The Rockdale Ramblin' Run 10K is organized by the Joliet Park District as part of the Run3 Series,…read morewhich includes the Sundowner 5K and the Red Eye 8K. Ramblin' Run winds through the paved, hilly streets of Rockdale and Joliet. It is considered "the Toughest 10K in the Midwest" and was quite popular in the 70's and 80's. A 5K option is also available, but is not part of the Run3 Series. I thoroughly enjoyed the run. I did the 5K version of it and found it to be pretty challenging with the steep inclines, but nothing anyone with a little bit of running experience and in decent cardio shape couldn't handle. The nice thing about being in the smaller race was that there were only 102 people who raced, so it left the course clear and easy to navigate. It allowed me to take in the scenery instead of having to worry about weaving through a crowd of runners or being in someone's way. The course is USATF/CARA Certified with time being marked at each mile and at the finish-line. Water was handed out somewhere around 1.5 and 2.5 miles. They also have a number of cops to regulate traffic and medical teams in case of emergency. At the finish-line volunteers handed out bananas, water and super sweet dog tags with Rockdale Ramblin' Run 2011 engraved on them. I wish more races would do this. The after-party was held in a small tent near the finish-line. Michelob was one of the sponsors and they handed out samples of their new fruity beers and cans of their lite beer. A local restaurant provided pastries and bagels. They had a raffle for the school and drawings for prizes. Everyone was super friendly and complete strangers would strike up a conversation. You can tell this town is proud of their race. I recommend it to everyone and it is definitely worth the drive!

This is a fantastic small town race. Might be one of my favorite races ever. It's affordable (I…read morethink $35?), and you get a hoodie, which is a nice change of pace from the usual short sleeve shirt. The course is hilly - but this race is billed as "the toughest 10K in the Midwest," so hills are expected. I thought the course was a nice tour through Rockdale - through residential and park areas, under the expressway, up and down hills. The course never felt crowded. Post-race, you get a little finishers medal - a dog tag, which was nice and unexpected for a shorter distance race. Overall, I think this race is very well done and a great deal for the price. I definitely recommend it.

2011 was another great year. The trail is just as gorgeous as ever and parking was a breeze. I…read moreshowed up 40 minutes early, parked, picked up my packet and got to racing. TMI, but I made the mistake of eating really spicy Indian food the night before and got sick. I was so thankful for the Porta Potty at the 1/2 mile mark. Wish there had been more along the trail or at least one near the finish line. They had ample toilets at the end of the event area, but when I went to use them I felt little desire to walk all the way back to the festivities. Their toilets were still in better condition than most race events'. So why the star downgrade? A couple reasons - Packet pick up was organized alphabetically, but from right to left instead of left to right. I got in line where I thought A might be, but it turned out I was over by Z and had to get back in line on the other side. This annoyance was offset by the chuckle I got from the handwritten MEDIAM on one of the shirt boxes. But the real reason I'm a little pouty today? I ordered (and paid for) a Medium shirt. Medium was written in my registration and on my bib. The woman checking me off even told the guy grabbing the shirts that I needed a "Mediam." So you can imagine my disappointment as I pull out my much anticipated Zorrel running shirt and discover it's an XL.

The Morton Arboretum holds an annual 5K through its grounds every year and I did it, for the first…read moretime, today. As I arrived and later ran, I realized I had never been to the Morton Arboretum before. It is beautiful! The 5K was really great. I would say, my only complaint, is that they should consider having waves or corrals next year. Everyone was released to run at once, which made the path a bit crowded, especially in mile 1. This didn't really bother me because my goal was to take my time and really soak in the surroundings. I do many 5Ks, many of which are on city streets or along the lakefront. -So to do one on such pretty grounds (sort of an open field alternating with a forest vibe), it was really cool. You leave the city of Chicago and you really feel like you are in a whole 'nother world! My other feedback is that I was hoping to see the vibrant hues of the leaves changing for fall (since it is called the Fall Color Run). Everything was still lush and green! -Not sure if it would be better to hold it later in the year? It's a tough call -the weather was perfect today -it was mild (60) and overcast so it made for great running weather. Maybe having it later when the leaves change would lead to much cooler temps? Not sure, but it's food for thought. I'm glad I did it, either way, as it was a really nice event overall. Nice people, well organized and a whole "festival" vibe afterward with many vendors, food and a live band (Soda -a local cover band). Regardless of the leaf color, I will be back for the beautiful, serene run next year!

Did this race for the first time today. Super unique and very picturesque -all grass terrain and…read moreseveral hills thrown in for an extra challege!! Located on the Mount Assisi Academy property, where the nuns live. Proceeds benefit the nuns who do charitable community work. Great race: community oriented / family feel, friendly people, and YES the sisters take part as runners and walkers!!!

