Packet pick-up: I had a friend pick mine up for me thus I can’t comment on this! But I know pick-up was held at Fleet Feet which makes it very nice to grab last minute necessities. You could also pick up your stuff on race day if needed.

Swag: You get a hat! You get a hat! You get a hat! I found this super exciting since my dresser is overflowing with race shirts. They even let you pick what color hat you want! This year you could pick red, white and blue or pink, navy and white. If you know me, you know which one I picked! Pink! I was impressed with (1) the fact that we got something other than a shirt, and (2) the quality of the hat. The hat is high quality, soft and very warm! It’s my new go-to running hat. I almost forgot – you also get foam antler ears to wear during the race.

Getting to/from the race: The location of this race is great. It starts and finishes in Lincoln Park right near the nature museum; however, the L doesn’t stop very close BUT you can always catch the bus from the L and get dropped off within a stone’s throw of the race. Or, if you don’t have a lot of gear to carry, the L is still close enough to make the distance your warm-up and/or cool-down.

Race day: My favorite part of this race was the later start time! I don’t love super early morning starts, especially in the winter when it’s cold. I also really like that this race paired with a local children’s hospital to collect toys for the kids! I think it’s awesome that there are races out there that give back to their communities. The course alternated between finely crushed gravel/dirt and pavement. This was great since most races in the city tend to be 100% on pavement or cement. The post race party was nice – Santa was there!!! You could get your picture with him or with the giant inflatable reindeer. There was also a gingerbread man running the race that I was fortunate enough to get a picture with afterwards.

Minus the fact there wasn’t any snow this year, this was a very festive and cheerful race. It’s always nice to continue racing even in the ‘off season’. This race is so well managed I’ll be sure to do it again!