This was my first Hot Chocolate race, and after hearing about this fun series, I was excited to see it come to Florida. It was the first time RAM Race, the folks that put on the Hot Chocolate races ventured all the way down south.

The expo was okay. I didn't expect much, since I just wanted to snag my packet and swag. There were a few vendors in attendance, I'd say about maybe half a dozen. The good thing about those vendors was that they all had Chocolate themed stuff, so if chocolate is your thing, you could definitely score some great stuff.
I easily picked up my bib after showing my driver's license, then headed over to get my hoodie. They had a "try-on" station if you wanted to ensure the hoodie size you asked for was a good fit, so that was nice. There was also an area to get a couple of chocolate goodies the day before the race if you were so inclined.

Race morning was pretty smooth once I parked. I was able to see a few runner friends as I did the usual port-o-let stop and then headed over to the starting corrals. I was also able to find pre-race water which is something I tend to try to snag before a race.

The race itself was HOT! The 15k started at 8:20am, which was honestly too late for Florida. By the time I crossed the starting mat, it was 8:29am according to my watch. I was in good spirits as the announcer encouraged us all and got each corral going in a fun way.

The route itself was pretty good. I did enjoy it, less for the weather conditions. I admit, I had a hard time enjoying it all because I just felt overheated. There were great water/aid stations with not only water, but Nuun and some chocolate/marshmallow goodies. I didn't partake of anything but the Nuun and water, but those two options were great, especially the Nuun.

I can definitely see this race being so much more fun and enjoyable when the weather conditions are cooler. Florida is just so weird, you never know what you're going to get! If the race director starts the race earlier in 2017, and adds more water stations, this race will really rock here in the Sunshine State!

The finishing party was great! I really did enjoy the Finisher Mug with all of the goodies inside. I loved dunking pretzels, marshmallows and the banana in the chocolate. Everything just seems better covered in chocolate! RAM Racing sure as heck has that down for sure.

Bottom line, Hot Chocolate is a chocolate runner's fun run for sure. If you love running and chocolate, you must run this race. Not to mention how awesome the swag is, a hoodie is one of the best race swag items I've ever gotten! Now, if they have frozen iced chocolate next year, well let's just say that would be amazing! I mean, you never know!

Check out my full blog review:
http://girlsgotsole.com/blog/race-recap-2016-hot-chocolate-15k/