ location was easy to get to - Arvey Field, which is near parking or CTA
+ medal at the finish line
+ grey fleece/sweatshirt
+ lots of snacks at the finish: bottled water, hot cider, choice of chip (doritos, cheetohs, fritos, bbq, regular), fruit snacks
+ race day packet pickup (7:30–8:30am)

Things I didn't enjoy
- lots of groups together making it hard for passing (not the event's fault)
- Chicago needs to fix the path down by the lake; so many cracks that make it dangerous during races
- no corrals or even pace signage... not that everyone follows such things if they aren't monitored, but giving people that don't race much an idea of where to stand could help cut back on people starting too far up. I always start near the back, since I do run/walk intervals and am fairly slow, but notice a lot of people that walk slow start near the front. This can be dangerous for everyone involved.

I had fun doing this race and would consider it again next year if it fits in the schedule. Great way to work off some of the calories from the leftovers :)

The RFK 4 mile Turkey Trot was held on Thanksgiving (like always), which was Thursday, November 27 and starts at 8am. The course is a hilly 4 miles through the residential streets of Palos Park. What better way to start Thanksgiving than to run 4 miles in the morning. The weather was a little chilly (upper 20s), but I thought it was a great day to run. I heard it was the coldest Thanksgiving since 1956, I cannot confirm this, though.

Enjoyed:
+ Great swag! Blue/orange hooded sweatshirt, a pair of Feetures socks, and a $20 off coupon at RFK
+ Lots of raffle prizes after the race
+ Bottled water, bagels, and bananas at the finish
+ Can wait inside before the race to stay warm, and then the snacks and awards are inside afterwards
+ Trophies for Age Group first, second, and third
+ Not a crowded race, which I love
+ 11,000 cans of food to the Worth Food Pantry (each participant was to bring 2 cans)
+ Packet pick-up was at RFK Monday–Wednesday, and then race day packet pickup was also an option

I give the expo a 5 even though it's not really an expo, but I really appreciate that they have packet pickup everyday of the week leading up to the event, as well as race day packet pickup. I'm not sure everyone would say 4 for elevation, but there's a lot of hills, and I find it difficult myself seeing as I mostly run on flat surfaces here in Chicago haha.

I don't have any cons for this race, though some people might not like parking in the Metra Palos Park lot and taking a bus over to the start/finish and then back again. It's only about a 5 minute drive, if that long. The only downside I suppose is waiting for the bus to fill up enough to leave, but it doesn't bother me at all. I think it's great that they provide transportation for us, and that parking isn't any trouble at the Metra lot (not crowded and don't have to pay).

The Ugly Sweater Run Chicago was on Saturday, November 29 at 11am. There were some problems with getting the course ready on time or something, so the race started about 5 minutes late. They released groups every few minutes to help cut back on congestion on the course, but unfortunately, the course was rough and had congestion regardless. Right off the bat there was a crazy bottle neck that made for some very slow walking to get through. There was only about a mile or so on the actual lakefront path (last year was mostly on there), but let's just say this year's course was not ideal. We also had to trample through a lot of mud. However, this race is a fun run and isn't timed, and I still enjoyed myself regardless of the course... it was great to see so many great costumes and hideous sweaters (some were even on dogs - - loved it!) ;)

Enjoyed:
+ swag included an Ugly Sweater drawstring bag, custom vintage knit hat, mustache tattoo, and a button.
+ Sam Adams beer and Angry Orchard hard cider at the finish line (or you could have it before the race, if you chose).
+ hot chocolate at the aid station.
+ food trucks at the finish.
+ lots of great costumes and ugly sweaters.
+ parking available at Soldier Field for $20.
+ easy access to race via CTA.
+ they partnered with Save the Children this year (was Toys for Tots last year) - like that they partner with charities & money goes to good organizations
+ late start. I actually did a race at 9 in Grant Park and then headed over to Soldier Field. Generally I just like the later start so I can sleep in.
+ ugly sweater contest with prizes
+ dog friendly race. Loved seeing so many dogs with sweaters, and one with footie pajamas - adorable!
+ free photos; just download.

Didn't enjoy:
- the course was so narrow and caused a lot of congestion and back ups.
- the hat was the same as last year, so now I have two. Would have liked different colors, at least.
- I LOVE dogs and are happy that they can be included, but there were a few off leash and some that weren't handled well by their owners, which bothers me - - it's for the safety of not only the dog, but everyone around, and it concerns me when I see these things. I was afraid someone was going to trip over a leash or I'd witness a dog getting hit by a car. Eeks.
- Last year we were allowed two beverages at the finish, this year was just one. Sad face.

Here are the prices from this year:
Solo Runner/Walker -
$30 Early Registration
$35 starting Nov. 1, 2014
$40 day of registration, if available

4+ Person Ugly Sweater Teams -
$25 per person Early Registration
$30 per person starting Nov. 1, 2014
$35 per person day of registration, if available

The Monster Dash 5k is a fun run - no chip time for this race, unlike the 10k and the half marathon. Lots of people were dressed in costume, which makes it fun. This year it was held on Saturday, October 25 in Grant Park (Arvey Field), and it was a gorgeous day for a race! The sun was shining and it was unusually warm for the end of October - in the upper 50s when we started, and maybe mid 60s at the finish.

Things I enjoyed
+ Team Ortho races always have great swag - a long sleeve technical full-zip with thumb holes and a medal.
+ aid station with candy (same aid station, but hit it on the out and then on the back).
+ snack bag at finish with apple, mini LARA uber, potato chips, and candy.
+ people in costume make the race fun.
+ later start than summer races (8 for half, 8:30 for 10k, 8:45 for 5k) - I like that extra shut eye.
+ easy to get to start from CTA.
+ had packet mailed rather than needing to go to packet pickup.

What I didn't enjoy:
- the course; it was a bit weird thanks to a closure on the upper part of the lakefront path, which made for a weird weaving to get down to the lower section.
- no waves or corrals (though they do have pace flags... I don't think anyone follows these); even though it's a fun run, it can stop being fun when the course is crazy congested. With everyone starting at the same time, it's impossible not to have congestion almost the entire way, which is always a bit dangerous.
- the path around the park along with the lakefront path had so many cracks and was uneven in so many places, making it treacherous to run on. I tripped a few times myself, and actually saw someone in a wheelchair after hurting an ankle (not sure if she fell or twisted it). I know this isn't the races fault, but I really wish Chicago would get on it! I felt like I was skipping and jumping half the time to avoid potholes and cracks.
- couldn't hear the announcer at the start line because of the DJ in the party zone - we didn't cross the start line until 8:47, when the race was supposed to start at 8:30. It didn't seem to be moving until about 8:40, so I'm not sure if it started late because the 10k was still being released or what. Again, I couldn't hear the announcer, so it's hard to say what was going on.

If you're slower like I am, and tend to start towards the back because of this, I would suggest running these races for fun rather than time. I am never happy at my finish time at this race series, and it gets frustrating trying to get around people running or walking 3–5 abreast. It's much more fun if you enjoy the day and the run :) Just my opinion; obviously not to say you can't PR, as I'm sure some do, but I think there are other races more suited for PRs than this race series.