Running the Torchlight 5K added to the handful of evening races I have run. The first and only being the Tiki Run sponsored by Team Ortho. That is also a mid-summer run that takes place in the evening and is followed by an after party which caters to adults.

Here is what was touted on the website:
Custom participant shirt celebrating the Minneapolis Aquatennial
Features the Torchlight flame and glow-in-the-dark water design.
Access to the epic Torchlight 5K Finish Festival
Original Chicken Chick-Fil-A sandwiches
Live music featuring Pop Rocks!
Complimentary beverages
Michelob ULTRA
Reusable Finisher Goody Bag!
FREE race photos courtesy of Athlinks
Unique Minneapolis race course:
Run along the Aquatennial parade route packed with spectators.
2 aid stations
USATF-certified and timed course
Live race results
Complimentary post-race shuttle

Packet pick up for the Torchlight 5K was a dream. Choose your location and your date (among a list of perspective locations and dates) and pick it up. Simple, easy, convenient. The packet just consisted of your race bib, and a tee shirt.

The Torchlight 5K had some good moments and some not so good ones, if you are a serious runner and take your events with as much seriousness. Of course, it was a downtown event, and with that in mind, parking was sure to be a headache. This turned out to be the case.

We left for the event at least 90 minutes ahead of time, for what would typically be a 30 minute drive. Upon reaching the Basilica of Mary, where the event began, it was obvious that parking was not going to happen for anything less than $10. We did find a parking garage within 3 blocks that was offering a $5 parking spot, however, since my husband was to meet me at the finish line anyway, it wasn't worth it for him to park at the start for the short time I'd be there.

That being said, after we arrived and drove around for 20 minutes or so looking for street side parking, I aborted the vehicle and sent him forth to find a spot at the finish area.

I had a 3-block walk to the start area, where I found a DJ/Announcer, and a few of the sponsors in the starting area. I had already hit a porta potty that was set up on the main thoroughfare for the upcoming parade, so I'm not sure how they stacked up at the race start area. But there was plenty of room at the Basilica for the crowd to mingle before heading to the start corral.

The start corral ended up being close to nightmarish, in my opinion. There were thousands of runners being funneled into a small gate which opened up to a somewhat larger space within the starting corral. The opening was near the 11:00 minute pace start, which meant the faster runners had to make their way through the crowd to get to the front of the pack. It was decidedly difficult as the corral was already packed full. I was lucky to be able to follow a few runners as they weaved their way to the front of the pack.

The entire corral was roped off into different starting corrals, as I learned that there would be no attempt to stop the light rail running through the heart of the city. The racers would be released so that they wouldn't have to lose time waiting on the light rail to pass through.

I managed to weave up to the first release of the runners, although I didn't think I'd be pulling off as fast as an 8:00 pace that evening.

The Torchlight 5K promised a fan filled crowd to cheer the runners forward, but as it turns out, only the first 100 yards or so actually saw any crowd support. The remainder of the run was quite quiet with the exception of the very end, as we crossed the Stone Arch Bridge into the after race party area.

As one of the first finishers, there was a delay in some of the sponsor table set ups, so a few laps had to be made to collect any after race goodies that were being handed out. This included the free Chick-fil-A sandwich, but it was well worth the wait!

We got quite a few goodies, including a banana, a bag of pretzels, the sandwich, a bottle of water, and a carton of Nooma Electrolyte drink...THEN finally a bag to carry it all in. It would have made more sense to hand out the bags first! LOL!

There were photographers on hand to snap finisher photos in front of race finisher banners. This was a nice perk! Also, Athlinks, as one of the sponsors of the event, published the race photos for free!

Being lucky enough to cross the finish line with the first quarter of the total runners meant no lines at the beer counter. I picked up a couple to give to my husband, as beer isn't my thing. The other vendors at the event were handing out some fun trinkets, and Athlete Esprit de She was there handing out free tanks for the ladies with a race bib on. I was fortunate to have run into my BibRave Pro partner, Andrey, and have my husband snap our photo, too!

Despite the lack of parking, the overly packed starting corral, the exaggeration that there would be amazing crowd support through the entire run, and getting our bag after getting our goodies, the #Torchlight5K delivered. They later apologized for a longer than 5K race course, and adjusted everyone's run times accordingly, so I actually ran better than I thought! But since they touted themselves as having a USATF-certified and timed course, it was a disappointment to those who might have been counting on this race time.

I'd run it again, but I think that it would be considered more of a fun run rather than a serious run for the average experienced runner. For those just starting out, it is a great way to get a 5K time under your belt, although as I mentioned, the run went longer than it should have.

But a run is a run. And the sites we saw after the run always remind me that the Twin Cities has some hidden gems. The St. Anthony neighborhood and Father Hennepin Park are a few of them.