Packet pick-up: You could pick-up your bib on several different days in the week leading up to the race. They also offered free race day pick-up. I picked my bib up on race morning. It was very quick and easy. If you elected race day pick-up, you only got your bib at the start area. You had to collect your race shirt at the finish line area. Because of this, I inadvertently forgot to get my shirt at the end of the race.

Swag: The shirts looked pretty awesome! I forgot to get my shirt at the end of the race so I can’t comment on the quality or the sizing. I do know they had gender specific fits and the design was neat! The race medal is one of my all-time favorites. The ribbon has the seals for each of the different branches of the military. The best part about the race medal – It was given to me by a Marine. I shook his hand and thanked him for his service to our country. The Marines is my favorite branch of the military.

Shuttle: Since it’s a point-to-point course they shuttle you to the start line. This wasn’t much of a hassle for me. I arrived super early and didn’t have to wait long to find a parking spot. The parking lot isn’t directly located at the finish area so you have to take a shuttle from the finish area back to the parking lot. It sounds annoying and complex, but it was all very smooth and well organized.

Race course: I liked the course, minus the fact it’s a point-to-point course. The race starts at Fort Sheridan, then by mile 2-ish you’re on the Green Bay Trail, and then the last 2.5-ish miles race wraps up at the Great Lakes Naval Station. The Green Bay Trail is a really nice and really long recreational path that runs through the northern suburbs. (The Madison/Chicago Ragnar Relay utilizes this trail as well.) It’s narrow so it could potentially get pretty crowded during a race. There were aid stations along the route with water and Gatorade. All aid stations, except for one, seemed to be well managed. There was one station that only had 2 people passing out fluids and the table was only 1/3 of the way full with filled cups. There were very few spectators along the majority of the course. There were plenty of spectators once we entered the Naval Station. They even had military personnel on the giant uphill (Hero Hill?) to run beside you to provide encouragement to get up that icky hill that was ever so conveniently placed within the last mile of the race.  My only complaint about the course is the mile marker signs seemed to be consistently 1/4th of a mile off. My watch (and the others around me) noted our watches signaling a mile much earlier than the signs indicated. Also, at the finish line, most people had 11.75-ish miles for the 11.5 mile course.

Post race: They had plenty of drinks and snacks to give away after the race. It was your typical fare of water, Gatorade, bananas, protein and granola bars and chips. There wasn’t too much more going on at the post race area. I imagine since it’s an active Naval base, they are pretty strict about what can and can’t occur.

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