Disclaimer: Because of the experience I'm chronicling here from 2014, I did not run the race in 2015 and therefore have no idea if the things I mention have been remedied or not.

This race has a really neat concept. It's freezing cold in Chicago in November--who doesn't want to run, warm up, and grab a nice cup of hot chocolate and fondue after? Personally that sounds like heaven to me, so a friend and I ran the 5k variant.

Let's start with the expo. Pushing my feelings toward McCormick Place aside, I will say that the RAM crew did a pretty decent job organizing within an absolutely chaotic space. McCormick place is an enormous maze-like palace of a conference center, and my friend and I had trouble both meeting up and finding where we were supposed to go for our packets. I wish there had been more signage along the way to help point us in the right direction, because if your uber drops you off at the wrong door (as mine did) you're going to waste a lot of time wandering around. Additionally, I wasn't super thrilled with the expo. I wasn't really interested in any of the booths--everything seemed more geared towards an ultra-casual runner than a casual-to-serious runner. I remember there being an entire booth of costume hats for running, for example...

My feelings towards the race are also a bit lukewarm. The course was totally fine, and I very much enjoyed it, but the corrals were a mess (people in the wrong corrals everywhere, RAM members struggling to control who was in which corral, etc) and overall everything just felt rushed, yet stagnant at the same time. Very much a "hurry up and wait" situation for sure.

Post-race, it was fun getting the hot chocolate and fondue, but there weren't a ton of places to sit down to enjoy it. There were so many people crowding that we ended up sitting in the way, and were shooed to a new area by RAM officials. We ended up giving up and just walking home with it. I had to reheat the chocolate, but it was still good later :)

In terms of swag, I wasn't very impressed with the hoodie. I see people all of the city wearing them, but it was scratchy and not very thick (odd for a winter race). I wish they had gone with a name brand hoodie with a bit more substance to it, because as it is now, this one is buried in my closet to basically never be used again. I also wish they had a finisher medal for the 5k. This race was my real return to racing after a year or so off, and I wish I had gotten a medal that I could use to commemorate that.

Overall, it was a fun time with friends and I would recommend it. The other reviews I'm seeing here suggest that it was much improved in 2015, so maybe I'll give it a shot in 2016!

I'm probably biased, because I am from nearby North Vernon, Indiana, but I really loved this race. The scenery is what really got me. I've been to Columbus thousands of times over my life, but I saw it a new way with this race. There's something about running through areas you usually drive through that really helps you see familiar sights in a new light.

The shirt for this race was perfect, It's soft and great for a run. It's unisex sizing, which prevented me from my usual "Do I get a men's small or a women's small?" dilemma. Additionally, there was prize money and a band with food after the race! Can't beat that, seriously. Any race that offers me good food after is a winner in my book (even the Hot Chocolate 5k).

I love the course. I could go on forever about it, but I'm going to try to keep it short and sweet as to not bore you. Columbus is beautiful and has put a lot of money into their downtown area and parks, and it really shows. The race is like a tour of the architectural highlights and beautiful parks. The volunteers were really helpful in making sure you kept on track, as this race is small and you aren't always immediately behind someone.

If the food and entertainment isn't what you're after post-race, the finish line ends in the perfect spot to get other great food. Parking downtown is easy and it's easy to explore Columbus from where you finish.

I would definitely recommend this race. I realize my review sounds like it belongs on the Columbus tourism website, but that just goes to show you how amazing small town Indiana can be!

Overall, I love this race, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a die-hard Hoosier. I feel like there is an automatic sense of community within the race because you're running with your fellow students, alumni and Bloomington residents. After graduating, I've found I miss that sense of community in bigger races.

There's not really an expo for this race, and I had my packet sent to me (I had a sorority event that conflicted with my ability to grab it myself). The "swag" was alright, but when you're ad IU you end up so inundated with free gear that the shirt from this race kinda seemed bland compared to other shirts I had received over my time there.

The course itself was more difficult than even I anticipated. As a student at IU, I felt like I had a grasp on the hills and terrain of Bloomington and the campus, but all of that changes when you're running a race. The hills in Bloomington are intense--you really have two options: long, drawn-out hills and short, incredibly steep hills. Almost none of the course is truly flat. Coming into this race, I advise that you don't take it lightly--it may be a fun college town race, but it's still Bloomington, and Bloomington is still a mess of hills!

Overall I loved this race and would love to come back as an alum to run the half-marathon variant (I ran the 5k before). I'd highly recommend it for the fun atmosphere, challenging course and alright swag!