Overall: "This popular race honors one of the most famous Zoo residents, Samson, the silverback gorilla (1950-1981). Money raised from the event supports all of the animals in the Zoo’s collection." And this is why I love it. This was the race that made me want to get into running. Mind you, it wasn't my first ever race, because of a variety of reasons/excuses but it is the one that made me want to try out a 5K. Who wouldn't want to run through a zoo before it officially opens and the animals are a little more relaxed and adventurous at that time. Of course this year's race has the honor of being the COLDEST race I have ever run. The start time provided a temp of -2 and when running through the open parking lot section of the course, it jumped down to -15 with the wind chill, which was definitely present at the moment. Otherwise, the race was great, like always. The body adjusted to the cold (as best it could) and there was minimal wind within the trees of the zoo. And the best part: getting to watch the animals as you race past them. This is the 5th time I've run this, I believe, and it never gets old. Maybe it's because I am a lover of nature and animals but seeing the dall sheep and polar bear, along with the penguins and harbor seal just excites me on a run like this. There were fewer animals out this year than in year's past but I totally understand. Only us insane humans would run in weather like that.

T-shirts/Swag: the one item that they give out each year is a long sleeved shirt. This year's shirt trumps the previous couple of years easily. A nice Kelly green with a nice log on the front and it matches with other clothing. And I am perfectly fine with just a shirt for this race because the rest of the money goes into making the zoo better.

Aid stations: Usually they have a few water stations; this year I don't even recall seeing any. I assumed this was because of the weather and the water/Gatorade probably would have frozen in the cups.

Course Scenery: Already explained above; views of wildlife makes it great.

Expo Quality: There is none, per se. Packet pickup is the morning of and you just need to get there and get your gear and be ready to run. The post race gathering included bottles of Gatorade and water, two different kinds of Chewy granola bars, and this year they had Mo's Irish Pub handing out small samples of a rich tomato soup, which was delicious. I will also admit to having, for the first time ever post race, a cup of coffee because I needed to thaw out. That was provided by Corner Street Bakery.

Elevation Difficulty: There is one steep downward hill that you traverse twice and one steady upward climb that you have to do near the beginning but that is pretty much all. The end and beginning of the race also puts you in a upward/downward trek which can be grueling for the race finish. Other than that, there are small ups and downs here and there but nothing to fret about.

Parking Access: Easy. Your registration gets you free parking at the zoo and there is plenty of that.

Race Management: Great. They email frequently and they connect you repeatedly to the site page in each email so you can look over stuff yourself.

Run this race if you can. Yeah, it's just a 5K but it is a challenging one due to the time of year it takes place. And this year was a hell of a challenge. You won't be disappointed. And if you're good enough to get a top 3 spot within your age group (sniff sniff, I was not) you get an awesome trophy. No medals but it gives you something to strive for.

I chose to run this race because I wanted to attempt one more half marathon before the 2015 turned into 2016. I found this one from running a previous race put on by the same event organization; the date and time were convenient for me so I signed up for it. Also, the price was reasonable considering how late I signed up for it. The course was unspectacular and not very inspiring. I PBed my half time but I consider it a half victory (no pun intended) since the course was essentially flat and did not provide much of a challenge, even for this guy who was battling a nasty cold. The post race party had plenty of goodies to eat including fresh fruit, water, gatorade, hot chocolate, candy, pretzels and bagels. And they had the race results ready in a reasonable amount of time.

T-Shirts/Swag: Not too shabby. A nice long-sleeved shirt, various coupons for other races and a few of the business sponsors and a free movie ticket to Marcus Cinemas

Aid Stations: Plenty for the design of this course (since you loop and come back the same way you head out). Started out with water at the first couple, then became water and Gatorade the rest of the way, until the last station, which was just water again.

Course Scenery: Not very engaging since it is winter all foliage was gone. I did enjoy seeing a couple of barns that had horses out and about. I imagine this course if prettier during a spring/summer run.

Expo Quality: I am giving this 3 stars even though it really wasn't an expo. The packet pickup was at Fleet Feet Sports in Brookfield. I am fine with this and like it; you get your packet but are surrounded by great runners merchandise and no one (at least while I was there and looking around) was pushing for a sale.

Elevation: There really is none. A small decline at the start of the race turns into a small incline at the end of the race. Otherwise this trail is flat flat flat. Apparently there is a small grade going up on the way out that goes down on the way back but I sure as hell couldn't tell that.

Parking Access: No problem at all with parking. The lot was full when I arrived (small lot) but there was plenty of safe street parking around the starting line.

Race Management: I don't know what it is but I just feel like these guys are still trying to learn how to put on a good race and environment around it. And they're not rookies are new to the game either. E-mails and info are sporadic, at least for me, and it just feels a little disorganized. Maybe I am just being too harsh, I don't know.

