Overall this was a pretty good race, and one of the few so early in the season. All I would say, is that if you are a beginner runner and doing this race because the beer at the end sounds cool, think again. The tent is crowded, and usually it is like 25 degrees out. You will be forcing yourself to "enjoy" your post race beverage.

It's been a few years but I really remember liking this race. The novelty of having bands that you run past in 30 seconds is a little silly, but to be honest I really liked it anyway. The race took a nice path through the city and along the lake path. It never really seemed that crowded for a bigger race. The pack split up rather quickly, which was nice.

I don't have the shirt anymore but I remember it sucking. Probably threw it away. Hopefully they have gotten better.

Very smooth race. Crowds were small and the finish line is on the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium. Good to see some 50 yard runs on that field for a change!

The scenery is brutal, as you basically run through a bunch of neighborhoods in Champaign. There are no hills, which may be a pro to some and a con for others. I will say many people in the town were out in their yard cheering runners on and overall it was a very positive vibe.