This was my first Rock N Roll experience and it did not quite live up to my expectations. The bands that played were smaller and hard to hear the music from far away. When passing them, the energy wasn't quite there. Overall, it seemed like a slow and low energy race which was disappointing. I think this is an anomaly though so I plan to try it again, possibly in a different state!

This was a smaller race and I believe the first time it came to Chicago. I ran with my mom, my best friend, and her mom. Since it was smaller, packet pick-up was at Fleet Feet Old Town and not much of an expo. On the plus side, the shirt was perfect for the event and spoke well to the values of the race. On race day, it was sweltering hot out so they cancelled the 10k and had everyone run the 5k. This was definitely the right choice but the course was not set up for that many people to run the 5k so it was somewhat crowded along the path. It also would have been nice to receive some type of compensation since we paid for the 10k. Overall, I think it was a great race and definitely one I would participate in again since it is all about empowering women!

This was my first marathon and what a great experience it was! The crowd and volunteers were amazing and kept me going when I started to struggle - I had my name on the front of my shirt and everyone would shout encouraging words, it was amazing. Thanks to the great experience, I will be running with my dad in the upcoming 2017 marathon and cannot wait! My only complaint was the t-shirt (and it's a small one) - it was red and not the greatest design.

This is the busier of the two half marathons that go into the Chicago Marathon Series and it took place on the south side of Chicago which is hard to access via public transportation. As a result, we had to drive there and parking was a nightmare. Since the majority of the race takes place on Lake Shore Drive, it got closed down and was hard to access the start of the race. After race completion, the after party was not great and places to take pictures were far and few between.

This was my first half marathon. The start was a little rocky as it took place in a grassy area near the harbor - the space seemed too small for the amount of people. We also ran along the Lakeshore Path - which is beautiful but pretty narrow for a race resulting in it being hard to easily pass people and find your own space. Still had a great time though!