I ran this race both in 2013 and 2014. While in 2013, there had been some fresh snow and it wasn't cleared off very well, I decided to return in 2014 with the persuasion of a friend.

As it's a "hometown" race, it's a shame to leave 1 star, but I need to be honest and unbiased. The registration cost is only $30, so that's very reasonable. The course is also downtown Appleton starting on College Ave, which is also a nice touch and you can hang out in the Paper Valley hotel beforehand to stay warm. Here's where it turns poor though. My friend and I went out for a warm-up run - we both know the area well so we ventured a bit north and east coming back through the Lawrence campus. Coming back down College, we could hear the national anthem on the loud speaker, which was a bit odd (it was only 7:52 am and a posted 8:00 am start time). We assumed there must be some announcements coming as we hustled the best we could through the crowd. Nope...national anthem finished at 7:55, followed by a 10 second countdown to the start. First time I've ever seen a race start 5 min early - not cool.

Appleton had gotten quite a bit of snow in the previous week and a light dusting the night of the race. However, the roads were not as clear as what you would expect. If you were running on the crown of the road, maybe you were good. But the sides still had a bunch of packed snow...especially around corners, which makes it difficult and more dangerous than it needs to be for running the tangent. To me, it seemed like they had run a pull down the center one time and called it good. It wasn't awful, just something that you'd expect to be done better given the size of the race.

Run at your own discretion - I'd advise keeping your warmup in front of the start corral and be ready for the course not to be cleared all that well.

This course runs the length of the Canal from McClain State Park to Hancock. There is also a half marathon and 5 mile distance, but the 10 mile is by far the most prestigious. Given that it's a small race, if you're a moderately serious runner, you'll be towards the front, but there were still several others to battle it out with.

The views are stunning as you roll up and down the 2 lane road. The road is not blocked off to vehicle traffic, but it is fairly minimal. Aid stations were convenient, but they could have two separate tables spaced further apart for the water and powerade. Also the 1 mile mark was measured at 1.1 miles, which was a bit frustrating, but the overall course length ended up being accurate.

There is a long, significant uphill that brings you into Hancock, so be mentally prepared. The last .5 mile is a downhill finish.

Parking was a breeze and there is also a shuttle option to the start. Packet included a decent shirt that I'll sport around town here and a sample GU. The age group award medals are hand made (copper) and one of the coolest I've ever won. Start line area could use some jams blasting, but other than that a perfectly run race!

This was my 3rd year running the Riverbank. We have friends in the Grand Rapids area and the GR also happens to have a great microbrew (Founders, Brewery Vivant, GRBC, etc.) scene that plays perfectly with this Saturday race. Registration is very cheap if you get it early. Expo is relatively small, but nice open area and venue with easy parking. Parking in the morning is also relatively pain-free - the 5/10k start first, so take that into consideration on your arrival time.

The course is one of my favorites - you follow the river down and back up. Once you get past the water treatment plant and strip club (not joking), you get onto a small access road that is mostly shaded and slightly downhill/flat. The bridge to cross the river gives you something to look forward to and has quite a few fans. There are a few hills in the later miles before making your way around a park and into downtown for the finish. Post race usually has pretty decent food too.

I didn't have a great performance this last year, but if the weather cooperates, there's no reason you can't throw down a good time on this course to give a bit of a confidence boost going into the racing reason.

Simply, there's A LOT of things to dislike about this race:
-super crowded
-multiple hairpin turns
-what is a 3.5 mile race distance?
-lower wacker drive (hot & no GPS signal)
-mile marker placement is suspect
-race shirts are sized big

BUT!!! How many other times a year do you get to hangout with your coworkers and run a race downtown followed by food and beer?! For me, this is the only time, plus most companies cover the registration fee and provide a team shirt. I'll be back every year - no questions asked. Final note is that I've run it the past 3 years and the logistics have improved every year, even if only a small amount. It would be awesome if they could get the course a bit nicer, but that would be tough with Thursday evening traffic. Also the double-backs and hairpins are beneficial in the sense that you can keep an eye open for other team members.