My son ventured into running longer distances this year and this was his first official half…read moremarathon. As a loving and supportive dad, I made plans to be in town to cheer him on and somewhere between deciding to be there and actually arriving, I along with six of his friends were talked into running the 5K as our way of supporting him. Packet Pickup was at Navy Pier (on the Friday and Saturday before the Sunday morning run) and was well organized. The official packet consisted of a the bib and shirt (short sleeve shirt for the 5K and long sleeve for the half marathon). There were lots of vendors present giving out items, demonstrating products, etc. Overall, it was one of the nicer packet pickups that I've experienced. The official run starts and ends in Jackson Park and getting into the area on race day can be a bit of a hassle. If driving to the area, I recommend doing the VIP package as it includes parking in a lot that is a couple of blocks from the start area. Otherwise, you will be on your own to find parking. The option is to do like we did and take an Uber/Lyft and get dropped as close as possible to the start area. Bag drop-off and pickup was well organized as they had plenty of people working to ensure the wait was minimal. That area also contained many vendors and plenty of porta-potties along with several props for picture taking. Both the half marathon and the 5K start Jackson Park, heading south and ending up on Lake Shore Drive where both runs head north towards downtown and loop back returning to Jackson Park. There were plenty of water stations along way along with numerous spectators cheering everyone on. Upon arriving the finish area there are plenty of people passing out bottles of water, Gatorade and fruit. Post race activities included 'free' food and a beverage of choice. The food quality wasn't the best but after finishing a run it hit the spot. There was a band playing in the area which contributed to the festive, celebratory atmosphere. A big shout-out to Lifetime Fitness (official host of the run) and all the other vendors and volunteers who helped make this a success. Overall, it was a well executed run, and I would definitely participate again...5K only.

I would definitely run this again, and would like to do the Windy City Challenge next year!…read more The packet pickup was quick and easy at Navy Pier, so it was fun to make a day of it plus get discounted parking. It's nice to visit the touristy spots every now and again. We were dropped off by friends familiar with the Southside so that was also easy. The weather for 2013 was warm and muggy but overall not bad. They weren't regulating corrals - if that makes a difference to anyone. I started too far forward and for the first 6 miles EVERYONE was passing me. It was nice to see after the turn around and heading back southbound on Lake Shore that I wasn't last like I believed I was! There was a fair amount of spectators but it DID fall on the same day as the first Regular Season game for the Bears. I suppose we were competing for attention. Best part? Lou Malnati's at the end! Hit the spot! Maybe we finished early enough that things didn't run out. Personally I was pleased with this entire event. Awesome volunteers!

Ears frozen, noses dripping, hands blue…read more Smal price to pay for hot cocoa and sinfully fudgey brownies after a 3.1 mile run through Danada's Forest Preserve. This race is sponsored by Dick Pond's, an amazing local business fitting suburban runners with the right kicks. My husband and I frequent the St. Charles location when we're looking for individualized attention for new running shoes & to pick up our favorite Balega socks. On one of those trips is when I happend to pick up the flier for the Cocoa 5K. Perfect for us since my husband hates driving so early all the way into the city for races and also since we'd be out of town for this year's Hot Chocolate 5K. This race is a great alternative for suburban dwellers not willing to make the trek to the city. Stats: -online registration $39 -chip timed -warmest, softest, zip fleece jacket (runs a little big for women, short for men) -hot cocoa and fudge brownies after the race (I appreciated that they didn't over do it with the chocolate) -completely flat course that starts out on a grassy race track with the majority of the course on a soft crushed limestone path -out & back course so beware of bottlenecks!

I love Dick Pond and go there for all my running shoe needs. You should definitely check them out…read moreif you want great personal customer service when looking for the perfect shoes to run in. However, this was about my tenth race and probably the worst I've ever ran. It was so congested I had to walk the first 1/4 mile after crossing the start line. It was advertised as a Run/Walk and I have no problems with walkers, but walkers were walking in the middle of the path, not to the side like they should to let faster people go through. There were times at the beginning were I was literally stuck and could not pass. There were also people with strollers in the middle of the path. Most of these things are not the organizers' fault, just poor judgement and lack of experience from the people running, but it made for a terrible race experience for me. The fleece jackets and hot chocolate were great, and I personally thought the weather was perfect (I like cooler race weather). It started on grass, which was interesting, and turned into a path which is my favorite to run on and easy on the knees. I'd recommend you move toward the front to avoid the bottleneck if you do this race.

Nice medium sized fall marathon in the Chicago area. (There is a half and full marathon…read moreaffiliated with this event.) Race is well supported. Course is pretty flat with a few minor hills. Marathon is fairly expensive at north of $100. Nice long sleeve tech t shirt comes with registering. Nice finishers medal. Beer for all finishers. If you don't get into Chicago, this is not a bad alternate race. Note: Comments based on 2014 race.

great obstacles, friendly staff, well organized, and an all around good time! I am looking forward…read moreto doing this race again in Orland Park on September 7th!

I hope this race comes back to town next year. The race ran around Toyota Park, incorporating 5…read moreobstacles within 3 miles of running. The obstacles were tough! All inflatable items, some with foam, or water, some with climbing, all fun and hilarious. Even though there was a short lines to wait in before doing the obstacles, the running still remained challenging too. The course was all in the sun, with two water stations throughout. The DJ and staff did a great job keeping people entertained, and releasing them in waves to keep runners safe, and keeping wait times minimal. I know their website is designed to accomodate many cities, but there were a lot of unanswered questions- I didn't get why they put the packet pickup site so far away from the race site (pre-race), we had to bring a lot of cash to make sure we could pay for parking and day-of packet pickups, but alas, for Chicago it was all free. I was grateful for that, but was stressed out to make my fellow running group think we should bring extra cash. Either way, I'd definitely do it again next year. PS- this race is just for fun, it's not timed.