This was a fun half marathon. It was super cold in 2014...but fun. Lots of random runners before…read morethe race talking to each other, being super friendly just so to keep your mind off the very cold run that is going to happen. It's mostly trails for this half marathon and you see some duplicates. Hills weren't really an issue. But, they could have done better in terms of a quality control check and had some of the road/trails salted to get rid of the ice patches. Lot's of random icy spots along the course that were very slippery and could have hurt some runners. Not sure if there were any accidents, but at least the runners are very considerate to each other as they warn you ahead of time. At post race, they gave out the finisher medal and had plenty of goodies as well. They gave out a pretty nice long sleeve fleece sweater to all runners. I will definitely be wearing that during my winter runs here in Illinois. I wouldn't mind doing this again. Friendly people, great perks, pretty cheap...hopefully they will salt the roads next time. Note to self 2014: 1:48:53

Nice race to end the Chicago running season. Ran the half at the end of the year. Pretty flat…read morecourse (with the exception of a couple of bridges). You run through a park, so the scenery is not bad, but also fairly undifferentiated throughout. Limited crowd participation except at the end.

Woo Hoo! My 600th review! And I'm pleased to present one of the most fun things I've done this…read moresummer so far. Dirty Girl is a ladies only obstacle mud run. 5K, 12 obstacles. A non-timed event and meant to be a fun run that you can take at your own pace. It was my first obstacle run and I loved that it was girls only--I ran with a team. I definitely think running this with at least one friend is the way to go. I've done regular 5K's by myself, but it's great having someone supporting you as you climb, crawl and slide. And who else is going to tell you that you still have mud on your face when you're still trying to clean up after the run? The obstacles were not hard physically. But once the day gets started the obstacles get muddier and more slippery. So the hardest one for me was the high cargo net climb, just because of my fear of falling onto hard gravel. Other than that, they were just fun climbs and crawls. Other than running, I trained for this by following my toddler through several playground equipment obstacles and I was just fine. Hahaha. This event was held at the Lake County Fairgrounds and although a few of us on our team tried to run as much as we could to challenge ourselves, some of the areas were not easy to run opon. The grassy areas were fine, but there was some gravel-twist-your-ankle-type areas. So walking was inevitable. They suggest arriving there 90 minutes before your start time. Check in was a breeze and we had a lot of down time before hand. But it was nice to get pics done in our clean team shirts before we got all messy. I loved my swag--t shirt and bracelet with a running girl charm. There was a secure bag check and a "shower area' for us afterward. I use shower loosely as it's just a bunch of hoses and cold water--but the tent is huge and although by the afternoon the ground is full of puddles, but I appreciated the astro turf they did lay down to prevent muddy puddles. Some of my observations: I don't know how full the heats get, but I'm glad we got there early because we got to start 20 min earlier than our team start time. Bring some water in a gallon jug and check it in with your bag. It was nice to have some clean water immediately after the race to clean my hands and wash my face since I was getting mud in my eyes. Don't wear anything you are worried about ruining. Even though we wore matching T-shirts, I knew they'd get muddy so we made sure the shirts were not too expensive. Budget some time for the after party. Paul Mitchell was one of the sponsors and they were fixing hair afterward. Have Fun!

This was a pretty cool race. I have to give them credit -it was super well-organized. We got there…read moreabout an hour early to park in the lot with a shuttle bus that takes you to the start. My parents came to watch and I didn't want them to have to walk very far and this was an excellent service. The other lot option required you to have to walk about a mile, which is too far from them. The only bummer -and this is probably for safety reasons -was that I thought the planes were going to be taking off and landing closer to us. You know how you drive on I-90 or Mannheim Road and the planes are literally 10 feet over your head? Yeah -call me foolish, but I thought that was going to happen as we ran. I just assumed that if they got that close to the major streets, they would just be taking off and landing close to the route. So, you will not be experiencing that -but as far as a unique experience -this was still a cool race. There is a big plane that you can pose next to for pictures and just overall an interesting event because you are accessing areas of the airport property that most people will never see. You are literally running on a runway they close for the event. The shirt was cotton -would like to see a "tech-T" in future years, as they tend to hold up better after multiple washings. After all, it is going to be a fun shirt to wear and a great conversation starter regarding our experience!

I have to say, after a few bumps when they tried to do it the first time, they really pulled it…read moreoff. It was a really good event. Everything as promised. Cute shirt, a great medal, and DJ's every half mile. Tim Spinnin' Schommer was the main DJ on the stage in the after party. We will definitely come back next year and get a whole group with us because it was really really fun!

I wanted to love this race, I really did. It's a local race that supports our running community in…read morea place I love to run with perfect weather. The price was reasonable, the medal was adorable, and I love that they went with shorts instead of another shirt that I clearly don't need. However. There isn't enough parking at the start. And there are ZERO bathrooms on the course. I also didn't think there were enough water stations for a half marathon. This race also lacked both pacers and course clocks, so heaven help you if you didn't have your own timing device. The post-race party was amply stocked for such a small race, featuring lots of food and sponsor giveaways. There was also an opportunity to get a photo with the Easter bunny and an egg hunt for kids and adults. It's a cute run for the family, but I was going for a new personal best and that just didn't happen here because of a variety of things that the race could improve upon. Bathrooms are important!

