This November I ran "America's Sweetest Race" and set an awesome new PR...in the amount of chocolate I ate while racing! I seriously have nothing but great things to say about this race! I had originally signed up to run the 15k, but due to aches and pains from a recent half marathon, dropped down to the 5k. Instead of being charged a fee to change distances, I was refunded $25! Immediately I was pleased.
I had someone else pick up my packet for me, but I heard the expo was really well organized. The swag was a little hot chocolate back pack and an awesome hooded sweatshirt (it fit very true to size). This might be my favorite race shirt yet!
Parking was easy. We parked in a ramp right next to the start line, and only paid $5. Nice! There was a huge number of port-a-potties there, and they were nice and clean! The lines were short since there were so many bathrooms, and there was even hand sanitizer!
the race started right on time (8:05), and there were flurries in the air! it was great running weather.
The race course itself went through downtown Columbus, and the scenery was fantastic. There are definitely some hills on the course, so be prepared for that! At mile 1.5 we hit the only chocolate stop on the way, and were given chocolate chips the size of quarters! YUM! I had a whole handful to eat over the next few minutes, and it was delicious. There was a water/gatorade stop after this to help wash it down. The 15k course had 4 stops. The course split at 2.5, and signage was plentiful. There were clocks at every mile to show the race time, which is always a perk in my world! The crowds were great near the end, and I came running into the finish line with a smile on my face.
They didn't have any space blankets after the race, which was a little disappointing given how cold it was. They also didn't give out any medals for the 5k runners, which was a bummer because the 15k medals were adorable!
After crossing we went to get our finishers mug, which included partitions with the following treats: a hot cup of hot chocolate, melted chocolate for dipping, a banana, cookies, a marshmallow, a rice krispie treat, and some mini pretzels. It was a mess to eat, but really delicious! They planned it really well, and included a wet wipe to get off all the chocolate from our hands and faces. They also had stands of plastic bags to put your mug into to get it home safely without getting chocolate everywhere.

Honestly, this race is one of the most well organized races I've been to. The blow up hot chocolate mugs and marshmallows were adorable, the music was fun, the course was fantastic, and all the chocolate was wonderful. This is a really fun event to do with kids or a group of friends!

for more details on the race, check out my race recap: http://www.thelittlethingsblog.com/hot-chocolate-race-recap/