I signed up for the Color Run a few weeks prior to the race with no issue. The week of, I got the event guide and was very impressed - it was short yet very detailed. It was funny and aligned with the overall happiness theme of the race.
The expo was held at Grant Park and thank goodness the weather was beautiful or else that would have truly spoiled the day. The check in process was a bit rough, it seemed as the though the volunteers didn't know what they were supposed to be doing but they were all friendly so I can't hold that against them. The swag was amazing - the shirt was one of the softest I have owned to date and the gold foiled tattoo was so much fun. I also loved the licorice and will definitely be purchasing in the future! I loved that we were able to personalize our bibs and they supplied a coloring table to do so. They really thought of everything, which I appreciated.
Upon arrival at Grant Park the next morning, there were a ton of people but they had it very well organized. They started the race earlier than what was stated in the guide but I think it worked in their favor with the amount of people in attendance. Although it was a fun run, I was slightly upset about the fact that the course was only 2.47 miles (I mapped it through Map My Run). When something is advertised as a 5k and runners pay for that distance, we expect to run that full 3.1 miles. In addition, the water station was a bit of a cluster. Since it was situated on a turnaround, it was extremely backed up and you could tell the volunteers were very flustered. My only other comment on the course was the finish line - it was right after the foam station and people once again were slowing down and not moving. The finish line left some to be desired. Overall though, it was a fun race and definitely something to experience if you have not!