This is likely the most difficult half marathon I've ever done, but that's mainly because I tend to run the very fast and flat road races in Illinois.

This is also my very first trail race and I went in with minimal expectations (though I wish I would have prepared more... like, realizing that having many water stations on a trail run isn't very feasible for race management logistically). Overall, this was an awesome experience and I LOVED the atmosphere that TNF helped create.

Pros:
+ Scenic trails (fresh air! smelt great! felt great!)
+ Well-managed
+ Fun atmosphere with a ton of experienced and adventurous runners (everyone was so inspiring)
+ A real challenge with some of the inclines on the trail
+ Great beer options afterwards (always a plus)
+ Nice tech tshirt for swag, good medal, no-nonsense goodie bag (delivered virtually, yay environment and not having to sift through a ton of pieces of paper / coupons manually)
+ Easy to find (I was worried it would be a lot more difficult with it being in the middle of a state park) and really simple parking/access.
+ Great race for Chicagoans (or anyone, really) looking to try out a trail race / challenge themselves with some elevation (Milwaukee, feel free to let us borrow a few hills once in a while)

Cons:
- No water until ~6 miles in - runner would just need to be more prepared for that than I was going in (it was a mental trip for me)
- Downhills were a little dangerous and something to watch out for (I was worried I would trip or roll an ankle, rendering me injured before a marathon this month -- thankfully that didn't happen! But something to think about if you have a big race coming up)
- Due to narrow trail, hard to pass sometimes - just have to be strategic

Would definitely recommend this race, especially to my friends who are growing bored of the same road race routes in Chicago or looking for a trail race.