I ran the 10K and had a fun time. It was a well organized event, and I especially liked that they…read moreeither e-mailed or texted the runners their finish time right after crossing the finish line! I thought it was going to be a pretty small race, but there were a lot more runners than I expected. The race starts near Fish Plaza and you basically run down Memorial Drive and back. You run one loop for the 5K and two for the 10K. Not the most fun route, but it seems to be a common race route for a lot of smaller Houston races for road closure logistics, etc. There is just a slight bit of incline running over the bridge, but it's a flat course otherwise (as is expected in Houston). Post-race party runs true to the name -- plenty to chocolate to go around! It was my first time actually seeing a chocolate fountain in person, and I will shamelessly admit that I was pretty giddy about it ;).

Had a great time!!! Things started on time and were very organized. Looking forward to more!read more

I've run this half marathon just about every year since I moved to Houston, and it's a great race…read more The race occurs every year on the Sunday before Halloween and provides a great warm up option for the Chevron/Aramaco race that occurs in mid-January, known to be the largest sporting event in Houston. The course is pretty flat, making a short loop around downtown before heading out along Allen Parkway and through Memorial Park and back, with only the few rolling hills near Buffalo Bayou park to slow you down. Half marathon runners get the chance to pass through the new Memorial Park tunnels which is a lot of fun. The race also offers a 10K option but these runners turn around at the end of Allen Parkway, missing Memorial Park and the tunnels. This race is also nice as the price is fairly low and includes free race day photos. Score! Having done the race several times, I will say that personally, I feel like I like it a little less since UTHealth has taken over as sponsor. The packet pickup now occurs at their Bellaire clinic and promotes a number of their health screening services. Don't get me wrong, I am all about preventive screening and public health, however I really enjoy packet pick ups as an avenue to check out running vendors to score some fun apparel and accessories. This is no longer offered with UTHealth. It feels very much like an advertising event for their health services. This year too their race day website went down for several hours the night before the race, when everyone wants to review the participant guide. They also promote live tracking, which I signed up to receive notification alerts at significant milestones, however there were no time clocks displayed on the course itself. Most runners have a sports watch or tracking app, however this was a little disappointing. Overall, I'm definitely going to continue to run this race but am a little disappointed with the new race sponsor.

Get your roll on, errybody errybody get your roll on.... And keep rollin, for 10k, 13.1 miles, or a…read morefull 26.2 miles with thousands of your closest townsfolk. Whether you're running, or volunteering it's for a great cause. It's quite a sight to see so many people as one, working towards a common goal (the finish line). As a runner, you not only get to traverse your favorite city in the great nation of Texas by foot, but you also get a chance to wait in line for port-a-potties spread throughout the course. The most common situation being the need to pee as soon as the race starts. The further out you can run at the beginning, the shorter the lines. After running there's a tent city waiting to welcome you with free foods, drinks and the best offers that expensive services and companies will give you. For those who start off in warm up clothing, and shed it as the race goes on, all clothing gets donated. So that's pretty cool. As a volunteer, you get a front row seat in a number of different areas, providing various services to runners and the community. Watching for traffic, cleaning up litter and clothing, offering runners water and other items, or other services provided by the race staff. Volunteers get shirts, and swag, as well as a jacket (which I didn't get because it was never delivered in my size. AHEM....a wee bit butt-hurt still. Our group BON Running Club, had a volunteer after party at Little Woodrow's. We're pretty awesome. For Health, Charity, personal goals, or because you're bored, the marathon is something you have to be in, to understand and enjoy. Yes, the idea of running in a giant circle when you life isn't in jeopardy seems a little much to some. However, it's good practice for when the inevitable zombie apocalypse begins, or our alien overlords arrive to establish dominance. Just do it the once so you know you can. Then you know you don't have to fear zombies with 5 mph speed limit.

