I ran this race last year as my first Hot Chocolate experience. I ran it with a friend who LOVES Hot Chocolate races... (you can read my review on the 2016 event). One of the complaints we had was that there were NO signs telling you where to go for the expo! That problem hasn't been resolved. This is a major miss for Hot Chocolate... especially since they are working to increase participants in the event... advertise and throw some signs up in the Linq (full of young adults), and you will get more runners (and registered participants won't get lost).

The expo this year had vendors, as where last year did not... but there still wasn't much ado or energy. I must admit I like the coupons to Sprinkles last year, as where this year there were just some chocolates. The volunteers were very friendly and should be commended for their long hours they were putting in. I appreciate them!

On race day, I knew where to go, so I was making my walk down. I was asked by a couple of people that noticed my gear, where the start was. Before long, I had a hurd. We made our way to the big wheel, and got ready for the race.

Similar to last year, the first mile is through the link and along the strip, but then you turn on Paradise and head out to Spring Mountain where you go on the overpass. The hill is awful but comes just after the 5k. I had ran a marathon the day before, and so hills were not welcome here. I walked the hill, and enjoyed taking some photos, and the cruised down hill. The course goes a couple of miles through a loop, and then you're back on the overpass, headed back to where you started (yep, I walked this hill, too).

The thing I want to note here, is that the race is getting better each year. Some obvious fixes like signs, would help participants and maybe even drive up the number of participants, and the logistics are getting better. I see myself running this again, after the Phoenix Marathon, in 2018.