This year marked my third Hot Chocolate Atlanta Race and it was a cold one. This is one of my favorite races because to the expo, swag, and chocolate. 

The Expo
The expo was held at the World Congress Center and had plenty of vendors. What made the expo interesting this year was that it was snowing in Atlanta. Snow in ATL usually means early closings and cancellations. The RAM racing crew wasn't afraid of a few snowflakes and the show went on as scheduled. Packet pick up was fast and easy. I was also able to purchase some nice running products (hello Sweaty Bands!).
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The Swag
The largest trademark for this race series is the swag. Each year the swag, also known as the goodie bag, was a nice warm jacket. Since I registered early, my jacket was embroidered to give it a personalized flair. 

The Race
I ran the 15k so I could get the candy bar medal. This year was so cold that the Nuun on the course turned to a slushie. The course was the same as last year and was classic ATL (hills, thrills, and chills). I didn't PR, but I was grateful to be racing. A few months ago I wasn't sure if I would even be able to run this race. There were great volunteers and post-race party was awesome. I had to eat my chocolate quickly before it solidified due to the cold weather.
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