It was an unusually warm November day and it felt absolutely wonderful to throw on a pair of shorts and a tank for the race. We arrived at the race and they had outlined quite a few parking areas beforehand, making it quite easy to find close and accessible parking. There was a giant tent and music already set up, with packet pick up being fairly seamless. I would say it was challenging not starting the race with my husband (he started approximately 1 hour later), as he was doing the shorter distance, but it was nice that he was finished by the time I arrived back from the half marathon route. The route itself takes you through some nice scenic areas....you head toward the lake, and then hit some hills which remind me of Lake Geneva (if anybody has been around the lake before), it then takes you on some country roads, and back down a trail. The only part I did not enjoy were the last 3 miles or so which is more within an industrial park. They did have water stations spaced throughout the race, however, I felt like there was not quite enough water for the warmth of the day. (There is also a fun unofficial beer stop around mile 4 or so). There were quite a few spectators hanging out at the finish, which is always encouraging and increases the energy, and the half marathoners finish with a medal (unfortunately the 4 milers do not get one). The post race snacks were plentiful and it was quite easy to find everyone in our group despite it being a full race. The after party is by far the best part of the experience.....great beer, a full lasagna dinner, and good company. With it being such a warm day, we pulled up chairs outside the tent to listen to the music and enjoy the food and beer. They even had a vendor on site for purchasing discounted beer from the local brewery. Overall it was a fun, relaxing race with good friends.

Pros
-Scenery
-Parking
-Post race food and party
-Beer!

Cons:
-Lack of water at a few of the water stations

As this was my first marathon, much of my bias will likely come from that. This race has by far, been the best organized race I have ever completed. From the registration, to the emails full of training plans and tips, the race was well planned and well executed. The expo was fantastic with a variety of vendors and pre race talks, I especially loved Joan Benoit's tips. On race morning they had assigned gates where you were required to enter with your bibs and items in a clear plastic bag. They had plenty of security and it certainly was a safe and welcoming environment. The sunrise over the lake was a great way to get geared up for the race ahead. Corrals were also nice, yet busy, as it allowed me to meet up and start with some of my running buds despite the vast amount of people there. The race started in a timely manner, although with the 40,000 plus runners it does take a bit to get out of the corrals and past the start line. Having lived in Chicago for almost 3 years, I was aware of the course however it is very different taking it all in from the middle of the road, surrounded by hundreds of other runners. You initially head north and go through Boys Town which was fun, although not perhaps as loud as I had been expecting after conversations with past Chicago marathoners. You turn and head south, then west, back east, down toward Chinatown which is also full of energy, and then back up to Grant Park. I had heard there were "dead zones" where the spectators were low. However, that was not my experience as there was always at least some groups of people cheering and encouraging you on. I also had the luck of seeing my husband at every water station he said he would be at, and all of my friends that had said they were going to be there to spectate. So despite the size of the race, it still felt very personal to me. Speaking of water stations/aid stations....there are plenty!! I never once was concerned about water or nutrition, and actually did not bring my portable water as I had originally planned. At this finish line there is a lot of opportunities for a photo op and then you have a nice organizational flow with water, your medal, food, etc however, I will warn you that they make that corral the "27th mile". It was a tad bit congested when getting out of that last corral and it did feel like a I was part of a herd of cattle, however, I found my husband and friends fairly quickly. We enjoyed some time down in the park and then had a quick walk to catch the bus back up North. This race was full of pros, with very little cons and I would recommend it to all!!

