Run with Carl has become a Quad Cities tradition along with the Bix and marathon. A few years ago they almost stopped it but with new sponsors have guaranteed money too keep this great race going. This means there's always a faster group of local guys really racing up at the front!

I picked the 5 mile distance this year after running the 5k a few years ago. Both are challenging with the amount of hills you get to climb. None of them are really steep but there's only a couple of really flat parts for each race. My garmin had around 200 feet of climb by the time i was done with the 5 mile, and the one mile in the middle is a slow gradual climb. We do run along the bike path for a bit so there's a little bit of scenery, but for the most part it's streets and residential areas.

One thing about this race that i think is nice is morning of registration and packet pickup. That really helps if you're coming in from out of town and don't have time to grab your stuff earlier. There's no expo for the most part if you do pickup your packet early. they hold that in the East side of the Family Rec center in Bettendorf.

Post Race is right next to the finish line and had a band this year. There was food and water and the usual assortment of post race food.

If you're ever in the QCA around labor day and want to find a race to do, this is the one. I know i'll try getting back to it every year.