The Cinco De Miler is a fun, casual run where everyone can enjoy themselves! One important thing to note right away is that THIS IS NOT A 5K- it's a 5 mile race. I think a lot of people misunderstand that!

Packet Pickup: I picked up my packet at RAM Racing Store in Lincoln Park the Friday before the race. I was in and out in less than five minutes- can't beat that!

Getting to the Race: I used the CTA to get to the race, and that worked pretty well. From bus drop-off to the festival area near Montrose Beach was about a 15 minute walk, so make sure to give yourself enough time! I'm not sure how parking was, but I'm assuming it's pretty limited- this would be a great race to bike or Divvy to.

Gear Check and Corrals: I walked up to the race at 9:18 (starting gun was at 9:30), and I was able to check my bag and use the port-a-potty before getting to my corral for the national anthem. Awesome!

Race Course: It definitely kept me on my toes! We started off going through parking lots and it was actually at an incline (very unusual for Chicago!) There was a mariachi band at the first mile marker, which I loved. Right after that, the path narrowed dramatically to the two lane Lakefront Trail- one mile was close to enough time to let the field narrow, but it was still fairly congested at this point and hard to pass people. The path opened back up around mile three. Throughout the race course, we ran on asphalt, gravel, and even packed sand, which was a (short-lived) challenge!

I think one thing the race directors could improve on next year is marking the inner part of the course- they did a great job of putting orange cones near holes or areas where runners could trip, as well as the outer boundaries of the course, but the path allowed many runners to cut corners pretty drastically if they wanted. Luckily I wasn't running to win, but I would have been upset about that if I had. Also, I'm not sure how accurate the mile markers are- my time from 2-3 was a seven minute mile (!) whereas from 3-4 it was around nine minutes, and my phone said I stayed pretty even around 8:15 minute miles throughout.

Post-race: The post-race festival area was pretty large! I'm not sure how many participants ended up competing- maybe around 6,000?- but I think there was plenty of room for everyone. The bottom portion of your bib tore off for free food (chips and salsa AND churros and chocolate!) and a free beer, which I think is an amazing value! (Of course, in the finish chute you only got water or gatorade, so I'm guessing they cut corners there to give more free food during the festival).

Also, I absolutely loved that they had a piñata area! Too cute and a great touch.

SWAG: Loved it! The technical t-shirts are vibrant and fun, and the drawstring bags are neon and fun as well (boys got blue, girls got pink)- I'll definitely be using mine!

Overall, I'd recommend this race as a great alternative to anyone who perhaps wants the distance of the Shamrock Shuffle without the crowds or the chance of cold weather. Everyone at the race was in the mood to party (some volunteers wore sombreros and shook maracas on the course, and many people dressed up!), and it was a great time!