This is the second year I've ran this particular race in Atlanta. My ratings for each category are based on how THIS year's event went. I still whole-heartedly recommend running in the Hot Chocolate race in Atlanta, but if you do a little bit of preparation, it will be a lot better.

My wife and I traveled down to Atlanta from South Carolina the day prior to the race and stayed in a hotel.
Before we checked in, though, we drove to the Allstate Hot Chocolate's Expo located in the Georgia World Congress Center. Parking for the expo initially wasn't bad because there was a garage next to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but getting out of that parking garage proved a little troublesome due to the huge line of cars waiting to get out. The expo itself was relatively easy to locate at the Georgia World Congress Center. There were multiple signs inside the complex to guide you. The volunteers and staff at the expo were very friendly and extremely helpful when I had questions. The few downsides to the expo were that it felt smaller than last year and I don't remember seeing any future races in the Atlanta area being advertised there, but I am probably mistaken. Getting my bib and swag bag were no issues there. They have an area where you can exchange your sweatshirt if it doesn't fit. And speaking of the goodie bag, this year's wearable clothing is a blue or purple tech pullover which fits just right. It is definitely different than last year's zip-up hoodie sweat jacket, which I still wear quite a bit.

The organizers were on top of keeping people informed through social media. With the weather being predicted as rainy and just above freezing at the start of the race, the Ramracing team let people know that not only was the race still on, but anyone who signed up for the 15k race could do the 5k race instead and get all the after-race benefits. We, along with over two thousand others opted to continue on with the 15k; what can I say, but peer pressure?

The course itself was a little different than the one I ran last year, what with the start and end points for this year's race being north of the World Congress Center as opposed to last year's location which was practically at Centennial Olympic Park. But overall, the streets we ran on were almost the same.

There were four water/aid/sweet stations along the route, located near the one mile, three mile, five mile, and seven mile markers. The first two stations did have chocolate or marshmallows for runners to eat, but the final two did not, and I have to presume it had something to do with all the rain coming down because there were no overhead shelters for the volunteers or the refreshments, and when I got my marshmallows at mile three, the cup was half filled with rainwater. The volunteers apologized, but I told them it was okay and since it was raining, there was nothing either one of us could do... other than happily eat the marshmallows and continue on with the race. All the aid stations did have water and Nuun on hand for us to drink.

The course did have some hills, but it wasn't as bad as last year. There were plenty of police and volunteers out there directing traffic and runners on which path to use. The mood of the runners were pretty festive too, especially considering how dreary the rain was making day.

The finish line was across the bridge that leads to the Georgia World Congress Center, however, a little past the bridge, we turned right into the parking lot where the finish line awaited us. Once we crossed the finish line, we got our finisher's medal and commemorative keychain. We also turned in our voucher for our hot chocolate fondue cup filled with chocolate fondue, several treats to dip in it, and a cup of very good hot chocolate.

I do recommend that whoever participates in these races pay attention to the weather, and dress appropriately. Wear layers, and make sure you hydrate before, during, and after the race.

I also recommend that you take advantage of the Hot Chocolate's bag check-in and pack a complete set of spare clothing to change into after the race. I brought along an extra shirt and sweatshirt, but forgot to bring extra pants. This is pretty important in rainy and/or cold weather after a race due to hypothermia.

The final thing I want to add is that Ramracing and the Hot Chocolate Series does have a great website to give out information, and they even will send you a training plan to prepare for the 15k race, something I don't see a lot of races doing. Follow their training plan and you will do fine during the race.