What a great time!! I had never done a beer run before, we had the option to volunteer for a free race entry, YES I DID!! THE SWAG!! Great quality hooded sweatshirt, beer can shaped glass, beer punch card for the local breweries, one free one at host brewery and some JAMMIN MUSIC at the start/finish line, does it get any better than this? ALSO, there was a truck there collecting food for the food pantry.

There were three options for package pick up, which was awesome, it started on a THURSDAY afternoon/into evening, Friday the same and early race morning, awesome for those with off schedules. Four One Four events put on an awesome Race, hats off to them!! They also offered a .05K for the spouses that aren't into running, LOVED this.

Fast flat course with awards for top three male and female finishers.

I entered this race with a goal in mind, and knowing (hoping) the scenery was going to be GORGEOUS, it didn't let me down!!

The north~woods in the fall just can't be beat. I'll start with the course, we parked in Three Lakes and were bused up to Eagle River Dairy Queen where we started the race with temperatures of 25 degrees!! PERFECT! (they had a bag drop thankfully) That is where the Three Eagle Trail took us south for a few miles until we hit a paved road which we only stayed on for another mile or two which had a few small rolling hills and virtually NO traffic other than a few cheerleaders and volunteers bundled up and being encouraging! Shortly thereafter, we cut back onto the gorgeous winding trail that was crushed lime stone and in places covered with golden fallen leaves, just breathtaking! You never knew at some points what would be around the next curve, sometimes it was a pond, sometimes an aid station, always something new and exciting.

Every mile there was a pumpkin mile marker, however, the first one we saw after 1 tenth of a mile had a 13 on it, and from that point on, they counted the miles down :-( It drove me crazy, not sure how anyone else felt about it, but in ALL the races I've EVER run, I have NEVER (and don't ever want to again) witnessed this. My app was off and my brain was off. UGH. I tried hard to ignore the pumpkins.

Aid stations were plentiful and so were the volunteers, not sure how well stocked they were as I ran thru all of them (whoops) but I DID thank them all on my way thru.

With approximately 4 miles left, the trail came out and ran along the road and we coon came to where the 5K started, at mile 12 we cut off the trail and did the last two miles on pavement and finished up thru the park into the reiter center, a welcome site.

The swag. AWESOME, a tech long sleeve shirt, 5th anniversary one this year, NICE!! awesome hand done wooden finisher medals, I LOVE unique medals, LOVE THIS!! WINNERS of AG got awesome dipped mason jars, I will cherish mine, I love things I can use and I have a collection of coffee mugs!

They had injury assessment personal on hand, massage therapist for FREE massages, over 100 door prizes and lots of food all inside a heated building, AWESOME JOB, WELL DONE

It was family friendly and fun. There were costumes and kids, lots of kids :-) the start corral was NARROW, it was gun to chip so starting out was tough. A ton of children started up front which made it difficult to get a good position. The course was nice, one small hill at the beginning of mile two seemed to hurt some runners that were not adjusted to hill running. The course was all run on the roads of Green Bay, the 5K took us around Lambeau Field area. Parking was in the Lambeau parking lot, just a walk across the street, NICE.

Long sleeve tech shirt and tickets to get into sweet street, cute skeleton trophies for 1-3 AG finishers. Overall a well put on race. A 1K was offered for some added family fun. Also the 10K was avail.

I entered this race last minute. I was slated to run my FIRST ever full down in Elroy this weekend but it was cancelled due to flooding. The stars aligned and I ended up here, FOR A REASON.

The swag..not much, a ticket to a spaghetti dinner was nice, I didn't go, we stayed out of town that night :-( the T shirts, well, they said they ran out of or didn't order enough smalls or mediums, so we were offered a shirt from last year, oh well, I guess I didn't come for the shirt (really) not like they had the date on them anyway (bummer). It IS a NO FRILLS marathon anyway right? YEP...

The course, HOLY WHAAA, does it get any better than this? I think not. After you get past the first 6 miles (which really weren't horrible as they were just back roads after all with very little if any traffic at all) we jumped onto the bearskin trail...WOW, gorgeous, crushed limestone trail thru some of the most beautiful north~woods peace and quiet you will ever witness, with tremendous beauty EVERYWHERE you looked. We crossed railroad trestles we crossed gorgeous little rivers we went thru wetlands, we went thru sand country, and we saw it ALL.

There were an abundance of well stocked aid stations with cookies, bananas, candies, all sorts of things that were appealing to the hungry hungry runner, friendly volunteers with encouraging words and Gatorade and water.

AND if that's not enough, THERE WERE PACE CREWS!! how is that not a FRILL?

So, the only thing that was a downer was missing sizes and year on the shirts, no AGE group placements, that's IT folks, this race is a must do for anyone wanting the most gorgeous full marathon out there, I could NOT have asked for a better first full...EVER.

Because PEER pressure sometimes influences me :-) A friend posted this race and I like unique medals :-) AND I was going to be in the area for a wedding the night before.

The idea of this being at a vineyard should have told me there would be HILLS :-) You got it, there was one and the Vineyard sat smack dab in the middle of it.

I'll start with the swag bag, we got a nice wine glass (our choice of two styles) a long sleeve (cotton ick) shirt and everyone got a finishers medal that is WAY TOO COOL, very colorful and it doubles as a wine cork screw...PERFECT. There is a cap of 2,000, get your entry in EARLY and be prepared to stand in line to use the FEW porta potties (no they did NOT have enough for the crowd at hand).

The course :-) We stared and finished at the winery :-) A slight downhill start to the end of the driveway then UP hill to a turn around and then DOWN DOWN DOWN a big hill to a nice flat out and back...to yes, UP UP UP and to the driveway to continue that UP UP UP to the finish (still going up). A great not easy 5K to a well earned drink at the end, your choice, wine or beer.

Photographers on the course and at the finish line, excellent FREE race day photos to download, added bonus!!

The gift shop was also open for free and paid wine tastings, free music festival going on outdoors as well, great little gig, family fun day. Recommended for a good time and fun especially for the wine connoisseurs, AG medals 1-3rd.