Latest reviews by Tim

(2017)
"San Francisco Marathon 2017"
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The race itself is beautiful. For 20 miles the weather was very foggy/misty which was pleasurable while running a marathon. The final 6 miles were sunny but it was still cool enough where my long sleeves were not an issue. 

The first part of the race is the flattest: straight down the Embarcadero where you get to see San Francisco's many piers and Fisherman's Wharf. It's a wonderful start of a race. The first challenge comes when you reach Fort Mason which is a large hill straight up. Following this there is another large hill on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. I was among the many runners who decided it was best to walk these hills and not cost ourselves too much energy.

Running across the Golden Gate Bridge is surreal. During the race it was very cool and foggy which takes some of the awe away from running across the bridge but it's an amazing experience as it is. Also, taking up nearly four miles of the first half is a great way to speed up the feel of the marathon.

Following the bridge, the next 9ish miles are run through tree filled parks. You see buffalo, waterfalls, and other wonderful sights. 

The final stretch of the race is through the streets of San Francisco. There are portions where they split runners onto two different roads and you barely even notice it happening until you meet up with the next group. When you see the Bay Bridge you know you're almost done.

The final mile takes you by AT&T Park. It's always cool running around city landmarks like baseball stadiums, especially on gamedays which add a few more fans to the cheer section. The race finishes again on the embarcadero. 

The San Francisco Marathon is a beautiful tour of an amazing city and I highly recommend it.

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(2016)
"Nice neighborhood race."
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The Bucktown 5k is a nice, neighborhood 5k through the streets of Bucktown near Wicker Park in Chicago. Packet pickup was at Fleet Feet Sports Chicago, so it was a standard deal. The swag included a beautiful hoodie (the main reason I decided to run), which was nice. The material felt a little cheap but that's kind of expected from a race.

The course is along quiet neighborhood roads lined with cute houses and lots of families out cheering for the runners. Corrals went A-K, going every two minutes. RAM did a good job getting the race going and the finish line area was nice too. There was one aide station located at the mile and half point. The course was lined with trees so even running into the sun there was plenty of shade. This was my first time running through Bucktown and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Overall, a great race. It get's a bit expensive in the month leading up to the event, especially for a 5k, so I would recommend signing up early.

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(2016)
"PR at 13.wine"
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13.wine is a smaller race located in the vineyards through Baroda, Michigan. There wasn't an expo to pick up packets, the day prior to the race they had packet pickup at the start line, which was located in a field off of a main road. The field wasn't ideal for start or packet pickup due to rain during the week leading up to the event, but it worked out. The event shirt was a cotton shirt which is a nice change up from the usual tech shirts for those who run a lot of races. Parking for race day was about a block away and was easy in/out.

The course was beautiful. Near the beginning & end (which were the same roads) there was a decent amount of curves & turns, but other than that it was mostly straight aways. Rolling hills throughout the race could prove challenging for some, but I enjoyed them. The toughest part was mile 8, which began with a large hill up and then was bigger rolling hills throughout. I was stopped by a car once during the race at mile 9, but other than that local police did a good job with traffic. Aide stations were small (and they did not need to be bigger) and were abundant. Not a lot of cheering along the course, but that's to be expected for smaller races.

Post-event, the medal was made out of cork which I thought was great and very enjoyable. All participants also received a wine glass. A local winery and brewery were there to give as much wine or beer as you'd like. First through third in each age group received a coaster, also very creative.

Overall a fantastic race in a beautiful environment which I would recommend to any long time runners. I ran in 1:57:13 which beat my previous PR by over a minute.

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(2016)
"Unsafe & Poorly Organized"
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This was definitely the most poorly organized race I have ever run.

Packet pickup times were not optimal, ending at 6:00pm the Friday before the race. Pickup was at USole, which isn't the most convenient running store to get to, but it works. The swag was a very cheaply made bag and a decent pullover. No complaints with the swag.

The poor race wasn't entirely Special Events Management's fault, but they could have done much more to prepare. The route was the standard Chicago "start at Montrose Harbor" route, so no complaints with that. Biggest issue was 90% of the course was pure ice. Again, SEM doesn't have control over that, but there wasn't a sign that any salting had been done, anywhere. With the weather the way it was leading up to the event, somebody should have made the call to get out there early and salt the paths.

15 minutes prior to the start time, no corrals had been setup. 10 minutes prior, one corral was setup so everyone squeezed into it. 5 minutes before the start time they started making announcements that your bib color was your assigned corral. Unfortunately, the DJ said the wrong thing every single assignments every single time.

Overall, the race was unsafe and SEM did nothing to help that matter. I won't be doing it again, nor any other SEM races.

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(2015)
"Decent Lakefront Trail Race"
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Overall, this is a great value 10k/5k. Announced amount of runners was right around 1900 with about 450 doing the 10k and the rest doing the 5k. Packet pick up was made easier this year by having two days in a gym near public transit, the second packet pick up "Universal Sole" isn't the easiest running store to get to but it works.

The committee does a great job of setting up and planning the race site, having ample amount of bike racks and what looked like decent guides to parking. A good amount of race partners are on site handing out free stuff (Pepsico likes to give you as much gatorade and propel that you can carry at this race) and everything is close to the start & finish lines.

As for the actual race, it kind of just...started. I was standing about 50 people from the start line, there were no announcements that I could hear, just the start horn at 8:04. I'm always glad when races start on time so that was good.

There isn't much to say about the actual course. It's pretty boring as far as "lake front" races go. The first 2 1/2 miles are spent pretty much contained near Montrose Harbor and running around Cricket Hill. After that, it's just out and back. They do a good job of keeping the racers separated so the lake front trail does not get too crowded. On a warmer day I might complain about the aide stations (2-at mile 1.7 and mile 4.5) but really 2 stations should be all a 10k needs.

Lots of post race entertainment and the medals they give are a great touch for a 10k/5k. I'd absolutely recommend this race for an early summer race that doesn't interfere with marathon training.

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