This was my first time running the Shamrock Shuffle and thought it was a great experience despite the weathers effort to make it otherwise. The expo was pretty typical of a race with a large field. I was really surprised/happy with the 'swag' provided this year after seeing what the shirts looked like last year. They provided green athletic shirts with a clover and the skyline in the background. You also got a green stretchy neck cover thing, have no idea what they're called but have always wanted one.

The race was really well organized and brought out quality runners per usual. There were an abundance of bathrooms which you can never have too many of at events like this. The course was a fun route through the loop and river north and finished along Columbus Dr. The medals also had a beer opener incorporated in it which was a nice touch.

Overall a great experience and look forward to doing it again. You never know what kind of weather to expect in Chicago in March so it should keep the race interesting years to come.

I thought this was a well put together race. The first 6 miles are exactly what you would want (with a few more turns added). Running through the loop within the buildings is a fun experience and can get those who have run the Chicago Marathon before excited for the October race. The second half isn't nearly exciting however the fewer turns is nice, it allows you to get in a better groove. The race starts a little early, 6:30, but is necessary since it is in mid/late July.

Unfortunately the first have stages at every mile didn't have bands, a signature for a Rock N Roll event. Apparently the city of Chicago wouldn't let them play in certain areas which is too bad. The jugglers and stilt walkers that replaced the bands at these locations tried hard but weren't able to 'stand-up' to the entertainment a band would have provided. The only other thing that was surprising to me was that the half marathon and 5k finished together. This was less then ideal because the faster half marathon runners were finishing along with the walk/joggers in the 5k and things got a bit congested.

Overall it was a fun race. Expo was great, so many vendors, and the shirt and medal were really cool. I would recommend this race, it is fun to run down the streets of Chicago and it is a good way to get excited about the marathon in a few short months, just be sure to keep hydrated!

This race was an awesome experience. The half marathon is entirely along the pacific coast highway in Malibu. It would be difficult to find a race with better scenery. You have the Pacific Ocean on one side and rolling hills on the other. The finish line is the parking lot for Zuma beach, where they shot the tv show Baywatch. Instead of a race shirt they give you a medal and race towel when you finish so you can go straight into the ocean. The race has 3 pretty sizable hills that keep things interesting. There is also a full marathon and 'SUPathlon' which combines running and paddle boarding.

This is an awesome race through downtown Tempe that celebrates one of ASU's greatest Pat Tillman. This is a 4.2 mile run to honor Pat Tillman, an NFL football player who decided to put his career on hold to serve his country following 9/11. He was tragically killed while serving in Afghanistan. This 4.2 mile race starts next to ASU sun devil stadium, loops around Tempe Town Lake and ends in Sun Devil Stadium on the 42 yard line. Pat's number, 42, is present throughout the whole event. The event brings 30,000 runners out every April for a great race. There is usually a wide range of participants from those running 5:00 pace to walkers. I highly recommend this race, it is a great experience for a great cause and just before it gets too hot out there in AZ.

This is what I imagine a standard Rock N Roll event would be like. A band at every mile and fairly well run. The half is much more popular then the full. I ran the full marathon, it's starts downtown Phoenix near U.S. Airways and heads over into Scottsdale before finishing in downtown Tempe. The course isn't all that exciting but the background of the mountains provide a cool backdrop and it has a fun finish down Rio Salado Dr. The best part of the race is the timing. The race is in mid January when the weather is great for long distance racing. Also the light rail provides an easy way to get to and from the start/finish.