This race was okay, but definitely room for improvements! I raced this in 2016, so there were differences. Some were good, some were not so good.

EXPO: Having expo at Navy Pier as opposed to Mccormick I did not feel was as great of a call. As a local, it was harder to get down to Navy Pier and costed more for parking. Some volunteers were not sure what they were doing. One of them told me my registration wasn't complete even though I had my confirmation. Maybe better training in that regard, which is not as big of a deal. The big stand for Hot Chocolate was a crowd pleaser and the highlight of the expo. Their clothing merchandise was also the highlight there and made use of that space. Lots of different types of booths so Hot Chocolate did great on variety.

SWAG: Sweatshirt was great! The style was great but I wish it was a tech material or a little more breathable.

Parking/Access: This was really well executed and Hot Chocolate provided a lot of options for parking. I always park in the Grant Park garages and recommend that to anyone.

Start of the race: The one knock I have on this (and why I need to make this a category) is that.. there was no start line. That was so confusing. You didn't know you were starting until you saw a mat, which you can't see as much with so many people. This is one of the biggest races in Chicago so I definitely think Hot Chocolate could benefit from a START sign.

Course: typical Chicago course that you get with all the races so nothing to brag about here. It was nice though to change the 15k to go on lakefront though. Definitely reccommend keeping that part.

Elevation: Flat as a pancake. Definitely a PR course

Aid Stations: best part of all!! Hot Chocolate really nailed the theme and giving out the candy and sweets at aid stations was amazing. Maybe more emphasis on when it's hot chocolate and not water though lol I got that surprise. Volunteers though were so enthusiastic and amazing!!

Finish line party: They did an amazing job and the chocolate mugs did not disappoint. Having the band was a nice touch along with FOUR different photo spots. Most races only have 1. This eliminated traffic for those wanting to take pictures and is much appreciated.

Overall, Hot Chocolate did a great job and could benefit well with some improvements!