I moved my family to the Chicago area from Los Angeles in 2017. In 2018 I made it through the lottery process and ran in the Chicago Marathon (see my other review for those details) and fully expected to repeat in 2019. Much to my chagrin, I received a "Sorry... you were not selected to participate in the Chicago Marathon..." email. WTH? So as I was bitching and moaning on social media (along with hundreds of others), lo and behold I receive a DM through Twitter from the Race Director inviting me to run the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon - "just a couple hours outside Chicago" along with a discount code - BRILLIANT! I signed up and my training commenced. I had no idea this would turn out to be the one of my favorite marathon events in recent memory. The race director communications were superb. I always felt informed and appreciated, all the way to the day before when I received notice that there will be water on the trail so add some extra socks to your gear bag. The bus service to the start was easy-peezy and having a high school as a warm staging area was awesome. I don't know if they added a little extra to the collection basket in the months leading up to October, but the weather was AMAZING. I have never run in such ideal conditions. Brilliant sunshine and cool breezes keeping my body at optimal temps. For a "small, hometown race" the crowd support was very consistent and fun. I was wearing my LA Dodgers gear (in hopes that my efforts might propel them to the World Series - no such luck) and was playfully jeered along the way, "The Dodgers suck but I'll cheer for you, stranger!" one spectator shouted. True to their Midwest heritage, folks were just so darn neighborly. On a quiet country road, one gentleman was sitting in the back of his parked pick-up truck, banging away at the accordion, speakers blasting out polka music while his wife danced and waved nearby. At the finish, two things must be mentioned (1) the med student who escorts you away from the finish, giving you a once-over and making sure you're feeling all right was an exceptional touch and (2) was the fact that we got our post-race nutrition in a BAG! No juggling, fumbling and dropping half-eaten bananas and water bottles as you limp out of the finisher chute. Shout out to the Lakefront Brewery for providing some of the best tasting post-race beer ever. The superb organization, pancake flat course and friendliness of the participants all made this an exceptional experience.

A buddy of mine in the Military recommended that I sign up for this race and was I ever glad he did. This race is an odd distance: 10 nautical miles which equals 11.2 road miles. The start was at Fort Sheridan, an Army Base north of Chicago and the finish line is on the Great Lakes Naval Base. Both active military installations - a rare opportunity to access and run within the confines of these beautiful institutions.
The instructions on locating parking, boarding the buses and arriving at the starting line with plenty of time to pick up my packet were all executed with expert organization and military precision. Packet pick-up was a breeze and I had plenty of time to stretch and snap some photos alongside the Sheridan Tank which was on display. The SINGING of the National Anthem by the majority of runners was a highlight. So much better than just listening and mouthing the words. At a couple of points when the music cut out it was great hearing a chorus of voices singing along. The course around Fort Sheridan let us out onto a clean and green bike trail which we followed through some beautiful neighborhoods until we entered the Great Lakes Naval Station. Another beautiful installation, but these final miles contain a cruising downhill, beautiful views of Lake Michigan, the most motivational water station staffed with military personnel and then "Hero Hill" - .25 miles of a steep climb with sweet satisfaction at the top. The military presence and encouragement throughout the course was wonderful to witness and the post race party had an abundance of food and drink along with a family friendly array of inflatables and games.
PROS:
- Beautiful, flat course
- The pacers were inspiring and motivating
- Super well organized
- Lots of porta-potties and water stations
- a bounty of goodies and giveaways at the Finish Line
- FREE photo downloads!
- awesome finisher medal and shoulder bag
- an even deeper appreciation for the men and women in our Nation's Military

CONS
- none!

BRRRRRR! Relocating recently to the area from Los Angeles, this was INSANELY cold. I think the temp was 8 degrees at start time, but the sun was shining and the winds were relatively calm. This race lives up to its name - Polar. Penguins and polar bears would feel right at home and speaking of Penguins...
PRO:
- There was a team of penguins who were pacing the race and the 8:30 min/mile pacer could not have been better. She was positive, motivating and just fantastic to run with.
- The scenery was magnificent. Frozen Lake Michigan, the city skyline in the distance, over-sized art sculptures along the park path - it was beautiful the entire way.
- The Swag was pretty sweet. A polar fleece jacket to slip on over your icy running clothes at the end and a Penguin themed beanie. The finisher medal was sweet as well.
- The hot chocolate at the end. It was, well, chocolaty, and a welcome attempt at bringing my core body temperature back to normal, but it would have required a LOT more (maybe a whiskey sponsor?).
- Public transportation accessible. One train + one bus got me down stress free and in plenty of time from the suburbs.

CONS:
- Picking up your packet on race day required an additional $20 charge. Race organizers need to realize that getting into a city like Chicago on a Friday for a packet pick-up is highly difficult not to mention having to find/pay for parking and battle the traffic.
- The warming tents were walled, but this required them to be set at about 5'6'" tall. Myself and at least two other runners that I saw smacked our heads on the tent ceiling frames - major pain!
- Heaters kept shutting off. One runner figured out that if they set it to "Medium" it stayed on. Need MORE heaters, and maybe signs on how to get them turned back on.
- God bless your volunteers and their dedication to trying to keep us hydrated, but there needs to be a solution to keep this liquid from freezing. An ice cube of Powerade is not very hydrating.

Overall this race was fun. There is a certain lachrymose camaraderie in knowledge that everyone is experiencing equal levels of frozen discomfort. I generally avoid paying a hefty race fee to run on a trail that I can run on for free at any time. The entire course is on a public park paths, but being from out-of- town, it turned out to be well worth the price to be with and enjoy the company of so many insane runners and the chance to say "I survived Polar Dash 2017"

Mark V

This course is made for your next PR. Many races claim "net negative elevation" or "fast, downhill course", but this one truly delivers. This is a point to point course starting in the picturesque city of Ojai and ending at the crashing waves off the Ventura Coast. You can look up the elevation stats, but suffice to say I was running sub-8:20 miles for most of the first half of this race. My biggest challenge was one hamstring began cramping up in miles 17 and on probably due to over-striding.
The shuttle service from Ventura to Ojai was fast and efficient and the early hour we were forced to report to the bus allowed time for this normally solitary runner to meet some really great fellow runners.
There are not many spectators, but if you have a race crew there is one section that the runners pass twice (first and last parts of a loop) where you have two opportunities to cheer on your runners. You have many opportunities to hop down the path, park, and lift the spirits of the runners as they pass.
Leaving the city you run along a nice bike path in scenic wooded areas that provide adequate distraction from the long miles.
The finish is magnificent - once you finally make the u-turn onto the shoreline, the waves are crashing off to your left as you can see the finishing area far off in the distance. Bling is great and the post race party is a great place to collapse and listen to great music.
Parking for your spectators waiting for you at the finish line is nearby and very reasonably priced.
There were minor things I would change (one more potty station and perhaps more food at the end) but overall I thought this was a well organized, FAST and FUN race!
We are from SoCal so we made a mini Race-cation out of this and stayed on the beach - which was a treat for the family and sitting in the surf was a great way to "ice" the legs after the race.
A couple of years away from a new Age Category and it's back to Ojai for a BQ attempt for me!

Mark V