WHAT WAS AWESOME ABOUT THIS RACE?
Especially since they moved the finish line from the sideline on the 50 yard line to right smack dab in the middle of the field, the finish line for the Soldier Field 10 Mile is by far the coolest finish line I will run all year. The jumbotrons and ribbon boards are fired up just like they would be for gameday. An extra bonus was thanks to the NATO Summit. This was most football-oriented the field has looked ever. There were some runnings where Soldier Field was prepared for a soccer friendly to be played later in the day.

WHAT WASN'T SO AWESOME ABOUT THIS RACE?
Have you ever felt like you were listened to TOO much? This was the case we found ourselves in on Saturday. In order to keep foot traffic from backing up in certain areas and keep people out of areas, there were a lot of fences preventing us from moving freely from one area to another. For example, we wanted to go to the bathroom, so we entered one door. We found out that we were in the fenced in runner's only area where we would later be fenced in afterwards to pick up our fuel bags, medals, gear check bags, and blankets. We had to leave the stadium, go over six gates, and then back into the stadium to use the bathroom. This is probably exactly what I wanted, but sometimes when you have time, I just want to wander. They controlled us so much that we couldn't wander. As you can tell, I really had to stretch to complain.

For more, check out my blog entry: http://tkmarathonman.blogspot.com/2012/05/race-report-fleet-feet-sports-soldier.html

WHAT WAS AWESOME?

I love the course. It's less than a mile, but running down State Street always gives me a thrill. There are just so many things that are on State Street that I almost forget that Sinatra had a point street when he calls State Street "that great street." The other great thing was the post-race party shocking enough. I'm sure there were still a fair share of fake drunks stumbling down, but the great thing races have started to do in that area is use the Buckingham Fountain area for events like this. The beer tent, band stage, and sponsor tents were all in this area for people to visit and celebrate their accomplishments. It didn't hurt that it was an absolutely gorgeous day.

WHAT WASN'T SO AWESOME?

20 minutes to get my gear check bag. Twenty. 2-0. For my bag. I'd like to say that it was because of the flimsy bags they make us use instead of using our own bags with distinct characteristics that could use to help find their said items. That would be a dick thing to say, even though it's right. In other news, race organizers should probably know that the Shamrock Shuffle is a St. Patrick's Day themed race. I know we all have a bunch of green shirts, but this?

For more, check out my blog entry: http://tkmarathonman.blogspot.com/2012/03/race-report-2012-bank-of-america.html

WHAT WAS AWESOME?
I still like how grassroots this race feels every time I do it. The race is $20. The t-shirts are cotton and the colors scream closeout prices. No big DJs, no big cash rewards, no medals,no anything. It's people who want to run for fun, but with enough competitive spirit to push you up the hills. By placing in my age group, I received a cool steel water bottle and because of the warm weather, the clubhouse was open for a post-race Spotted Cow and sandwich.

WHAT WASN'T SO AWESOME?
The timing system isn't a brand name. Therefore, I can't be too shocked when the timing is off a little bit. The first printout had me winning the race in 1:18:35. I knew that wasn't right, and I informed the great people at inCompetition of the error and went on my merry way. When I looked at the time posted on their Web site, I was shocked to see 1:19:01. With no clocks on the course, the only clock I saw was at the finish line, and I saw it click over to 1:18. That's very frustrating, but then again, maybe I just read the clock wrong as well. Without wearing a watch, I can't really prove it.

For more on this race, check out my blog entry: http://tkmarathonman.blogspot.com/2012/04/race-report-dick-lytie-spring-classic.html

WHAT WAS AWESOME: Midwest Sports Events gives you some awesome stuff when you finish their races. I've run both the Noodleni and this race and the sponsor always comes through. In this case, we all waited in line for our Seroogy's Chocolate Bar and our Valentine-themed cheese. The food line consisted of two kinds of chocolate, hot chocolate, bagels, and huge chocolate chip cookies. Like I said, the original Hot Chocolate Run is in De Pere, Wisconsin. The age group awards were pretty nice too. They've done trophies in the past, including an extremely weird vase thing last. All things considered, the coffee mug was a nice token from the day.

WHAT WASN'T SO AWESOME: I know a lot of runners ask for tech shirts now from their races, but this isn't one of those races where I require a tech shirt. The logo was great and fit the theme of the race. I just like getting a cotton shirt every now and then. This is also one of the races where you get a handful of serious runners and then a whole lot that the Seroogy's Run is their run of the year. A tech shirt isn't exactly a necessity

For more, check out my blog entry: http://tkmarathonman.blogspot.com/2012/02/race-report-seroogys-valentines-day-run.html

This is a bucket list marathon for anybody interested in running marathons in this country. It's just as big as everyone has probably told you and/or looks like on TV. Everything is super-sized, so if you like crowds you might want to look elsewhere in New York state if you're looking to scratch NY off your map. The expo was huge, but plenty of room to move around still and our swag bags were full of actually useful things, including our very cool looking longsleeve tech shirt. Race day is a little cumbersome because of logistics, but it was nice to start our day on a boat going towards Staten Island. The organizers have it down to a science, so they only thing that makes it slow are the 50k people around. The course did a good job of taking you through the boroughs and while you hit some highlights, runners should look to borough specific races if they want to see Yankee Stadium, Times Square, etc. The finish line area was a bit of a bummer because I would loved to hang around Central Park more, but they give you a huge bag full of food to keep you moving. It was advertised and if it wasn't for the price, I would be sure to go back.