I did this race 3 years in a row (2017-2019). The most challenging thing about this one is the weather! July in Chicago is HOT! In 2019, it was so hot that the 5K the day before was cancelled the night before the race! And, I believe if so many runners hadn’t traveled to this race, the half marathon might’ve been cancelled, as well. (There were other races in the surrounding areas that were actually cancelled.) However, RnR’s solution was to reroute those who felt the heat was too much for them onto a 7K course, created the day before the race. I felt that this was a great idea, and liked that they listened to our concerns about the race being cancelled at the last minute. Aside from the weather, this race is a good one! The course takes you on a pretty good tour of the city, and it’s pretty flat! I think RnR needs a lot more music on the course, since that’s what they advertise. But, the few bands they had were really great! The bling was fun, as were the shirts, with deep dish pizza and Chicago hot dogs as their themes! I always enjoy my time in Chicago, and getting some race bling and seeing my east coast runner friends while I’m there are great bonuses!