NOTE: I originally wrote this review under the Snow City 5k race, but this is the same race so I'm copying it over here as well.

I ran the 5k this year, but there are many other Big Wild Life Runs races to choose from. The expo was pretty big for Alaska and our swag bags were awesome! We got long sleeved tech Ts that fit great. Jeff Galloway and Bart Yasso were at the expo and were signing books for runners.

The race itself starts in downtown Anchorage and runs down to the coastal trail before running back up a large hill and ending on a flat finish. The course is beautiful and captures both the urban and the scenic parts of Anchorage. While there's quite a few rolling hills, runners need to be aware of that giant hill in the last half mile that will totally kick your butt if you're not ready for it! Your reward at the end is a beautiful medal that is shaped like Alaska! After the race there was so much food available, including grilled cheese, cinnamon chip bread from Great Harvest Bread Co., chips, and even some food trucks. It was raining so I didn't stick around too long, but it was fun cheering in the other runners as they finished. Even with the giant hill, I really liked this course and look forward to running a longer BWLR race next year! I think that tourists who are looking to run a race in Alaska would love this course (and the longer race courses), the swag, and the medal!