It was great to be back to a live Hot Chocolate 15K this year. My crew and I gathered early, half of us running the 5K which starts 30 minutes before the 15K for some reason, and took some pics and hung out a bit before the start. Everything is really really well organized and the race is held at First Ward Park in Charlotte which is surrounded by easy and affordable parking. You can even ride the train in, which many of my friends did.

The course is a bit of a beast, but hey, that is Charlotte racing for you. There's a reason we have an UPtown instead of a downtown. It's hilly, and there is an uphill finish guaranteed for pretty much every race. The last quarter mile can get you if you don't leave something in the tank.

My only negative comment on this year's race, which was unusual for this year, was that I think maybe an aid station got skipped as the first one wasn't until close to the halfway point of the race. Having to go 4.5 miles without water after a long start had me suffering a little, especially in the 3rd mile. There were 3 total aid stations and the other 2 were spaced fairly closely after, so it really did seem like there should have been one more around mile 2 - 2.5. I heard many runners, including the pacers, comment on the lack of early water. If you worry about that kind of thing, you might want to carry your own water. The aid stations that they did have had water, Nuun and some kind of candy - gummy bears, M&Ms and marshmallows in that order. I did grab a cup of gummy bears, dumped them into my pocket and spent the rest of the race sucking on two at a time for a much needed sugar boost.

As always the finish line experience is AMAZING at Hot Chocolate races. The announcer calls everyone's name, lots of kind volunteers hand out medals and bottles of water, and the main event is just up the road, the Hot Chocolate Goodie bowls. So GOOD. And the jackets are always amazing. I think this year's was my favorite. But I do kinda say that every year. PLUS, free finisher photos that arrived in my email before I even got home! Overall, the race, as usual, was awesome. This was my 5th year, so I also got a really cool Silver 5 Year Legacy Mug and Hot Chocolate Bomb. It will for sure not be my last year, not by far. Despite the hills, you know I will be back in 2023!