Wow. To hell with Chicago, they should call Houston the windy city because I was totally BLOWN…read moreAWAY by how awesome this race was. I feel so lucky I got in as part of a team and I would recommend this race without hesitation to anybody. I ran the half this year (Jan 2013) and to say that the weather at the start was not optimal is an understatement. Rainy, windy and cold, I was thinking this race would be craptacular beyond compare. I was wrong...even with the weather this was one of the most fun half marathons I've ever run (and this was # 32 for me). Highlights: Communication from the race was consistently relevant, timely and informative. I never felt spammed. The Expo was great and bib/shirt pickup was a breeze. The start was one of the best...scratch that, I'm kicking it up a notch, the start was the best organized of any race I've ever run, and that includes races in NYC, Miami, Pittsburgh, Chicago and San Diego. The way they fed people into the correct corral was excellent. The volunteers were AMAZE-BALLS! So well organized, spaced well, helpful, friendly and supportive, I can't say enough. The spectators were EXCEPTIONAL! My friends from Houston were afraid there wouldn't be that many people out because who wants to stand in a cold rain, with wind, for hours. Well apparently tens of thousands of Houstonians do because all along the course there was terrific support. Running through the Heights was very fun. The crowd really helped keep the mood upbeat and spirits high. I felt like a superstar running through the puddles and the supporters are the reason why. Thank you so much, Houston. The after race was well organized and efficient. I just wish the weather had been nicer so there could have been a celebration on Discovery Green, but that's not the race's fault. I'm used to lottery systems because a lot of the races in NYC have them...that's the price you pay for having a popular race. I hope I'm lucky enough to get in next year. Houston Marathon organizers, you do a great job. Keep up the good work. Hope to see you in 2014!

Who doesn't enjoy looking like a rainbow vomited all over you after running 3.2 miles of…read moreawesomeness? This was probably one of the most fun 5k runs I have participated in thus far. In fact I'm pretty sure its fun for not only the run participants but also those that volunteer to make sure your covered in color by the time you cross the finish line. It's a great event for all ages and for every level of runner/walker. As you trek along adding those miles on to your sneakers you reach "color" check points where volunteers are armed with bottles of colored powder awaiting the human canvases that are about to pass through. "Get out and move and be healthy all while supporting great causes!"

Throwing dyed cornstarch at people who are trying to breathe is not just moronic, it's UNHEALTHY…read more Cornstarch is used by this for-profit company as a vehicle for dyes that are thrown at participants. The idea is a good one, but the method is not healthy, particularly for children and people with asthma. A closer look at this company's reveals there is some hazard to being pelted with a fine solid dust while you try to breathe. Take a hint from the band GWAR, who have been showering the public with safe dyes for years: add some water to avoid airborne particulate matter from entering folks' respiratory systems!

I was a bit skeptical about this race because of all the bad reviews from last year but it actually…read moreturned out well. The race course went through different areas which kept the views interesting and the medals this year were cute. However, I would caution those who have a bad ankle because part of the course is a bit hilly which can cause injury. They took out a water station in the middle so they were just on either end which meant that there was only water every 1.75ish miles. There was plenty of water and the volunteers were very sweet. What was a bit annoying, even though it wasn't their fault, was that the portable restrooms were delivered late and only 5 of them were delivered. This caused a long line and made the race delay by 20 mins so everyone had time to use them. The other ones came after the race started. There was plenty of snacks but they ran out of hot chocolate. This race had 1000+ participants I am taking one star away since they didn't give out tshirt as until the day of and because specifics of bib pick up weren't told until 2 weeks before the race.

A very well executed and organized race this year! The sponsors were well organized and friendly,…read morethe race administrators made sure everyone was staged in time for the gun. I was a bit surprised that they started the 6kers after the 12k, so that the whole race was a game of dodge-the-slow-12kers. However it was effective in getting everyone finished in a limited amount of time. And best of all, medals for all! And snacks for all!

What better way to build up an appetite for thanksgiving day feast? This is a great fun and…read moreexciting run. I am shocked at how crowded this thing gets! But people wake up early, dress up and run a 5K. The sponsors usually come packed and it makes it a sight to see thousands of runners with turkey heads in the streets near the galleria.

