As a lifelong Cubs fan, nothing – including a pandemic – was going to stop me from running this race! I’ve been wanting to run the Race to Wrigley for a number of years, but the scheduled dates never worked out for me. The virtual option offered a range of dates, which took away the problem of not being available on race day.

Just as with most of the virtual races I’ve done, I received my finisher’s shirt, race medal, and some extra swag in advance of the race. I was so surprised by the quality of the race shirt – probably one of the highest quality shirts I have ever received! The material was thick and very much like a regular baseball jersey. I will definitely be wearing this shirt in the future. And the medal? Oh. My. Goddess. It was huge, and marked to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the race. I almost felt guilty receiving it, not having run this race in prior years. Other race swag included a Race to Wrigley neck gaiter, a Cubs-themed drawstring bag, and a personalized race bib.

I decided to run the race on the first day of the virtual schedule. I headed into the city early in the morning and ran the distance around Lakeview (known by many as Wrigleyville), starting and ending at Wrigley Field. It was fun to see so many other people, adults and kids alike, sporting their race medals and taking photos around the ballpark.

Overall, I loved everything about this race. It’s a great race for families to participate in together, and I know mine will definitely be signing up for the in-person version of this race next year!

What a fun-themed race! With so many races having gone virtual, I am definitely picking and choosing which ones I will be signing up for. I've always been a fan of Wonder Woman, and I loved the empowering #IAmWonderWoman theme of this race. The swag is top-notch, with a high-quality long sleeved quarter zip, tote bag, and fun Wonder Woman wristbands. The medal is absolutely beautiful. I will definitely be signing up for the in-person version of this race next year!

I love everything about Las Vegas - fabulous restaurants, great shows, good weather, and yes, gambling! Throw in the opportunity to run the Strip at Night, and I am ALL IN! We arrived at the expo early on Friday afternoon and it was not crowded at all. Everything was clearly marked and easy to navigate. The expo wasn't super-crowded and was nicely spread out, so even with more people, it wouldn't be an issue.

I ran the 5K on Saturday, but the course did not involve running on the Strip. The 5K was definitely chill and seemed to cater more toward the walker/casual runner, though I'm sure there was a competitive field. Running the 5K the day before the half was a nice preview of running in the desert air, which really helped me plan for the half marathon distance.

We stayed at Paris Las Vegas which was perfect, since the half/full marathon pre-race staging was directly behind our hotel. I walked over about an hour before start time, which was more than enough time. I cycled through the porta-potty line twice since it was moving so quickly. I didn't check a bag, but would have had plenty of time to do so if I needed to. There was a stage with a band playing, so I listened for a while before heading to the start gate. We probably walked a good quarter to half mile to the actual start line on the Strip.

We headed south on Las Vegas Boulevard (AKA the Strip), past the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. There was a band playing and many people stopped and waited in line for a photo in front of the iconic sign. We looped around and headed back north. There's not much to see at that end of the Strip. Once we approached Excalibur, New York, New York, and the surrounding venues the bright lights appeared and it with it now being dark, it finally felt like we were running the "Strip at Night". We ran the length of the Strip all the way downtown to Old Las Vegas and Fremont Street. We spent very little time in that area which was fine given the fact it seemed a little more remote and off the beaten path. We headed back south on the Strip and the lights once again appeared. Full marathon participants veered to the right while those of us doing the half veered to the left.

Around Mile 11 we were told there was no more water at the aid station, but were assured there would be plenty just a few hundred feet ahead (there was). I brought three Gatorade Endurance gels and decided to take my third at that point. Because my throat got so dry at the 5K the day before, I brought a bunch of cough drops with me and I pretty much had one in my mouth the entire time, which was my saving grace. I hydrated like crazy the day before and the morning of the race, but that desert air is no joke.

The finish line was located in front of the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, but we had to walk for what seemed like forever to be able to exit the course. Because I participated in races two days in a row, besides the individual race medals, I also earned the Remix medal, which is shaped like an old boom box to match the Rock 'n' Roll theme.

This was a fabulous race weekend and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was especially fun to be with great friends, old and new. The expo was average - not too small and not too big, nicely spread out with plenty of vendors to visit. The 5K race was a bit chaotic at the start with people self-seeding in obviously incorrect corrals. The course was quiet but the fest at the end of the race made up for all of that. The half/full marathon start was much better organized and the pre-race festivities/band were great. The course was mostly fun with just a few dead zones. There were spectators along the course on the main area of the Strip, but it seemed as if the majority of them were there for Vegas and not necessarily interested in seeing a race. I'm sure many of them didn't even know a race was going on until they came across a Strip that was closed to traffic.

As far as swag, the participant shirts were nothing spectacular but the finishers' medals were awesome. This is a fun race weekend and while there are serious racers out there, I'd say the vast majority of runners/walkers are out there for a good time. Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to vacation, so adding a race to an extended weekend visit gives me one more excuse to visit. I would definitely do this race again and would make it a part of a fun weekend in one of my favorite vacation spots.

