This was the biggest race I had run in ever. 40k plus people, crazy 75 degree weather in early spring. This was an amazing experience! The course was fun and easy to maneuver. Expect a pretty congested route due to the sheer number of people participating. The post race takes over the park around the fountain for hours. It's probably a little too much fun for 9 in the morning! Check out this race - it's crazy enjoyable!

The actual course for this 5k is pretty. It winds through Bucktown and Wicker Park. It gets very congested though. The streets seem very narrow and the sharp turn right at the end completely cuts your ability to sprint to the finish (it's a 90 degree corner). The corral management system is not fluid and the seeding is not very clear. I believe there were two corrals (A and B) and one giant Open corral. It puts too many people of varying fitness levels in the same area which can be dangerous for everyone. I have not races this since that year. Hopefully some measures have been taken to improve this race. It could be a good one still!

This was my first half marathon and hrs biggest race to date. RnR did a great job of setting up a fast course with plenty of spectator spots and entertainment along the course. Most of the course mimics other downtown races with the exception of heading south towards Bronzeville near the last leg. It was a good race but nothing stands out now when I look back on if. Be careful with this race. It's usually late Sept/early Aug so despite the early start time 6:30) it could still get crazy hot. I wouldn't recommend this race to others just because there's so many other interesting half marathons in the city; this one just doesn't have anything extra to make me want to run it again.

I fee like this race unofficially took me from someone with a running hobby to someone with a passion. My longest race up to that point was a 5k and I had never run longer than 8 miles. This really changed my perspective on what I could do and how much I could push myself. I'll always run this one for the actual race, but it will remain a favorite for these other reasons as well.

This has become my annual spring time race. 2011 was my first race ever so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Ravenswood is so well managed and organized. Self-seeded corrals work great for 5ks. The course never feels overloaded. It benefits a great cause. Please please do this race. The support has just gotten better and better over the years!