Here is what I liked:
-Fast and flat course, a couple of small hills, but I felt like I was able to speed up after them because for a few seconds I worked different muscles.
-Shirt, I don't mind cotton shirts at all as race swag, especially if they are long sleeve. This is a nice soft cotton and the shirts are gender specific.
-Race day packet pick up is an option, which I forgot about otherwise I would have done that this year. I would say the majority of people picked up their packets at the expo. Packet pick up was at Road Runner sports, easy access and parking.
-Gear check is easy and inside
-Before the race we sit inside and right by the start is another area where runners can wait inside. It's perfect for warming up or just staying warm. It's about a 100ft walk to the start from the inside.
-self seeded but everyone was pretty honest. There were mile pace signs hanging up and 5:00-8:00 min/mile were separate from the rest of the paces. I'm not sure how the other corals were let on to the start line, they were blocked off from the 5-8min/mile
-Medals are nice, but they are basically the same as last year. Ribbon was black for 10k and Gold for 10Mi. The color of the medal was gold this year instead of silver, and some colors were switched. The medal has a center spinner which seems to be unique.
-Post race food, banana, power bar fruit thing, almond butter, power bar wafer
-Post race stretching, this was actually the most amount of beds I have seen at a race.
-Unique vendors, cheese, tea, CorePower, Coffee.
-Money goes to cure cancer, that is a pretty good cause in my book.
-I registered in September and it was $35
-Parking around the area seemed pretty easy. I parked at Navy Pier for $19. Not too bad. I could have taken the bus, but I didn't feel like being sweaty for the ride home.
-B Tag timing
-Results were up before noon

Cons:
-Total lack of aid stations. I saw one between 1-3 miles. There were only 2 volunteers and it was on the opposite side of the path. Runners had to go across the path and grab it themselves. The last aid station I saw was at mile 4.2/8 It literally had no one working it. I didn't grab any water for this race, but I feel sorry for anyone running the 10mi that would have needed it. Water was the only option no gatorade.
-Same as last year, people walk down Navy Pier at the finish line like nothing is going on. It's so rude and terrible that race management doesn't have someone notifying pedestrians that there is a race going on. There was a group walking 4 wide and I had to yell, "RUNNERS" for them to move over.
-I believe the race course was a little different than the map.
-I would like it if the medals were different, but oh well.
-I'm not sure if this is a con or not, the bibs are like a flexible plastic, not the tyvek type material we are used to. Mine made a really strange noise throughout the race with the pin hitting the bib.

Overall: I PR'ed in a 10k race and won my age group. I can't complain too much :)

Link to this review