This isn't really a race, it's just an excuse to drink some beer and have some fun with a little bit of running involved. It's a lot like a Color Run, in that there are no official times It's technically a "4K" but my GPS marked 2.1 miles. The course was different from years past but it was still flat. The bib has 4 coupons that you turn in to get your 4 beers.

Registration - really easy online. Price increases fairly early so register early! Also this is usually on Groupon or Living Social to save a few dollars.

Expo - It wasn't an expo at all, just a stop by a bar and pick up your stuff kind of deal.

Photos - Free photos on Jacksonville.com

Course - Flat, a little over 2 miles. Start and finish line were the same so no need to worry about parking at the start or finish.

Medal - It was the same as in years past so nothing special here. It doubles as a bottle opener which is cool. However, this was the 3rd year this race was in Jacksonville and it was the same medal all 3 years. You also get sunglasses, a koozie, a sticker, and a cool tshirt. Again, everything but the shirt was the same as last years.

I would love if this race was earlier in the year or earlier in the day. It was around 80 degrees at the start of the race which was NOT ideal. Also, the beer and water was pretty warm which did not sit well in the stomach. Also in years past they used local breweries beer and this year it was Miller light which was a HUGE letdown.

I will do this run again just because it's something different and fun. But they really need to step their game up and go back to local beer, and get some new designs on the swag.

Cupcakes!! This was a charity race benefiting Girls on the Run. This year's race had >1000 people which was an amazing turnout for such a great cause.

Registration - Online registration was pretty easy. The price started at $25 and went up to 45 the day of the race. Also, medals were only guaranteed to pre-registered runners.

Expo - No expo but packet pickup was really easy at Athleta in the St. John's Town Center. Parking for packet pickup wasn't too bad considering the location in the middle of a busy shopping center.

Photos - Had to pay for pictures but there were a few photographers on the course and the course was 2 laps so there were a lot of photo ops.

Course - 2 loops around the Town Center. It was a pretty boring view but it was nice and flat.

Aid Stations - One water station but again it was a 2 loop course so you could hit it twice. Lots of volunteers on the course with cheer signs.

Medal and Swag - CUPCAKES! Each finisher got a super cute cupcake medal and a container with one of the mini cupcakes from Sweet by Holly. There were also coupons for 4 more mini cupcakes to pick up at a later date. T shirt was plain cotton but it was cute.

This was a very family-friendly run. Not the best course to PR on because lots of turns and walkers but it was still a great time.

I chose this race to do because the RD company, Ultimate Racing Inc. offers a bonus medal if you do 4 of their races in a calendar year. And since I'm all about the medals, I had to sign up for this one! I originally registered for the 10K but decided last minute I wanted to drop down to the 5K. The staff was really cool with this and it was easy to do.

The course is really pretty. It runs through Queens Harbour Yacht and Country Club, which has a lot of really nice houses to look at. It's really easy out and back and is really flat the whole way.

Post-race there was food from Chick fil a (yum) and fruit from edible arrangements (double yum). There was also juice and water. The vendors in the post race area were cool. Orange Theory Fitness was there with foam rollers and coupons for their gym and there were other tents set up with giveaways.

Parking was not terrible. You can't park at the clubhouse as that's where all the race festivities were so you had to park 1/2 mile away at a shopping center. Luckily the businesses seemed to be ok with their parking lots being taken over. It was early so a lot of them weren't open yet anyway.

It was a small race so I placed in my age group which is always fun. However, the certificates were pretty generic. I also got $10 to use at Jacksonville Running Company.

The medals were really cute but they didn't say 5K or 10K on them (there were 2 distances) or the date.

Overall I really liked it and will do it again!

I participated in this race because a friend challenged me to do one half per month and I needed one for March. This one was about an hour south of Jacksonville and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised and ended up loving this run!

Registration - Easy to do online. I googled for coupon codes first and was able to find one for $5 off. Price was reasonable.

Expo - Just a handful of vendors, nothing special. Packet pickup was quick and easy which was nice.

Photos - Free photos available on their Facebook page the next say was nice! Only a few photographers on the course but I was still able to get 3 or 4 pictures I liked.

Course - Absolutely beautiful! Started at a small park and went north to Tomoka State Park and back. There was a monster bridge at mile 1 and 12 which was a challenge. The rest was along the water and absolutely gorgeous.

Aid Stations - Water, Powerade with good volunteers and cheering.

Medal - Simple but nice. The tree on it spins around.

Food - Pancakes and free beer after was nice!

I stayed in the host hotel because of the shuttle to the start line. However, the shuttle left 15 minutes early so I and some other people missed it. We carpooled to the race but parking was scarce and we had to walk a bit to the start. I was able to catch the shuttle back and free breakfast for the runners at the hotel was going on.

Overall I would do this again for the course. It's simple and lovely.

The River Run is Jacksonville's largest race with a field of about 18,000. It's also the USA 15K Championship race so there's always a great elite field. If you like the 15K this is a must-do race. There's also a 5K and a diaper dash. This year was my 5th year running this race and it's always a great experience.

Registration - Registration is pretty easy online. I recommend registering early as the seeded spots fill up quick. I was in the "gray" area which was right behind the seeded runners because I forgot to submit a time for seeding. It took me about 10 minutes to get to the start line.

Expo - I always love this expo. There's sweet swag and really good deals on stuff to buy. The free swag this year was a tech shirt, pint glass (which is always a fun thing to collect), magnet, koozie, and drawstring backpack. Lots of vendors with lots of giveaways at the expo.

Photos - Photos are pretty expensive but there were a lot of photographers on the course so lots of options to choose from! Speedy Banana was the photography company this year and they usually do solid work.

Course - The course is awesome, going to residential areas with a ton of crowd support. Residents have water, oranges, popsicles, even some with beer and sausages! Plus on River road there's always a group throwing donut holes at the runners. The bridges are beasts but that's what makes this course so challenging. Live bands at every mile make it fun too!

Aid stations - Aid stations were well-staffed with minimal bottlenecking and lots of cheering which was nice.

Medal - New design to the medal this year which is really pretty. It's really big compared to past years.

Food - You get 2 free beers after the run but the line was insane. Luckilly, I am in JTC which has a tent with catered firehouse and unlimited beer. I totally recommend joining JTC just for the River Run tent!

Overall I loved it and can't wait for next year!!