Latest reviews by Tedrick Kelly

(2017)
"Support Off the Charts!"
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I enjoyed it so much last year, I came back for an encore. 40,000 runners from all over the world and a million spectators there to cheer you on. I have yet to experience the NYC Marathon but it has it work cut out for it if it wants to compete with Chicago. The race is well-organized and the water stations seemed to come up about every mile after mile 4 or 5. The only thing I wish the stops had that they didn't was salt packets. This year's race got pretty warm and I noticed a lot of runners dealing with cramping issues(including myself). The crowds really help as you run through all the neighborhoods, my favorites being chinatown and little italy. If you run this race, make sure you try and stay near the magnificent mile because you will be in the heart of everything. You can walk to Navy Pier and you will only be about 1.5 miles away from the start of the race. Put this race on your bucket list, I PROMISE you won't be disappointed.

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(2017)
"Rock and Roll Philly Really ROCKS"
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I had never been to Philadelphia so when given the opportunity to run Rock and Roll Philadelphia, I jumped at the chance. This year also just happened to be the 40th year of the half marathon and the first year they had a remix weekend. If you don't know what the remix weekend is, it is where you can run a 5k on Saturday and do the half marathon on Sunday. For you efforts, you end up with 3 medals for the weekend. This race brought several star athletes, including Galen Rupp, the olympic bronze medalist from this past year's Olympics. The course is absolutely beautiful, the first 4-5 miles takes you through downtown Philly pass the famous LOVE monument and lots of museums. After going through downtown, the route takes you on Kelly Drive, which is also known as boathouse row. The stretch of course takes you by multi-million dollar boat houses, and along side Schuykill River. The river is where the city colleges practice and store their row boats for competition. After about the mile 8, you take a bridge over Schuykill river before heading back down the opposite side of the river. During this stretch you even run pass the Philadelphia Zoo. The end is a slight incline before finishing directly in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Finisher Medal was great and you can even snap a picture of the Rocky statue. I will keep it simply, YOU HAVE TO RUN THIS RACE. While you are there, make sure you enjoy a cheesesteak and take a trip to Reading Terminal for some delicious desserts.

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(2017)
"Rocko 5k"
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First things first, the race management for this race was great. The race began at exactly 7am on the dot. The course is an out & back along side of the Schuylkill River. I usually don't like out and back courses but the scenery for this race was beautiful. In addition to the view of the river, you also run pass the Philadelphia Zoo. The course is fairly flat, with a slight incline to the finish line so you can secure a fast time. The race began and finished in front of the Philadelphia Museum and the famous steps that Sly ran up in the movie Rocky. Beautiful finisher's medals are a huge plus as well. If you are a runner who enjoys nice scenery, I would definitely put Rock and Roll Philly 5k on your calendar.

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(2017)
"Conquer the Hill"
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What a great race! Everything about this race was handled very well. If you have never been to Kansas City, don't be fooled, there are HILLS in Kansas City..hence the name Hospital Hill. Starting with expo, it wasn't the largest one I have been to but the booths there were of high quality. My favorite booth was the beef one, they cooked you a slider and gave you a sample of wine. 2 thumbs up! If you looking for the traditional race swag, you won't get it at Hospital Hill. The organizers got creative and instead of receiving a race t-shirt, you get a pair of pajama bottoms and a towel.
On race day, there was free parking garage that was literally about 20 yards from the starting line. This was a big change for me, I accustomed to either having to catch a shuttle or paying to park close. The race begin exactly at 7am, no delaying here. The race itself was a great experience despite the high 70s temp, high humidity, and lovely HILLS. You encounter the race namesake, Hospital Hill, in the first 3 miles of the race and it certainly challenges you. You will find many spectators lined up the HILL cheering you on as you progress up the monster. Don't be fooled that Hospital Hill is the only hill you encounter, there are many many more. Your entire race is a up and down roller coaster, mixed with beautiful scenery of Kansas City. The aid stations were placed about every 1.5 miles, so whenever you felt the need for water, a water stop was in sight. The final mile is a gradual downhill, which is a welcomed sight after 12 miles of battling hills. Upon finishing, you receive a nice size medal and treated to free beer and pancakes(yes pancakes). I never had pancakes as a race perk before, but they definitely hit the spot. Great race, great experience. If you have the means to get to Kansas City, I would definitely recommend putting Hospital Hill on your race calendar for the future.

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(2017)
"Double Down Challenge Accepted"
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I've run this race for the pass 4 years and this year that introduced the Double Down Challenge, making this race even more exciting. This race typically gives you the choice of 2 distances to choose from, 4 miles or 10 miles. This year the introduced the inagural Double Down Challenge. What's that you ask?? The runners willing to accept the challenge would have to run the 4 miler in 40 minutes or less, and then start and run the 10 miler. The 4 miler started at 7:15, and the 10 miler 7:45 and they cut off the time for the double down challenge to 7:55. Those that were able to complete the challenge would walk away with a 4 mile medal, 10 mile medal and a double down medal. Of course that meant, tackling the hills of Chapel Hill twice but fortunately you only had to conquer Laurel Hill once. The race takes you through the popular Franklin Street, as well as carries you through the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. Beautiful Campus and beautiful race, despite all the hills. I would definitely recommend, and if you up for the challenge....do the Double Down.

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