Hot Chocolate San Diego has won me over!

This is the first time I have run a Ram Racing event outside of Chicago (where they are headquartered) so I wasn't sure how the event management would be. Result..I had a blast!

Let me start by saying this course is pretty hilly, so you should either to plan for that challenge or do what I did and run it as a fun run with friends, then you can walk the hills with no guilt :) The 15k route takes you through downtown San Diego and all around Balboa Park which is the perfect backdrop for a spring race. I ran this race with a group of friends and we had such a great time catching up while stopping at the sweet stations for all the treats.

What did I like about this event:
**Packet mailing. While I love a good expo, I couldn't get to the expo so I took advantage of the option to mail. I got my bib and goodie bag a week before, which was so much easier than driving two hours for an expo.
**Tons of volunteer support. They were so prepared for the crowds that I had no line at gear check, or post race goodies. The aid stations were very well stocked with so many volunteers who genuinely seemed like they were having a blast.
**Race swag. Very nice medal and a killer hoodie. I will wear this hoodie everywhere!
**Nuun hydration. Nuun was on the course which meant the world to me.
**Post race party. Plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the chocolate spread. There was music and each runner received a tub of goodies with chocolate to dip the goodies in. My group was able to hang out there for a while very comfortably.
**Free race photos. What was even better, we received those photos hours after the race!
**Sweet Stations. On the course there were about 3 places you could stop and get a sweet treat..either marshmallows or chocolate. Of course we stopped at all of them.

What could have been better:
**Start corrals. I was supposed to be in the first corral, but it was too packed so we had to move back. There didn't seem to be much coordination of the corrals at the start.
**Parking. There were parking lots in the area, but all were at a cost. Street parking was pretty tight so I had to park in paid lot.

Overall I had such a good time at this event. It definitely a fun race for friends or challenging enough to get a good workout. It will be on my yearly calendar for many years to come.