The course is a mess on the back half. It became super crowded after the turn around due to he breast cancer walk, the 10K and casual runners. It got much better once we got back on the street.

Me and few other runners got lost just before mile five because a guy in front of me turned, then I turned and another guy turned after me. Ultimately, it's my fault, but I wish there were a few more volunteers and more signage.

I had a great time at this race. I did it with some of the cross country kids I help coach. I signed up pretty late and still had an easy time picking up my packet on race day. You get a really nice winter hat with your packet. It is a small-ish race, so gear check is very easy.There is a section on the course when you are heading back towards the start where you get a really nice view of the Chicago skyline.I am not sure about parking since I took public transit back there and then ran back home. There is one aid station on the course at the halfway point I believe. It is a good race for someone who is looking for just a fun turkey trot or someone looking to get a good time.

I had a great time running this race. I heard prior to signing up for the race that it had a big hill, but Twin Cities in Motion changed the course this year. That does not mean that the course is not somewhat hilly. The elevation gain ended up being 301ft. MIles three through four are right around where there are some hills. If you can get through that, you will be fine. It is a July race, so expect it to be somewhat humid. I stayed in St. Paul, so I just ran a few miles to the packet pick-up. The race swag is pretty nice. I got a nice Brooks tech T and a pint glass. There is also a train right near the TCIM office. I also ran with a pace group for most of the race and they were great. There is also a nice post race part in the park the race starts by. I would definitely recommend this to someone else.

The cold and wind on the day made this race a lot more challenging than it is. The hills are mostly rolling ones. There is one tough stretch from about miles 7.2-76(my best guess) that starts off with a downhill and then you have to go right back up a hill. It is a tough place to have a hill because that can be the toughest part of a half. After that stretch there is a portion of the course that is on the lake. On this windy day, it kicked my butt and felt like I had been running in place for a while. Other than that, it is a really nice course that runs through the neighborhoods of Highland Park and I felt the aid stations were pretty well placed. The one tough thing is that there is not much crowd support. Again, that is something that could be different on a much nicer day. It is a race for serious or casual runners. I did not have any issues of weaving around people at the start of the race.

I also found gear check to be extremely easy with it being a smaller half. There were no hard closures of corrals, so I stayed warm as long as possible and then hopped in my corral. They had hot chocolate, a food bag and a chance to get stretched out after the race. This race is difficult to get to without a car or a ride.

Thievish the first year I decided to do the race and I did not regret it. It is a fun neighborhood race that is flat and fast. It suits people looking to run fast or have a good time with family and friends. I did like how they people line up by times they thought they'd finish. The course is well marked and staffed to alert you of the speed bumps on the course. A common complaint I've heard are all the turns on the course.

I don't know about parking because I ran there. Packet pick-up is very low key and bibs are assigned there.