This race was a ton of fun. I have not done a 5K in awhile, so it was tough to compare, but the after party blew other racers away. I'm sad this was the last year for this race. I always have a blast here.

Packet Pick Up - quick and well organized. The kids running the packet pick up knew how to get people out quickly. The times for packet pick up were pretty limited, but day off wasn't too bad.

Location/Travel - The race was located on the south end of grant park. For me, it was easy to get to. I rode my bike down. They didn't have many options for locking up, so most people ended up locking to the fence. I could definitely see this as an area to improve, but with this being the race's last year, it was no big deal.

Course - I loved the course. Normally Chicago races will go under McCormick Place causing Garmins to lose signal, and a lot of people trip. The race just looped around the lake short path and the park. They did a really good job at clearing the course for runners. I saw 1 water stop, there might have been more, I didn't take any. For me, this was enough, but I could see people needing more.

Post Race - The only thing they gave out at the end of the race was water and gatorade. I kind of wish there was more - a clif bar, chocolate milk, a banana, something. Each bib came with a ticket for pizza and beer, so they did provide some food. I just wish there was more at the finish. Regardless, the post race party rocked. They had magic hat beer - an IPA and #9 as options, Lou Malnati's Pizza, and the band Old Shoe jamming all night. The area was fenced off, and a lot of people stayed to hang out afterward. It kind of turned into a mini concert - people getting drunk and hanging to watch the band. It was a lot of fun.

Overall, I love this race. It's a smaller 5K in Chicago and the post race party makes the experience worth it!