This race could not get any better! There are so many things to RAVE about that I don't know where to begin. Packet pick up is always a breeze, it helps that the Fleet Feet geniuses spread the pickup over a full week so its never been mass chaos trying to pick up the packet. The shirt this year is spot on, lightweight and adorable, plus the fit is better for the ladies.

On to the race itself.....so organized and controlled, other races should only hope to model themselves after the 10miler. I only had to wait all of 4 minutes to cross the start line and let it be known that I am not elite nor was I in the purple corral. All the aid stations are set up beautifully, easy in and out (assumung no other runners get in your way :) ). The course is a down and back on the gorgeous lakefront so I of course made sure to soak up the view as much as possible.

This is my second time around with this race and my plan is to do it every year. Excellent job Fleet Feet!

The commmunication leading up to the race was excellent, on race day it was a different story. Race organizers had their hands full with the chaos that ensued on the trail courtesy of mother nature, but there could have been more communication on race day. It was unclear where all the runners were to congregate while waiting for their chance to enter the corrals, as well as the race course itself......there were a few areas where you thought it might be fine to stand while waiting for your race to start but alas no, apparently we (50 plus people) were standing in a completely unmarked part of the course and were told to move so runners could move through. Ummmm....I guess they wanted us to stand in the snow. Usually Team Ortho races are great with communication and organization so I really think they had more than their fair share of problems to deal with due to the weather.

The expo was great, in and out quickly and they had cute swag for their St. Patrick's Day race. The Swag, ah the swag!! Team Ortho always has gret swag for their races. For the Polar Dash runners received an cute, long sleeved fleece with thumb holes as well as an adorable penquin hat to wear all winter.

I detest running in the cold and being miserable, I have made my peace with the treadmill and am fine running 10 miles on ole faithful all winter so I would'nt sign up for this race again by myself. If friends wanted to sign up again, like they did this year, I would totally do it again.

Such a fun 5k to do with friends whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner looking to best your 5k time. The course was down and back on the lakefront trail, no surprises there. Experienced runners be warned there are quite a lot of participants in this race that are novices so race etiquette wasn't really prevalent......that and you DON'T receive a time chip so bring your GPS watches!

The genius part of this race other than Da Coach starting off every wave was that when you signed up, you signed up for a specific start time......9am, 10am, 11am, or Noon. I thought this was a genius idea!!! You weren't standing waiting for FOREVER to cross the start line and it made the post race party that much more enjoyable. It was easy to find people at the race party and there was plenty of space and BEER.

Swag bag- a pretty decent pair of aviator sunglasses, 2 mustaches ( a must wear for the race), and a cute shirt. My only complaint here is that I wish the shirts were gender specific. I received the basic tshirt, but when you sign up you can pay more to receive a dri-fit shirt instead,

Definitely a run I would do again should my less experienced runner friends want to give it a go!

While the race is titled Women Rock, Men can indeed run this as well.

The expo was easy in and out, which I loved, my only gripe here is that some of the people working the expo seemed a bit lost when runners asked them questions as "stations" weren't clearly labeled. The swag is Fabulous!!! The running jacket is sleek and good quality, with the thumb holes in the sleeves! The course was flat and fast, but then again what course in Chicago isn't flat :)

Post race party is a blast and not too terribly crowded. They serve champagne

What a HUGE change of pace from racing in Chicago! A welcome change as its nice to switch it up from time to time.
You can park right at the start line basically so there is no need for a gear check. I cannot speak to the Expo quality as I was fortunate enough to have a friend grab mine for me. The race t-shirt was only ok, the BRIGHT neon yellow was off putting but then the graphic on the shirt made it worse. That being said if was of great quality, a Brooks wicking shirt so I really cannot complain.

This is a trail half marathon, so its important to be prepared for that.......I must have glazed over that fact and ran it in my Nike frees, which worked but is obviously not the best shoe choice for a trail race. The scenery is gorgeous and peaceful, in and out of Forest Preserves, running near water it doesn't get better. I do think the race organizers could have done a MUCH better job of walking the course. Having someone walk the course and use neon spray paint to further highlight somewhat hidden tree roots, logs, and rocks would have been very helpful. I had to run with my head down the entire race to make sure I wouldn't trip over anything.

The "finish line" was a real problem area for me. You are made to run through a very narrow corral, essentially running single file, as you cross the finish line where someone more or less expects you to stop so they can pull a tag off your bin to record your finish and time. HATED this! No one wants to stop dead as they cross the finish line. Maybe, being that this was the first time I ran the race, I had it wrong and didnt need to stop dead, but nonetheless I hated it.

There are spectators around the course, where they can be, cheering everyone on happily which was nice to see since it's not a course set up for spectating. I would do this race again though as I have a friend in the area who runs it with me. It really is a treat to run a more relaxed half marathon as oppposed to always doing city races.

We didnt have the best weather this year, it was chilly and rather windy with some rain at the start so we didn't stay long at the post race party. The post race party had food provided by Red Lobster and libations courtesy of Carlyle Brewery and Rockford area fav!