This is a classic Wisconsin running event. The 20 mile run has a long history but there is also a…read more10 mile run and 17 mile walk affiliated with the event. The course runs from downtown Madison to Stoughton. Race is part of Stoughton's Syttende Mai citywide festival, so when you finish the race you can have some fun at the festival. The course is very hilly. Participation in the 20 mile run seems to have slowly declined over the years (which I would attribute to the non-traditional distance (i.e., it is not a marathon), adding the 10 mile run, and the difficulty of the course). Entry fee is reasonable (~$60). There is no finisher medal, but you do get a short sleeve tech t-shirt for finishing.

This was perhaps one of the best races I've ever experienced. Located in a quiet room setting, very…read moregently rolling hills provided just enough challenge To make the course something I will remember. I absolutely love this race and hope to return next year and for many years after.

Wow! This was quite the event. It was my first time and I most certainly had a blast. I will be…read moreattending these events every year from here on out. The most important thing about it is that it isn't a race but more of a spiritual journey (to me at least). I was able to tap into my inner being and push into the unknown. There were so many motivating people there especially the person who hypes you up before starting the run. The obstacles were amazing and definitely hard. The run itself was challenging but worth all the sweat I produced LOL. Parking was super easy and not congested (luckily). Finding the place was a bit confusing as the address provided takes you to the other side of the airport so you will want to make sure you check the signs and get there a bit earlier for your race (maybe get there an hour early to ensure no hiccups in finding the place. You will get very very dirty hence the name of the event. You will be challenged and pushed to the edge but it is worth it. The other mudders are there to help fallen folks and folks that require help getting over obstacles - I felt like there was a huge sense of community throughout the whole thing. All in all, I had an amazing time and the end of the race was the electric obstacle. I got shocked right in my butt and it took me down so be careful in making your decision LOL. Enjoy the ride and go for it :)

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!

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.

You read the name of this 5K and perhaps you think to yourself, "I've been training my whole life…read morefor this run. I have *plenty* of experience running from the cops." This event is hosted by the Vernon Hills Police Department, but you're actually running WITH the cops more than FROM the cops. We were a little disappointed that officers weren't chasing us with handcuffs and billy clubs. However, I was excited to see that the festival and race have expanded since 2009. Registration fees and donations went to benefit wounded veterans, so you can't go wrong with that. There were service men of all backgrounds there in uniform and repping their units with shirts. It was great to see the community come together to support people who are out there helping keep us safe. And everyone was super nice and helpful. These men and women really do a service for us and their respective titles. The race happens in mid-July, which probably isn't ideal racing weather. It was in the 80s and the humidity was ridiculous. I saw a ton of people on their hands and knees to the side. But the organizers were prepared and there were plenty of paramedics and volunteers on hand to help people out. The course is super easy and flat, but you'd swear this 5K is hardcore when every couple minutes you see someone puking from the heat. I even ended up taking my shirt off the last mile, and this is coming from a firm believer that nobody needs to see that. Post-race area was pretty basic. None of the vendors for the fair were open yet. I think the festival doesn't start until noon, so I wasn't able to get my nachos or my funnel cake on, but I was able to grab a ton of free water, Gatorade and something similar to Muscle Milk and shove it in my nifty, complimentary Sports Authority bag (which was the best bag design ever but quickly fell apart). Corner Bakery was also there with plenty of bagels and cream cheese, pumpkin bites, coffee and bananas.

Don't worry. Yes, you do run from the cops, but there aren't any repercussions if they pass you…read more They don't handcuff you or whack you with their billy clubs. They don't kick you off the course and throw you off to the side of the road either. In fact, it was hard for me to distinguish the police force, which probably was because they started at the very back hence the name of the race. The race is run along Lakeview Parkway, which is also the site for Vernon Hills' annual Summer Celebration. You then run to Gregg's Landing where there are some large and gorgeous houses and into this little subdivision on Lake Charles Drive, which has even bigger and more gorgeous homes and is not even complete yet. There are no start corrals since the race is relatively small. It can be hard to establish your pace depending on where you start. If you are a speedy runner, I suggest lining up near the front. The race is chip-timed so you will receive an accurate finishing time no matter where you start. There is also only one aid station on the course, which is fine for a 5K. However, if you need more hydration along the way, you may want to carry your own hydration. Post race, there were goodies including banana halves, muffins, bagels and coffee from Corner Bakery. The muffins were the best post-run snack I have ever eaten. All the other runners must have loved the muffins too since they were all gone at the end of the race. The awards ceremony was nice and the medals look great and are not dinky like at other races. The race tee-shirt is made of a dry wick material so you can work out in it again if you would like. My only gripe would be that the orange lettering did not really stand out well on the gray shirt. The results were posted in a timely manner and you can also download your race photos for free on the Running Guru website. The total cost for the race was $30 with the proceeds benefiting wounded warriors. Overall, this is an excellent and well-run race. I definitely would consider running it again if it fits into my training schedule. The race is run in mid-July so it can get hot so just be aware of that.