Overall, I love this race, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a die-hard Hoosier. I feel like there is an automatic sense of community within the race because you're running with your fellow students, alumni and Bloomington residents. After graduating, I've found I miss that sense of community in bigger races.

There's not really an expo for this race, and I had my packet sent to me (I had a sorority event that conflicted with my ability to grab it myself). The "swag" was alright, but when you're ad IU you end up so inundated with free gear that the shirt from this race kinda seemed bland compared to other shirts I had received over my time there.

The course itself was more difficult than even I anticipated. As a student at IU, I felt like I had a grasp on the hills and terrain of Bloomington and the campus, but all of that changes when you're running a race. The hills in Bloomington are intense--you really have two options: long, drawn-out hills and short, incredibly steep hills. Almost none of the course is truly flat. Coming into this race, I advise that you don't take it lightly--it may be a fun college town race, but it's still Bloomington, and Bloomington is still a mess of hills!

Overall I loved this race and would love to come back as an alum to run the half-marathon variant (I ran the 5k before). I'd highly recommend it for the fun atmosphere, challenging course and alright swag!