The first inaugural Beat the Blerch race series was held last September in Carnation, WA. This is a small town outside of Seattle where Matthew Inman, the creator of The Oatmeal, lives. Matthew is the author of many hilarious comics and is probably most notable for his comic about "The Blerch", a fat creature that follows him around on his runs asking him to go home to eat Nutella and lay on the sofa watching Netflix. So many people identify with his feelings about The Blerch, myself included, and his fans were so happy to find that he was bringing his vision to life in a real live race!

Registration: For the inaugural event, all 3 races (10k, half, and full) sold out in 20 minutes! There was also a virtual option that opened up at a later time. I was extremely lucky to get in! The race was so popular that he ended up opening a second set of events that weekend so that double the amount of people would get to run. I ran the half marathon on Saturday, but he held a second half marathon on Sunday. For 2015 he has opened the race to 2 new locations (CA and NJ as well as Carnation) and I heard that the registration process was so much easier - but be prepared just in case.

Packet Pick-up: This was held at the Road Runner Sports in Seattle and it was kind of chaotic honestly. Parking was tough, and then I waited in a very long line to get my bib and swag. The swag included a magnet, a sticker, and a really nice long sleeved zip up running shirt. There was also an area selling his merchandise (and his new book which hadn't been released to the public yet!) and since it was in a running store you could get anything you needed for the race. The craziest part was that he was there in person signing items for runners, and I wasn't going to miss my chance to meet the creator of The Blerch! I waited about 1 hour for my packet and 2 hours to meet him. He was extremely nice and drew me a picture of a bear because I live in Alaska. Getting a personalized drawing from him meant a lot to me and so many other runners. I even got him to sign my race bib! Be prepared to stand for a very long amount of time the day before running if you want to meet him.

Race course: The race was in the Tolt-MacDonald Park in Carnation. It was a beautiful course through the woods and had farm and creekside views. It was really flat! The one thing I was not prepared for was the fact that it was not a paved course and instead took place on gravel. I was also not prepared for the race day heat and humidity, but you can't predict weather!

Race logistics: There were plenty of designated parking lots outside the park that were easy enough to walk to before and after the race. At the race start there was Disney music playing and a really fun, relaxed vibe. Matthew even race the race with us and sent us off with a speech asking us why we were here and not at home watching Netflix! After the race there was a spread of amazing Blerchy food options like cake, Nutella sandwiches, potato chips, purple drank, and some bananas if you were taking it easy. There were also fun Blerch signs everywhere and a place where you could pose in front of an "I beat the Blerch!" poster with giant tubs of Nutella for free photos. It was so much fun! The post race medals were different for each race and featured the Blerch.

Aid stations: This was hands down the best part of the course. The aid stations had typical water...and then they also had cake and Nutella sandwiches and actual couches for you to sit on! They also had people dressed up as the Blerch chasing you slowly telling you that you should probably sit and rest for a while. I didn't rest or eat cake but it was such a fun touch. They also had Sasquatch at one of the aid stations just hanging out.

Overall Experience: If you are a fan of the Blerch and are looking for a relaxed and fun race with tons of like-minded runners, this race is for you! You get the chance to not only meet, but also run with the creator of The Oatmeal and the Blerch. The race food was awesome and the course was really easy. The runners were all super supportive and fun to be around. I'm hoping I get to run another one of his races soon!

I ran the Hot Chocolate 5k in Philadelphia in April 2014.

Expo/bib pick up: I went and volunteered at the one at Philadelphia Runner out in Glen Mills. Volunteering was fun - I got an extra shirt that said "Will Volunteer for Chocolate"! There were no additional vendors other than the store we were in. Bib pickup moved quickly and was an easy process. They had a table with chocolate on it too!

Race Course: It's the "usual" race course for Philly, which is an out and back along the Schyulkill River. The start and finish was at the Art Museum which is always pretty, but this is honestly the same course that every 5k I've ever run in Philly takes place on.

Swag: Now this is why I ran the "same boring 5k route" again! Runners got a drawstring bag filled with a very nice fleece-lined zip up tech hoodie! If you use a certain coupon code you get a free coffee tumbler which is an added bonus. At the end of the race you get the most amazing chocolate snack bowl ever! Hot chocolate and fondue, plus lots of yummy things to dip in the chocolate fondue. It was cold on race day but I sat there and ate the whole thing before it cooled off! (note: this year they did not have a medal, but they do give them out now!)

Overal experience: it was honestly a typical 5k with a big amazing chocolate post-race snacks at the end and really great swag. I'm not sure I'd run one again because of the cost, but I do think the race was run very well and I would recommend that every chocolate lover runs it at least once! It's a great first-time 5k for people too.

I've run this race two times, and I loved both! It was my first 10k and is my current 10k PR.

Race Course: The race runs through the Giant Center parking lot, along Hersheypark Drive, around the outlets...and then through Hersheypark itself! The race is made up of rolling hills but inside Hersheypark the hills are short but steep. The park employees are cheering so loudly to distract you from the hills though! The race ends on the track inside Hersheypark Stadium where spectators can cheer you on. There was one aid station with typical water and bathrooms.

Swag: the first year I ran it I got a long sleeved t-shirt, but they have upgraded to long sleeved tech shirts! At the finish you also get a medal and a reusable lunch box filled with snacks and Hershey candy.

Fun stuff: The race is early, but finishes right around the time that Chocolate World opens. You can get a post-race milkshake at 9:00 am! You can also pose with the Hershey characters as they walk around the race area.

Overall I loved this race! The course support was awesome, the weather during this time of year is great, and getting to run through Hersheypark is so much fun! If you love chocolate, you'll love this race :)

I ran the inaugural Love Run Half Marathon in Philadelphia, PA. This is a great spring half marathon held in March.

Expo: The expo was at the convention center that year, but it has since moved to Citizen's Bank Park. I loved that they had lots of booths as well as Love Run merchandise for sale. The swag included not only a tech tee but a finisher's mug! It was a really unique touch!

Race course: The race runs through downtown Philadelphia for a bit before running out along the Schyulkill River, up a hill past the Please Touch Museum, and back towards the start line. It starts/finishes in front of the Art Museum and the famous steps! While the downtown portion had lots of spectators, the sections along the river had barely any opportunity for spectators. The finish location was incredible though! The course was flat overall and had the usual aid stations set up.

Race logistics: It was really hard to find parking in that part of town for so many people, so take their advice to get to the race early! The course was well marked and I liked that there was a halfway timing mat to let you know what your split time was. I loved that you got to see so much of Philadelphia along the course. There were no super fun pre/post run events, but after the race there was hot chocolate and food goodie bags filled with Tastykakes and soft pretzels! The medal was really big and had a part that spun around which was really unique. I did get lost trying to find my way out of the runner's area after the race, and it didn't help that it was very rainy and difficult to find anyone.

Overall, I would recommend this race for any east coast runners that really love running and want to explore Philadelphia on the run! The swag was great and the course was really fun and showed you a few different areas of Philly. It's great that it's so early in the running season and there's no heat or humidity yet!