I've done this race 3x in a row, and always have a great time. This year ended up being perfect weather - no snow and 40 - amazing for January in Chicago!

Packet pick up was simple and quick. I waited till the night before and the line wasn't bad at all. The swag was decent - an awesome winter hat and running gloves.

I was a bit sad to see the race move from Montrose Harbor to Soldier Field, but this ended up to be a great change. The gear check and post race party was INDOORS. In years past, you had to stand outside and freeze after running 13.1. Getting to the race wasn't bad. I did hear that the parking lot was a little out of control, but I biked and bike parking was abundant!

Gear check was quick, you were able to stay indoors until the start, and the race started right on time! The course was a really nice change from running north. I always love to run the south end of the lake path, and this race did just that! The water stations were a bit unorganized - sometimes only had water on one side, gatorade on the other, but for the most part, if you called out what you needed, someone would hand you a cup.

The finish line DID NOT have water bottles, which I'm not a fan of. They did hand out cups of water, kind bars, and protein shakes, but after 13miles, I need a full bottle of water. Gear check was quick, but by the time I had grabbed my things, met my friends, the gear check line was OUT OF CONTROL. They put gear check in a small room, which I think was too limiting for a race that sold out.

Overall, I love this race. I love having a half marathon to help keep up my training in the winter, and F3 does a great job to continue improving this race each year. I would recommend it to anyone!