The more races I run, the more I really enjoy adding the small races into the mix. Not only does it give me as a "front of the middle" runner a chance at placing, but they are so incredibly peaceful and just give me the opportunity to run without the drama.

I am very happy I decided to add this one to my agenda this year. It starts and finishes in downtown Ottawa (Illinois) but you get a great opportunity to run through Starved Rock State Park and along the Illinois River. The scenery was my favorite part. Plus it was so peaceful. Most of the run I was alone enjoying the sounds of nature. Enough of the sappy... what did I think of the important stuff.

Expo: Small and simple as expected for a small race. Pick up was easy and there was ample parking.
Swag: It isn't a tech-tee so I call it a win. It is a tee so not a 5 star swag bag.
Course: There is 1 major uphill, a couple solid downhills, and a few other rollers. According to Garmin I had about 633 elevation gain and about the same loss. Super scenic through the state park and along the river.
Safety: Most of the roads are only partially closed so they recommend against music. I saw a lot of runners with headphones. I opted against it, but there really was not much traffic. At major intersections there were cops or traffic management ensuring runner safety.
Aid stations: I believe they said there were 16. Each had gatorade (red), water, and a potty. There was also at least one station with some form of GU (I carry my own so not sure what it was). The volunteers at every aid station were ready for you and cheering you on. I thought this was great because there were gaps between runners so volunteers could start to "space out".
Crowd support: You won't get a lot of this out on the course.
Finish: They get a 5 from me because they were making peanut butter on bagel sandwiches! WINNING!! They also had glasses of water and gatorade, bananas, and oranges.
Medal: I like that they theme the medal toward the area. This year it was focused on the bald eagle.
Winner swag: Ok, so I somehow managed to take 1st place woman. Scored a hat, banner and nice plaque.

This isn't far from Chicago (especially the south/west burbs). I highly recommend it for a veteran runner that doesn't require the high crowd energy for a successful race. I'll definitely try to do this one again.