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Latest reviews by Laura
Laura recommends this race
(2015)
"Drumstick Dash 2015"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This was my second year running this 5K. Very thankful for the warmer weather this year!
Overall, a fun event and a great way to start your Thanksgiving!
Participants are divided into 4 groups: Runners, Runners w/Strollers, Walkers, and Walkers w/Strollers.
Age group awards are given out as well as special prizes for the top 10 finishers (the first 5 got a Performance Running Outfitters gift card and the second set of 5 got a pie from Sendik's.)
T-Shirts/SWAG: All participants get a unisex long-sleeved cotton shirt. This year was hunter orange. The swag bags also came with a Brewers bobble head from last year and some fliers for other Vision events (Lucky Leprechaun Run, Rock 'n Sole, etc) and a coupon for Sendik's. There was also a promo flier for Performance Running Outfitters.
Aid Stations: One at about the midpoint, which is all that's needed, realistically. Volunteers were awesome and it was easy to get a cup.
Course Scenery: Most of the course is centered around Miller Park and the immediate surrounding area. Not exactly beautiful, but I feel like it's very Milwaukee.
Expo: I couldn't attend the expo this year, as it was only open from 11-3 the day before. I wish it was longer, since a lot of people do still work the day before Thanksgiving and would still like to attend the expo.
Elevation: There's a couple small, gradual hills and one very steep hill almost right at the beginning as you're leaving the Miller Park grounds to enter the Story Hill neighborhood just north of the stadium. After that, there's a handful of small hills.
Parking/Access: Free parking. On Vision's website, they have a map of all the free lots that are available.
Race Management: Vision always puts on awesome events. The music at the start line was great to get the crowd revved up. Love that they partnered with Feeding America Southeastern Wisconsin to help provide to families in need right here in the community.
Will definitely run it again next year!
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Laura recommends this race
(2015)
"Great Inaugural Event!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
What a great way to celebrate running in Milwaukee!
First off, the expo and t-shirts/SWAG: I volunteered at Packet Pick-Up. Packets were organized alphabetically by name and runners were given their long-sleeved tech shirt. Shirts were gender-specific and participants could exchange sizes there if they wanted to. Pins were not put in the packets but were out on the table for runners to grab if they wished.
There was a variety of vendors including Brew City, which had made all the official gear for the race. I will say, I hope next year they have a bigger stock of sizes because every shirt I asked about in a women XS they had sold out of. There was also some gear (including the official In Training shirt) available on their website for most of the year leading up to the event.
Packets also included discounts for other races coming up and coupons for local businesses.
Aid Stations: Aid stations were about ever 2-ish miles with both Nuun and water available. Local groups volunteered to run them and were super energetic and fun! I do think that the first aid station needs to be closer to mile 1.5 instead of mile 2.5, especially since some of us (read: me) didn't have a chance to use port-a-potties at the start and really had to pee.
Course Scenery: This course did a great job of showcasing the wonderful areas of Milwaukee that a lot of people don't get to see. Being able to run from the lakefront to Lake Drive, through the East Side, by Lakefront Brewery, through Downtown and then past Marquette (where the 1/2 and the full parted ways) and then headed back toward the Third Ward and the Summerfest grounds. The course really reminded me that Milwaukee is a very beautiful city!
Elevation: I felt like there was a decent amount of elevation change! It's definitely not a flat course!
Parking: There are a lot of parking lots near the start/finish that charged $5 for parking, otherwise you could find a street spot for free. It was easy to get in and out of the lot before/after the race.
Race Management: I feel like the race management did a lot to promote the event and really make it a community-centered, family-friendly event. Kids could trick-or-treat at the expo from the vendors (who all had candy to give out), build-up runs were held every Thursday evening and Saturday morning. There were frequent Facebook updates and e-mails sent out.
Some things that need to be improved on:
- there was no beer post-race because the liquor license hadn't been approved; this info was posted on Facebook the morning of the event. Sprecher was giving out root beer but no one at the finish knew where to get it. Sprecher Brewery also was giving out free tours to participants in lieu of the beer, but only until 3 pm that day.
- the post-race party was pretty lackluster. There was supposed to be food for the finishers (indicated by a tag on our bib) but there wasn't anything, no one knew where the root beer was to be acquired, and besides the results tent and a Nuun tent, there wasn't really anything to keep people hanging out there after the race.
- there need to be more port-a-potties at the start. I also heard that the VIP tent was supposed to have port-a-potties but didn't.
- the medals didn't have a race-specific distance. I really didn't care, but I could see the marathoners wanting something that indicated they had finished the full marathon.
- the start was not corraled and I really think that, even though there were only 4,000 runners, there need to be corrals for organization.
It's little details like that that, if fixed, will make this a must-do event! The finish party definitely needs to be beefed up!
Laura recommends this race
(2015)
"Challenging but Fun Trail Race!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Overall: Absolutely loved this race! The North Face puts on an amazing event for runners of all skill levels!
T-Shirts/SWAG: All participants got a green tech shirt that was printed on site. All finishers got a medal that said what their distance was and which location you ran on the ribbon.
Aid Stations: For the half marathon, there were 4 aid stations; one of them you ran by twice. Each aid station had CLIF products (gel shots, bloks, and electrolyte hydration drink) as well as water. Volunteers were very helpful and enthusiastic!
Course Scenery: The course winds through Kettle Moraine State Park; a lot of the course is on the Ice Age Trail. There's a mix of single track, hills, equestrian trail, and hiking trail to keep the terrain interesting.
Expo: There wasn't an expo, but The North Face hosted a discussion panel with the race director and some of The North Face athletes on Friday evening, where participants could also pick up their shirts and bibs. Participants also got a 10% discount at the store that evening. The panel was very informative, with the moderator asking pointed questions to each athlete. The race director shared information about the course and what was in store for us. I think this was awesome, as it got us all so excited for the weekend ahead!
