Esprit de She events are a great excuse to get your girlfriends out for a run!

There was no packet pickup prior to the race, only day of, but it is quick and easy. Plenty of parking. The race offers a Zumba warm up, which gets your blood flowing. There is a 5k and 10k option. The race is on a Thursday night, which is really odd. This year's race was 92 degrees!!

The course is super flat and boring. It's at the Cubs Stadium/Riverview Park. 5k does one tedious loop around the parking lot and 10kers do 2 tedious loops. There is confusion where the 5k runners finish and the 10k runners keep going. I was almost in a collision. It is pitch dark!

There is no finishers medal, but there is a really nice quality women's tank, swag bag and most importantly, post-race wine and mimosas!

The course didn't seem to be as short as last year. They do offer age group awards 3 deep. Another nice touch - results you can scan with a QR code on your bib, and FREE race photos to download after!

Inaugural races always have their hiccups, this one was no exception. That being said, it was a fun and festive event that I would recommend to others.

I did not hear much about this race - minimal advertising - until my running club was given a discount. I decided it would be fun costume race, and it was a great deal for a half marathon.

I was disappointed that there was only packet pickup the day prior and not day of. I got there to the very small pickup outside the Sports Chalet store. I was expecting a long sleeved tech shirt. I looked up my bib number and was handed that, then a shirt in a bag. The shirt ended up being short sleeve and non tech. Then they basically assembled the rest of my bag in front of me. They threw in safety pins, tattoos, and zip tie for the gear check bag.

This was a point to point race, so we had to take a shuttle bus from the finish area. We boarded in the dark. I was in the front row and I saw the transportation coordinator give a sticky note with directions to the driver. He seemed to be having trouble reading them in the dark. I asked if he needed help and he was grateful. They only had written down "south on Gilbert, West on Riggs" instead of right or left. He had no clue where to go. They need to give their drivers better directions.

Once we got there it was quite chilly. The great thing was that we were handed heat sheets as soon as we got off the bus to stay warm.

As I was talking to my friends, I learned that some people did receive long sleeve tech shirts and some people did receive gloves. They looked nice, I'm disappointed that I didn't get a pair.

The course was all downhill for the most part which was great. All city streets but the first few miles by the mountains were nice to look at. There were plenty of aid stations handing out water, gatorade and gu.

At the finish there was a random assortment of fruit, chocolate milk, apple cider, donuts and pizza.

The medal was the best part. The half marathoners got a medal that has a vampire with a cape that opens. Super cool. Plenty of photo opps on hand at the finish, plus bouncy houses and other kiddie attractions. Definitely a family-friendly event. It was nice to finish right by our cars, that was convenient.

All in all, despite the transportation hiccups and apparently running out of supplies, it was a good first-time event. If they do more fun things along the course next time and iron out their kinds, it does have potential to draw a lot more people. The costumes were a lot of fun and the weather was fantastic.

This race is one of 3 distances offered in beautiful St. Charles, IL along the Fox River. There is also a 20 miler (for those running the Chicago Marathon) and a full marathon.

I registered about 6-7 weeks before the race and the price just for the half was $100! Other than Rock & Roll, I don't know any other race that costs this much. This is the only downside to the event, in my opinion.

There were 2 packet pickup options, one in downtown Chicago a few days prior, and then the main packet pickup near the start line. The expo is TINY, but covered the essentials. I liked that the bib was personalized, and had the QR code to scan for results.

Although St. Charles is a fairly small town, there were plenty of public parking garages open for use. It was pretty easy to navigate from parking to the start line. All 3 race distances started at the same time. There was a wave start that moved quickly.

The first 5 miles of the half were winding around city streets, just teasing us with the view of the water. Plenty of hills in this section. We'd climb up away from the river, then back down, then up, and back. The race offered pace groups. A few sections of the trail narrowed and it got pretty crowded, even 6 miles in. The second half of the course was along the path by the river which was more of what I was expecting.

Lots of water stations, got a nice long sleeve tech shirt and big medal. They do offer additional medals for those who do the race for multiple years in a row.

Interesting post-race food - there was macaroni & cheese, sirloin skewers - they had a BBQ grill going! Lots of snacks.

I would totally do it again (and probably will!)

The race is set mainly along the Fox River, running from St. Charles to Batavia and back.

This is the 2nd race I did in the series this summer. Arizona Road Racers brings out hardcore weekend warriors for their races. The races are always well organized and no-nonsense.

This event took place inside South Mountain Park. Even with at 6:30 AM start, it was still well into the mid 80's. This race had an age-graded start. I was assigned a start time of 6:34:30 based on my age group. The course is a simple out and back course, but it still has it's challenges. It was a steady incline up for the first mile, then a quick dip, then a little more climbing, then the turnaround came. I was waiting for some great downhill experience and it of course was more of a gradual downhill run.

It is typically pretty tough competition for Arizona Road Racers events. I manged to get 4th place out of 22 in my age group, but they certainly gave me a run for my money! The race is very inexpensive - $20 for non ARR members, $15 for ARR members. You need to pay if you want a shirt and there are NO finishers medals :( There are, however, age group awards 3 deep.

Parking is easy, they give you a pass to download, and picking up your bib is a breeze that morning. There is no pickup the day before.

In summary, I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a challenge! It's a tough climb with no bling, but it is good practice and great views! The roads are closed to traffic, so it's just you and the cactus!

Disclaimer: I am a little biased about this race since it is my hometown.

Unless you live in Michigan or grew up there, you have probably never heard of this race. But the fact is, you should put it on your to-do list.

The Crim - named after the founder Bobby Crim - is in its 38th year and is a fabulous gem in the midwest. While Flint has a bad reputation as a dangerous city that has been virtually abandoned by the auto industry, Flint rolls out the red carpet for this race, and gives you quite a challenge and a stellar race experience.

There are many distances for this race, from 1 mile to 10 miles. You can even combine them for a half marathon - 10 miles + 5k. Two medals!

Roughly 15,000 people turn out for this race series - including Kenyans! The race costs around $35 for the 10 mile and includes a tech shirt, personalized bib, medal, post race pizza and beer!

There is an expo for 2 days prior to the race for packet pickup, but I had a friend pick up my packet so I missed it. The race takes place in downtown Flint, starting and ending on its famous brick street. It winds through historic neighborhoods and after the halfway point you are really put to the test with the "Bradley Hills". It's close to a mile of rolling hills, and there is even a special award for those who can complete the hills the fastest. The last several miles are more gradual rolling hills and showcase sprawling mansions with lush landscaping.

There is a ton of community spirit along the way. There are bands, cheer squads, church choirs and much more. At the end you are treated to a post race party with live music, activities for kids, plus all the fun of the beer tent - complete with a custom brew just for this race by Saugatuck Brewing Company. Other post-race treats include a cool wet towel, popsicles, chocolate milk, fruit and granola bars, coffee and donut holes!

There is plenty of parking, and everything is very walkable.

This was my 7th or 8th time doing this race, and it's always a blast. Highly recommended.