Pros:
Great expo
Safety in communication and water stations
Well organized
Great views of the city
Great energy

Cons:
Parking
"27th mile"

My first ever Tri....and it was fantastic! Leading up to race day, participants received emails fairly regularly with reminders and tips. The day of packet pick up was very organized, however, there was a small mix up with the swim caps (see below). There was a DJ, vendors, and opportunities to have your bike checked out. There were also 2 pre race talks, which were good for additional questions, but everything you needed to know was in their race day guide. It would have been nice to see more local vendors, but nonetheless they did have a few tents for browsing.
On race day, I arrived at 5:30 am (transition was open 5-6:30) and felt that I had plenty of time. I was marked, and set up my transition area. The transition area was nice, as everything was within a couple minutes walk from one another, including bathrooms. I even had time for some stretching and mingling with friends. We then walked about 10-15 minutes to where the swim started.
That water was WARM (82 degrees to be exact) so just be prepared for that. I felt the swim portion was well organized, and the announcer energetic, although slightly off on start time with the swim waves. This was also where having the wrong color swim cap threw a negative into the day, as my family and friends did not even see me enter, swim, or leave the water which is somewhat disappointing. I felt that they had plenty of assistance in the water, and besides the glare of the sun affecting my vision, the course was well marked and a fairly straight shot across the lake.
You come off the swim, run up a sandy incline, and into the transition area you go. Starting on the bike felt great and the course was well marked. There was road construction, and some of those other roads could use a little road construction as well (bumpy!!), but despite that it was a fairly flat terrain. There was the hill at the end which you climb not once, but twice when you turn back toward the corral for your run. I would say the only negative on the bike was the participants not staying right as instructed. This made passing somewhat difficult (and frustrating) at times.
The run itself, is around lovely Lake Andrea which is completely flat. Little to no shade though, so on a toasty day there is not much relief. The trail is also fairly narrow, so you often will have to go into the grass to pass. The route itself is paved, except for a small portion (approx 3/4 of a mile) which was on crushed rock.
The finish area is filled with spectators, and they called out your name as you passed the finish line. There is plenty of space for the post race party, and there was no shortage of food which included: greek yogurt, breakfast burritos, granola bars, fruit, bagels, orange juice, coffee, and chocolate milk. If I had multiple hands, I would have grabbed one of everything!
Overall, I feel this is a great race, especially for first timers like myself. Plenty of support to get the jitters out, which still allowing you to be competitive out on the course!

Pros
-parking
-race day organization
-post race food/party
-location
-flat course

Cons:
-dec experience of other participants contributing to frustrations on the bike
-road construction
-mix up with the swim cap

The race is located in downtown Racine, next to beautiful Lake Michigan. You start the race by heading North and weaving through some of the downtown area, before taking a path through the Zoo, and then heading northward up to Winn Point and the Lighthouse. Great views! The crowd is hit or miss in these upper parts, but the downtown area on the way back is busy with spectators. There was an overabundance of water stations, sometimes right next door to one another, as the spectators and homeowners were quite supportive with these unofficial stations. This was a good thing, as the day was quite warm, so keep that in mind when registering...it is mid June. Overall, the large hill at the end was worth it, as you end with quite the celebration with a band, beer, and plenty of food to munch on. A great race to do with friends!

It was a nice windy day to start my 5th half marathon, but my first Southshore half. Wind gusts were topping 20-30mph and with this race held along the lake, you can imagine the resistance felt. The combination of wind and snow/sleet led to an interesting first half of the race, but the weather did improve somewhat throughout. The race start is busy for the first mile or so due to the narrow trails, but then it opens and there is lots of space to get into a great rhythm. There were adequate water and aid stations, and despite the cold, we did still seem some friendly faces along the course. The post race swag was fairly disappointing as the gloves were very cheaply made, and were just not what I was picturing. However, the cheap cost of the race, and the large building to warm up in post event was a good balance. Post race there is beer available and then random pretzels/cookies which are put on tables. The results were posted incredibly fast though, which was wonderful! You will not find a lot in which to park, but street parking was fairly easy and I was about a 5 minute walk away from the start. Overall pros and cons:
Pros:
-cost of the race ($18 for non badgerland members)
-location: ease of parking, pavilion in which to stay warm and dry, beautiful lakefront course
-quickness of post race results

Cons:
-lack of spectators
-lack of swag/post race festivities
-weather...but what do you expect in the Midwest