My first in-person race since Feb 2020!!! RaceMaker Productions put on a safe, fun, and friendly event in one of my favorite places to run in Indy -- White River State Park! They did such a great job with this COVID-friendly event that I ran with them again for the LoveStruck run! This race has an interesting approach -- you could sign up to run the 5k, or you could sign up to run the 50k with the idea that you could run either the 50k, or however many miles you can/want to in 4 hours.

Pre-Run:
I registered for this race a couple days before, and because of this, they had run out of sweatshirts/medals. The organizers were super nice and notified me that they had ordered more and would be mailing them out to those who registered later when they arrived. Parking was SUPER close to start, and everyone was socially distant. Packet pickup was quick, and due to new pandemic rules, the medals and sweatshirts (for those who registered far enough in advance) were given out before the race.

The Race:
The race organizers kept the race small, and runners were assigned to "waves" of about 20-25 runners in each wave. Runners lined up in spaces to stay distant and were counted off by the organizers. The course started by the NCAA Headquarters and passed by the IUPUI campus before crossing the bridge and looping back around the other side of the river near the Indy Zoo. From there, the course completed a short out and back down along the river before coming back up to the finish line. The out and back was a bit narrow and since it doubled back on itself, there was some slight bottlenecking happening. I ran with this organization for the LoveStuck run after this race, and they did make adjustments to the course to eliminate the out and back and give more room for runners -- much appreciated! Due to COVID, there were no aid stations on the course, but there were plenty of water bottles at the finish!

Post-Race:
COVID prevented any sort of major festivities after the race, but the volunteers were there to play music and take pictures! The nearby parking made the post-race exit a breeze!

Tips:
- There is PLENTY of parking nearby, but both of the close lots are pay lots, so expect to spend money if you want to park near the start/finish.
- Don't forget your mask! Due to the cold, I recommend doubling it up with a warm buff to keep your neck warm too.
- Watch out for ice on the bridge! People are tempted to pass in this area since some runners slow up to go up the incline, but watch your step!

Final Thoughts:
Loved the enthusiasm, COVID-friendly setting, and small, staggered starts! Overall, a wonderful time!

This fun race celebrating Chinese New Year features multiple events, including a 5k/10k challenge run, a bike race, and dragon dancers! LA natives are no stranger to hills, but this 10k course was TOUGH! Wonderful pre-race atmosphere with dancers, music, and celebrating all around! Slight communication issues could have made this a 5-star race, but with that being said, I still highly recommend it!

Pre-Run:
I signed up online and opted for race day packet pickup. I had originally signed up for the 5k, but I couldn't resist myself and I signed up for the Challenge that included the 10k too. I was easily able to upgrade my registration upon arrival. If you're from LA, this isn't surprising -- parking is tough. Numerous cars were circling nearby like hawks trying to find open spots, and many ultimately settled on pay lots. While LA isn't known for a robust public transit system like NYC, there IS a station really close to the start/finish, so if that is an option for you based on where you're coming from, I'd recommend using it!

The Race:
This was a pretty popular race, but that being said, there weren't massive waves of runners at the start. We were all released at once, with faster runners toward the front and slower runners/walkers in the back. The course ran through Chinatown and around Dodger Stadium. There were plenty of aid stations and the temps picked up quickly making for a HOT 10k. Upon finishing the 5k, most runners had about 30 minutes to hydrate and stretch before turning right back around for the 10k -- and this is where the challenge really kicked in. This 6.2-mile course had about 4 miles of non-stop, unrelenting, STEEP HILLS zig-zagging up above Dodger Stadium to deliver some beautiful views of DTLA stretching all the way out toward Santa Monica. There were points where runners were collectively sharing in the groans of this course (which was oddly comforting and encouraging)! But what goes up must come down, and the back half of the course is a FAST DOWNHILL. If you're not used to running downhill, be careful here because it's easy to lose control and mess up your knees on those back miles! After circling down around the back of the stadium, the course picked up with the end of the 5k course and came back through to the finish line.

Post-Race:
My favorite thing about this race is how the shirts and medal(s) are themed to the zodiac animal of the year. This year was the year of the rat, and honestly, this tech shirt is one of my faves! My only complaint here was a bit of miscommunication for the Challenge runners. When we crossed the finish line to collect the second medal, we were first told that there weren't any second medals -- it was one medal regardless of the races you run. Another volunteer told us that wasn't true and directed us to a Guest Relations tent to pick up our second medal. A number of runners believed there were actually 3 medals -- 5k, 10k, and a challenge one. We got lost and had to ask 2 other volunteers before we were finally directed to the right tent. There, we were told there were, in fact, more medals for challenge runners, but it was just a copy of the first medal -- no challenge one at all. It was a bit disappointing that the medals were identical, but I went home and took a Sharpie to mine to distinguish the 5k from the 10k. Not a big deal, but some clarification on both the website as well as from the volunteers giving directions would have been helpful!

Tips:
- This is a course of HILLS. If these aren't your cup of tea, this race isn't for you! If you're planning to take on the Challenge and you're not trying to go for a PR, I recommend taking the 5k easy and saving the bulk of your energy for the 10k.
- It may seem chilly in the morning, but the heat picks up quickly, and you're gonna be sweating out everything you have on that climb!
- If you have the ability to take the train, DO IT. Parking is not easy around the start/finish!

Final Thoughts:
Chinese New Year is such a fun time in Los Angeles, and this race is the perfect way to celebrate it with live music and dancers! If you're looking for a challenging and rewarding run near DTLA, this is a great race to check out!