November 26th, 2015 was warm and wet. This year, rather than the snow that we got last year during the race, we had rain and 40 degree weather. It was tough and hot. The hill was relentlessness as usual too.

Lets start with the expo, or the packet pickup. First of all, there was no guidance to where or when the packet pickup was. The only way it was given was through the email we received from signing up. No indication on their website. Also, it changed the day of the pick up, so there was some confusion. The pick up was pick and simple however. The shirt this year did switch from a dri-fit material back to the old cotton, which in my opinion, is a much better fit. The old dri-fit was ill fitting, especially for women. The cotton fits much better and is very comfortable.

The course is still tougher than ever. I say that I would not recommend this race to a friend, and I only say this because it is a challenge and unless you really want the difficulty that this race brings and you are ready for it, I don't recommend just showing up and signing up. The scenery is not that appealing, but having a lot of people there does help the race fly by.

The race is managed decently, however, when instructions are given at the beginning of the race, they are not loud enough or clear enough. A single person is trying to talk over hundreds at ground level. This leads to no sorting of walkers and runners at the start line and when you start near the middle, you have to weave for the first mile. Also, there is no clear instruction for what people are supposed to do when they need to walk, leading to many people to stop right in front of others, causing congestion and frustration.

Also the other problem with this race is the parking. The race runs right in front of the parking lot of the school, not allowing people to leave until all the runners are done or there is a big enough gap. With the late start (9am compared to 8am), sometimes that means that you are not leaving until 10ish. The only other parking option is on side roads, which can sometime lead to some extra hill climbing or a bit of extra walking.

This is a tough race. Even people who are from Dubuque and are used to the hills struggle with this course and will say how tough it is. Do not go into this race thinking it will be a walk in a park.

Check out my review on my blog! http://theracecritic.blogspot.com/2015/12/turkey-trot-2015.html