From start to finish, this was an absolutely amazing race! Louisville is one of my favorite cities, but I have never run a race there. The Urban Bourbon Half Marathon fit nicely into my schedule so I jumped on the chance to run it.

The expo was held at Louisville Slugger Field, with convenient free parking at the venue. The expo was small with just a Fleet Feet booth as well as a small table where additional race swag was sold. I bought two beautiful etched bourbon glasses to help commemorate the experience. Volunteers at the expo were extremely helpful and enthusiastic, which made for a great initial impression. Samples of Jim Beam were available and though I am not a huge bourbon drinker, I really enjoyed the offerings. The long-sleeved race shirt was a beautiful brick-colored dri-fit material. Aside from bourbon, Fleur de Lis was the theme and was nicely patterned on the shirt, featuring highlights of the race itself. I appreciated the ability to exchange my shirt at the expo for a better-fitting size.

One fun feature of this race was the Urban Bourbon Walk, where race finishers can visit up to seven different establishments after the race on Saturday and receive a special Fleur de Lis cloisonné pin. I was able to obtain all seven pins, and have them attached to the ribbon of my race medal as an added memory of this fantastic race experience.

The race started in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse and headed around town in a gradual decline for about 6-1/2 miles until we entered Cherokee Park. I had been forewarned about the hills in the park which would last for around 3 miles, but they honestly weren't as bad as I expected. Once we exited the park, the course was mainly flat until the finish.

The race finished on Liberty Street, just a block or two away from Fourth Street Live!, where the post-race party would be held. This is hands-down the best post-race event I’ve ever experienced! Race participants were treated to food, beer, and samplings of bourbon from around the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Entertainment was provided by the band The Crashers, who had everyone dancing in the streets. The party lasted until 12:30 p.m., which allowed plenty of time to get something to eat, sample some bourbon, and enjoy the band before heading back to my hotel to shower and get to the airport in time for my flight home.

The Urban Bourbon Half Marathon was a fabulous race and I loved everything about it. Held in one of my favorite places, I will definitely run this race again. The swag, the post-race party, and the race itself were second to none. I would highly recommend this race to anyone interested in a fun yet somewhat challenging race!

What a fabulous race! I ran this and the Chicago Spring Half Marathon in May, so I earned a special medal for doing both. Communication about the race was excellent leading up to the day. Because of severe storms in Chicago the two days before the race, I opted not do drive the 35+ miles into the city to pick up my packet and instead had my son, who lives just a few miles away from the packet pickup area, pick it up for me. He said it was very crowded but the lines moved fairly quickly, so that's all I can comment about there.

The race started and finished in Jackson Park in the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicago's south side. If you know the area, it's not great, but everything felt completely save throughout the day. There was an option to take a shuttle or find one's own transportation, but the Metra Chicago Electric line added a special train just for runners that day. That was the option I chose, which I am glad since because of the rain, the shuttles were delayed while a decision was being made about the race.

I drove in during a torrential downpour but by the time I arrived in the city, the rain started to slow. I parked in the Millennium Plaza Garage. As they themselves warned, it was difficult to find the entrance and I was under the bowels of Michigan avenue and the area is very sketchy. I pulled into the wrong garage at first but eventually found my way, hopping onto the train with just 2 minutes to spare. The train announcer was awesome and was encouraging and congratulating the runners along thew 20-minute ride. It really was a nice, encouraging boost.

We departed the train and had to walk about 2-3 city blocks to the start area. I rarely check a bag, but given the weather I wanted to have dry clothes after the race. Gear check was on the far end of the park and it was an absolute mud pit. Luckily I thought to wear flip-flops and didn't put my running shoes on until right the start of the race. Unlike the vast majority of participants, my shoes, socks, and feet were warm and dry at the start of the race.

It rained pretty much the entire race, but the temperatures were in the 60s so it wasn't too bad. I heard thunder in the distance with 5 miles to go, so I really motored to finish before the race might get called.

Gear check pickup at the end of the race was pretty chaotic and the park was even muddier and sloppier than at the start of the race. Luckily I grabbed my gear bag fairly quickly. I was excited that my favorite pizza, Home Run Inn (I grew up walking distance to the original) was being served at the post-race party, but I didn't want to slog through the park to get it so I skipped the pizza and the beer and headed to the tent to pick up my extra half marathon series medal. I spent about 10 minutes talking with the very nice people from the race and then headed to the train station for the ride back to where I parked. I had to wait a little over an hour for the train which was a bit of a drag. Had the weather been nicer, I would have spent that hour at the post-race party.

Overall this was a great race, well organized with a beautiful course along the lakefront that we unfortunately didn't get to enjoy due to the weather. Except for the bit of chaos at gear check after the race (it is very possible some volunteers didn't show up due to the weather), It was a great time and I would definitely do it again. I only gave the Expo Quality 3 stars since I didn't personally attend.