• Chicago,
    Illinois,
    United States
  • July
  • 3 miles/5K, 6 miles/10K, 13.1 miles/Half Marathon
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

Michael Mason-D'Croz

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
9 17
2018
"Rain, lots of rain, but still a fun time!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Michael Mason-D'Croz's thoughts:

I ran this race as a member of the BibRave Pro program ... and it was a blast. The race was super well organized and the entertainment was top-notch. However, unfortunately, the weather made it a little miserable at times. Now, don't get me wrong. I'll take a day that is Sub-70 in late July ... even if it means downpours.

Expo:
The race expo was perhaps the best I've been to. Lots of booths, some great deals, and entertainment along the way. The amount of stuff available was truly mesmerizing. To the point where my wife gave me a call to ask if I was planning on leaving the expo to head back to the hotel.

Race Day:
On race day, the weather didn't cooperate, but the event still went off without a hitch. The start line was entertaining, and the music on the course was great. However, I wonder if it was a little subdued due to the weather. Even still, it was a great time.

And when we got back to the finish line? Even better! The crowds were out, even with the rain, the music was blaring, the milk was flowing. That was a great experience to finish a race in a big city like this. Truly a great time.

The Course:
The course was nice. The first 10k was very interesting as we navigated the downtown area. However, much of the view was spoiled due to the weather. We couldn't see the buildings or architecture. However, it was still quite an experience to run over bridges that were grate bridges instead of concrete. See the water under feet was a little weird, and cool.

The second half of the race was a little less fun -- still neat, but not nearly as interesting -- until you make the turn to head back to the finish line. On a clear day, the view would have been spectacular for our last 2.5 miles. You would see Lake Michigan on the right, downtown (and all the skyscrapers) on the left, and the Museum Campus and Soldier Field close by as you pass through. However, the rain meant we only saw the last part -- since we were closer to it. I have a feeling on a normal summer day, it would have been quite the finish.

Overall:
This race was great fun. It was very well organized and the swag was nice. But more than anything, it was experiencing a race in a city like Chicago. It was something I would recommend to others.

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