I would recommend this course for a novice runner, however, this was the same old course that the Sunburst committee has used for way to long. South Bend is the home to Notre Dame, but not even the return of the finish on the 50 yard line at Notre Dame Stadium can make this race exciting. There were a lot of concerns besides the running course. Getting to the starting is questionable, as there were countless homeless people sleeping on the streets throughout the downtown area. Parking is poor, requiring a long search to find parking close to the start area. Regarding the course, we've run the same course over the past many years, and the course has very little scenary. South Bend had torrential rain for the week prior to the run, and as such, the committed announced the night before the run of the possibility of rerouting the half-marathon route, but the "new" course would not be certified. On a positive note, you can change your registered event, as long as entries are available. Needing the certified time for a corral placement, I changed from the half to the 10K. The citizens of the neighborhood we ran in were kind and entertaining. Police and First Responders were plentiful, professional, and encouraging. The entertainment on the course was lackluster, until you reached Notre Dame's campus, then the entertainment was more plentiful. The committee failed to place mile markers or clocks for the first 3 miles of the 10K, so no one new their pace, unless they had a GPS watch, which many participants didn't own. There is minimal celebration at the end of the run, but there is a lot of food in concourse of the stadium. Don't expect, however, to stay on the field very long, as they shuffle you off the field to the refreshment area. They do provide shuttles from the stadium to the parking areas at the beginning of the course.

A great way to start your Thanksgiving, if you are a local runner or visiting the area, is to try this run. Although the descriptor may say "slightly hilly", there are more hills than you may expect. If the weather is cooperative, you can PR this run, but the hills may make that a challenge. If it snows, even slightly, the day or night before, it will be slick, and your best bet is to just burn the calories you'll be eating at dinner that night.

The expo is held the Wednesday afternoon into evening, and it is even open on Thursday morning about an hour before the run starts. Not a lot to look at or shop for, but that can be a benefit, so you can get in and out. The parking is easy and well manned, as there are parking attendants to help you get a parking spot in the Y's parking lot or close by the start line.

There is no post course refreshment, so bring your own post-run fuel.

This is a fantastic, beautiful, and calming course, full of charm! If you want to experience a serene run, with gorgeous scenary and the chance to see wildlife, this is a great course. As you run the first six miles, you will see a breathtaking sunrise (as long as it isn't raining or overcast). There is a lot of encouragement from the volunteers and the neighbors in the area. Pre-course and post-course entertainment is fun, and motivating. The food at the end of the course seemed to move quickly, and could have been more plentiful, especially for runners and walkers who came in near the cutoff time of the course. This is an extremely safe course, as you are running along a paved trail in a wilderness area. This out and back course is extremely fast and an easy course to run. There is one major up hill area, at mile 12, other than that, the course is flat and runner friendly.