The race, like many RAM events, has packet pickup the two days prior to the race at the Fleet Feet in Old Town. I was in Southern IL the better part of the week for work, so I had a friend pick up my packet for me. So I can't comment much on the expo.

The race starts in Montrose Harbor, which can make parking a little interesting. I parked a little under a mile away using Spot Hero, and wasn't the only runner using that lot. As with most races in the city, just plan ahead a little with parking, give yourself some extra time, and you'll be alright.

Until I arrived, I didn't even know there were corrals for this race, but there were. Everything was super close, and it was easy to head over to the bathrooms and get to the start line easily.

The course runs predominantly along the lakefront trails, with a few turnarounds in there. For a five miler, the race has a pretty small footprint. A couple spots had to be rerouted a bit because of all the rain in Chicago, but it didn't effect much of the race, if at all.

I'd also like to say that we finished under a giant inflatable pinata, which was epic.

The post race featured beer, food, and a pretty solid amount of vendors that the race had brought in. There was also a mechanical bull you could ride, if that's your thing.

For the swag, the medal was massive, and very classy looking. I'm not always a fan of getting medals in a shorter race. But if you're going to give them out, they should look cool and these did. I didn't love the shirt design, but it's been growing on me in the days since the event.

This is a great race if you want to increase your distance from a 5k, need some miles, or need a tuneup race for a late Spring marathon. This one is for you!

Link to this review