2014 was my first year running in the Turkey Trot near the Galleria, and it was quite an…read moreexperience! They offer both a 5k and 10k race option, so depending on your level of experience you can race whatever works best. There are also wheelchair and kids specific races happening, so bring out the whole family! The course wound through the Galleria area, and the weather was perfect for running. As a first timer, I thought the instructions were a bit vague and I wish there had been a little more structure to the begining/pre-race activities. There were lots of people running in a group dressed in costumes, so if you have a couple of crazy friends grab them, get creative with the costumes, and have some fun running before stuffing yourself full of turkey later that day. Post-race activities include a few snacks for runners, photo opportunities, games and inflatable slides/obsticle courses, and a lot of great vendors to visit and get free swag. Yelp was one of hte race sponsors, and they had a booth where you could get yelp branded merch as well. Fun!

I was told about this run from a fellow yelper Zain R, and I was able to convince couple of other…read moreyelpies to join us, thus forming the team "Agony of De Feet". Mike M and Catheryn S were the other team members. We met at Zain's place and took an uber lift to the med center where the run was taking place. It had sprinkled in the morning, and so the roads were still damp and grass was wet. It was also somewhat of a cold morning too. We did a quick 5 min stretch, participated in the national anthem, and started the run. Since this was a nice sized crowd, we started at the back end of the crowd, giving all others to start before us. The lane was very narrow and being a wet ground, I wanted to avoid any slips/fall/injury. The first couple of minutes, I kept pace with my fellow team members, and then took my long strides and disappeared with the crowd. There was plenty of law officers directing traffic and ensuring safety of the runners. I was dashing on the side curb, avoiding running on the lane and bypassing people. There were volunteers passing out water through out the course and also at the finish line. Once I got to the finish line, it was about 15 extra minutes before the rest of my team members showed up. We all got water and took a few selfies together. We then went next door to the tents where there was some snacks to nibble on and replenish your energy. I plan on running next year at this event.

This is a 2015 update from my below post (be sure to read that for all the details. I don't want to…read morerepeat). I downgraded one star (from four stars to three stars) this year based upon some changes in the race organization. In particular, packet pick up required before the race. For those of us that live out of town, it is near impossible (and certainly not desirable) to trek downtown on a weekday to pick up a race packet. This after paying $30 or more to run. I highly recommend expanding the volunteer workforce on the morning of the race OR even offering mailed packets. I would pay $5 to not spend 2 hours driving in and out of town, finding parking, etc. This year I was on vacation during packet pick up and despite stating there were no race day pickup (and no exceptions), they were able to pass them out (and I was appreciative, but this was still a hassle). If you read my review last year, there were issues with race day pickup, but this wasn't a good fix. Also disappointed that Live Oak brewery wasn't out, instead they had some beer, but a one 8 oz can limit per runner. I know sponsorships are a two way street so this had no bearing on my star rating, but not as good. Also, change in parking, they used to offer free parking in a nearby garage, now you have to pay to park on race day (as a regular visitor to the hospital). We were early and found some free street parking, but this is another step back this year. Also a bit of a downer, no team competition this year. Neutral things: The route changed from previous year, but was more or less the same roads. Awards for age groups were not announced at the event and will be mailed, again, since I didn't win, this wasn't a big deal, might be for some. Overall Men's and Women's, overall and Masters Top 3 were announced with awards passed out. On the positive side, the pre-race tents and post-race party were MUCH better location (right near the start/finish). It was also on pavement instead of grass, leading to much less mud due to rains and lack of evaporation prevalent this time of year. Also YELP HAD A TENT THERE!!!! Thanks to Rosa and Christine for coming out with lots of SWAG. I hope they consider tents in future years, I saw a lot of people stopping by and checking in to the event due to their presence. GOOD MOVE YELP!!!! I may or may not do the race next year, depends on the packet pick up situation.

This is Houston's version of the amazing race! It's a lot of fun as you get to travel through…read moredowntown in search of clues. Along the way there are challenges you must accomplish to take your required pictures. The clues teach you about Houston and you get to see areas of downtown you might not normally visited. Teams are encouraged to dress in costume and it's a blast to see all these people running around the streets of downtown.