Elevation: Friends of mine ran the longer distances on Saturday and said that there were some rolling hills at the beginning. As someone who isn't used to a lot of elevation change, I found the amount of hills challenging, but in a good way. There were a lot of rocks and rough terrain, but as long as you're paying attention to where you're stepping, you will be fine.
Parking/Access: Parking is available all around Ottawa Lake. There are attendant to direct drivers on where to park. Normally, people pay to park but all participants got a little green piece of paper so that they didn't have to pay for parking. My husband and I paid for a yearly parking pass earlier in the summer, so we could park on Saturday (when we were cheering on our friends) free of charge. Entry and exit were very easy befpre/after the race.
Race Management: This is one of the most well-organized races I've been to. There were port-a-potties as well as brick and mortar bathrooms. The finish area had a lot going on for both participants and spectators - foam rolling/stretching area with chiropractic employees, ice baths, The North Face booth had games for kids, sock brand Repreve was giving away socks to participants and anyone who recycled a water bottle, Gore-Tex had a try-on tent and there was food available ($12) and a beer garden with Sierra Nevada beers (3 on tap to choose from). Fire pits sprinkled the area for people to keep warm and there was a results tent with laptops for runners to check their times. The shirt/bib pick-up tent had a printer who printed the shirts on site. The North Face also has online race guides for each distance with information on the course, aid stations, recommendations, and spectator information. The finish chute has lots of options for food/drink, which is awesome and a departure from the typical water and a banana.
I think this is a wonderful race and provides lots of fun for both runners and spectators. There's a kid's dash that happens a handful of times throughout the weekend and The North Face booth also had a game for kids to win prizes.
Laura recommends this race
(2015)
"A Scary Good Time!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
"Disclaimer: I received a free entry to The Monster Run 5K as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"
Overall: Very fun, Halloween-themed race that is family friendly and fun!
T-Shirt/SWAG: All participants got a t-shirt (lightweight, poly/cotton blend) that had a monster on the front. 5 Milers got a different shirt from the 5Kers. There were fliers for upcoming races done by the same management company with discount codes on them. Also a $5 off $25 at the Chancery (located along the race route). Virtual swag bag included a free glass of wine at The Ruby Tap, 20% off one item at the independent bookstore in Tosa, as well as more race discounts. Medals were given to all finishers in the chute as well as a bottle of water, an apple, and some candy!
Aid Stations: 1 aid station at about mile 1.5 that had water being handed out by costumed volunteers.
Course Scenery: The course starts at Hart Park and runs through Tosa Village and then on Honeycreek Parkway through the neighborhood around that area. Nothing notable to be seen, just lots of houses.
Elevation: For a 5K, there was a decent amount of hills! There were 3 hills with a pretty steady incline and some smaller ones in the neighborhoods that were very gradual but hills nonetheless.
Parking/Access: One very small parking lot is available at Hart Park so most people parked in the neighborhoods and in Honeycreek Parkway. I was running a little late but had no problem finding a street spot right by the start/finish and it was easy to leave once I was done.
Race Management: Vision does a great job managing all their events. Pre-race communication was great; part of the course was going to be in a construction area and they sent an e-mail out the day before letting people know that they would be running on metal slabs that are covering the road so that the participants were aware. The event had a lot of family-oriented activities going on, from pumpkin carving to costume contests to a movie screening after the race was done.
Packet pick-up was offered the day before and the day of the race.
The best part for me were the kids handing out goodies in the finisher's chute. They were all in different costumes and so enthusiastic!
I would definitely recommend this race especially if you have kids that would love to do a run!
Laura recommends this race
(2015)
"First Trail Race"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
There are 4 distances offered: half marathon, 20 mile training run, marathon, and 50K. Medals are given for all distances EXCEPT the 20-mile.
Cost ranged from $50-60 for the half if you registered in advance. Race day registration was $70.
Swag included a goody bag, shirt, and the finisher medal. Non-personalized bibs given to all runners. Packets could be picked up at Performance Running Outfitters in Brookfield on Saturday (the day before) or you could pick up your packet on race morning beginning at 5 am.
The start times were staggered with the longer distances starting beginning at 6 am. The half marathon started at 7:30. The race is timed and bibs have timing chips on the back.
There are 5 aid stations along the course that have water and Sword sports drink. The 2nd aid station at Grant Park had bananas for participants if they wanted one. One thing I have to comment on is that the Sword drink is clear and looks like water; some of the volunteers kept getting them confused. I personally didn't like the taste of Sword and was accidental given it at the last two aid stations by volunteers who thought they were handing out water. I prefer Gatorade at races.
The course is absolutely beautiful. The issue I had is that some of the heavily wooded areas that we ran through, the race path wasn't clearly marked. Some of the mile marker signs had gone missing so unless you had a GPS watch, you weren't really sure where you were. Even some of the course sentries weren't sure.
Some parts of the trail were extremely narrow and we were running single file. There was a lack of course etiquette from some of the longer distance runners in these areas. Something to be aware of.
The distance between the 3rd and 4th aid stations was, in my opinion, too far considering the high temps and the high humidity we encountered the morning of the race. All aid stations had port-a-potties at them, which was nice.
The last three miles of the race are on the Oak Leaf Trail along Lake Drive and there is no shade to be had.
The finish line was somewhat anticlimactic, although there were a fair number of spectators, mostly for people running the 50K and the marathon. Volunteers handed out medals, water, bananas, and cookies.
I would recommend this race, but I also offer these words of advice: look at the course beforehand, come prepared with your own liquids and GPS watch, and make sure you have ways to stay cool! September in Wisconsin is very hit-or-miss regarding the heat, so it's better to be prepared!