Would I run this race again? Maybe, but only because I was sick this time and I would like to see how well I could do when healthy. But I would also look to see if there were other options for a different race around this time frame. So why would I recommend it? Because it would make for a great starter half for someone. Not too stressful and wouldn't kill your spirit if it was your first try.

This 5K was not the most impressive I've run and was pretty low key, all the way down to the medal ceremony at the end. The organizers tried to make it energetic at the start and finish but for some reason it just felt flat to me. They could use some tweaking along the way. Also, I was disappointed that there was nothing at the finish line, other than more water. At least give me a banana or Gatorade, something with flavor!

T-Shirts/Swag: This was probably the highlight of the race. A pretty nice t-shirt, a Southern Comfort headband, a discount coupon at Fleet Feet and a voucher for a Milwaukee Admirals game were the main items in the bag. Not bad for a small race.

Aid Stations: I wasn't impressed. Just water and, for the first station, they seemed to be placed on the wrong side of the road since there were vehicles leaving a soccer game and blocked those volunteers there.

Course Scenery: Street running and through the Hart Park section was nice, but once you're up in the neighborhood it is not very exciting and feels like I am just out for a Saturday morning run. More park action or even through the Village (not sure how but a way could be found) would be nice.

Expo Quality: There is no expo, packet pickup at Leff's. Packet pickup went very swiftly and precise, which was good since I was on a time limit.

Elevation Difficulty: Almost none, other than a slight incline about a third of the way in. Relatively simple and easy course for elevation.

Parking/Access: I had no problem finding a parking spot and I arrived about 20 minutes prior to the start of the race. And that was impressive since there was a high school football game going on in the same area and a skate park dedication that was starting near the close of the race.

Race Management: They did a great job with e-mails and keeping me informed about the race and what was upcoming. I just think they need to work on course selection or design and providing something else at the finish line other than water. I am fine with water at the aid stations but at the end needs to be something else. And the medals, which I was surprised they were handing out to begin with, were a little flimsy.

It was an OK race but I think there is room for improvement.

This is my third time running this race, skipping Year 2 due to an ankle injury. It is a very enjoyable 5K with the race in a great environment and the extras that it provides. I like that it is a front to get people to donate food for the homeless, even if they took away the raffle part of it where some people received prizes in connection with the food donation.

Swag: One of the better ones out there. Long sleeve cotton t-shirt, this year in blaze orange (which makes up for the fact it sort of has a boring print on it), a Brewers 2015 bobblehead or gnome, other discounts from the expo vendors and a Sendik's coupon.

Aid Stations: One, which was plenty. Served water, also fine.

Course Scenery: I enjoy this course a lot. The view of Miller Park, the Story Hill neighborhood, all nice to trot through. A lot better than the first year which as a stale jog through State Fair Park.

Expo Quality: They do a decent job with this making it welcoming to families. Cutouts to take pics with, the Racing Sausages and Bernie Brewer hanging around, Performance Running Outfitters selling some merchandise and other Vision races trying to sign you up to run (the Lucky Leprechaun got me this year).

Elevation: One decent sized hill right at the start, then a few little rolls along the course to keep you honest, followed by the gradual incline on the bridge heading back to Miller Park and then the final incline before the finish line (a great challenge for all).

Parking: It's free and there's plenty of it! Need I say more!

Management: They are great! Never leave you hanging with questions if you have any, and they fill up your e-mail box with reminders constantly about the race or any updates. There is no way you could be misinformed or miss out on information with these guys.

If you are looking for a fun 5K and around the holidays, this is a must-do!

This was my first time running this race after wanting to do it the previous two years but never committing to it. The course was very enjoyable, going down Canal Street, past Potawatomi and through the Harley-Davidson Museum area, followed by going through Miller Valley. I was surprised by the number of inclines throughout the race. I certainly wasn't expecting it and it isn't like they were steep inclines. Just those nice gradual ones that wear you down when there are a decent number of them. The number of aid stations was almost ridiculous, but in a good way. There is no way you could run this race and feel like you were dehydrated unless you skipped every station. Choices of water and Gatorade were nice but even nicer was the flavor of Gatorade changed at each station.

The after party was very festive and was worth staying around for; as were the Herzing University-provided free massages. They were quick but so worth waiting in a line for one. The two free beer tickets also was nice, if you wanted that. Being held in the parking lot was a great idea since there was plenty of room to move around and socialize with others. The swag was good: medal for the race plus the various discounts for several other products. The pickup process is quick and easy but the accompanying expo is a rather flat experience. Just some other races being promoted (offering tons of Halloween candy at each spot and typically $10 off the current registration price) but not much else. They really need to spark this up some.

All in all, it was a fun racing experience and I look forward to having the chance to run it again.