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!

I really liked this race and I'm looking forward to hopefully running it again next year…read more I registered with a discount code and was able to do packet pick-up at the race. They also offered a number of dates where you could go to Fleet Feet and get your gear beforehand. I showed up early on race day and was able to park within 1 block of Registration/Packet Pickup. It was only 2 blocks from the Starting Line and about 2.5 short blocks from Gear Check. Gear Check was also conveniently located at the end of their vendor area, so that was a smart move on their park Like others stated, this isn't the best event to try and PR at, but it clears out after the first mile. As is all too common at other racing events, people love to start out where they can't keep up, despite an official announcement to be courteous to others. I was hoping to do about 10-11 minute miles and went where I was supposed to, but I ended up being held back and going closer to 12-14 min/mi for a half mile and then totally passing up a bunch of people ahead of me and still only averaging closer to 11 min/mi initially. Slower people are also notoriously bad at moving to the right. Luckily, a pretty flat course helped me make up for it down the road. It's a somewhat winding course and lots of neighbors come out to cheer you on. It started out a little chilly but it quickly warmed up. Most of the race is shady, so it didn't get too bad. There's a stretch down Lawrence that is a bit brutal since the sun was shining by then and hitting the pavement. At least that part of the race only lasts for a few blocks and then you're protected by trees again. An advantage of this event taking place in Ravenswood is that there's a lot to do when you're done. If you're faster, you can finish and grab a celebratory pint and/or brunch at O'Shaughnessy's Public House. If you're slower, like I am, you might want to set your sights on River Valley Farmer's Table. They have a great Bloody Mary! If you're feeling adventurous and would like to check out another nearby neighborhood, there's always Lincoln Square. You might even get some ideas of where to go during your run since part of it goes up Lincoln Ave.

I did this run for the first time today. It reminded me a lot of the Bucktown 5K. This was a really…read morenice neighborhood race. They limit the capacity so that it doesn't get too crazy. The race proceeds from the Ravenswood Run benefit the Ravenswood Community Services Food Pantry at All Saints' Episcopal Church and the Student Health Centers at Lake View and Amundsen High Schools. There is also an optional $10 add on for a pancake breakfast (proceeds also going to the above charity). Plus, the shirt is super cute! This was sponsored by Fleet Feet -they have numerous races in Chicago and they always do a great job as far as easy packet pick-up and race organization. The only constructive feedback I have is that it was very casual and there weren't staggered starts. You could just walk up to your estimated mile time and get in line. Since this year it was so popular and sold out, I would recommend at least a 3 minute staggered starts between the mile times. The first mile was pretty crowded but, entering mile 2, things started to thin out a bit. I think it's fair to say that if you are an "elite" runner trying to accomplish a personal best or even win the race, get in the front of the line. Otherwise, you just run it to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and to simply participate, as I did. Despite the initially congested nature of the first mile, I hit my typical completion time. I'm glad I finally did it and am excited to make this part of my yearly race schedule!

I have never done an indoor race before, so that was something new and I'm all about expanding your…read moreexperiences. It was definitely better to run in controlled conditions than have to worry abour rain, sleet or snow in an unpredictable February (even though it ended up being 45 degrees and sunny). They did a really good job organizing everything. I found Check-In relatively easily and was directed to Gear Check. The lines moved quickly and I was at the Start Pens (12min+ I'm ashamed to admit). They let each Pen approach the Starting Line every two minutes and sounded the horn. It definitely helped keep people from stampeding and made the Course less congested. I was a big fan of the victory bananas and Smart Water. Can't say that I liked the Powerade (I'm a Vitamin Water Zero girl). I also didn't like the Gear Check Volunteer snapping at my friend's friend to "cover up [her] number!" when she asked her number (clearly printed on our bibs) and was told she already had her bag. Overall, I think it was run pretty well and will get better with a few improvements. It was their first year. I might do it next year if they bring it back, but I personally didn't like how it felt like a maze with all the winding between the North and South Buildings. I hated that you could see almost the entire Course. That's mostly because I kept seeing how much was left to run and all I could think was, "I'm glad a cardiovascular organization is running this because I might have a heart attack."

Not particularly well organized event (wasn't exactly easy to figure out where you needed to go for…read morethe race in McCormick when you were there). Course has many turns (as you would anticipate in an indoor race), and when running with the large group of entrants, log jams occurred at many of the turns. Nice to get out of the house in the winter and do something physical, but I would probably look for something else besides this event to do. Note: Writing my review for 2014 event.

In order to get the full effects of this race ya might want to wear 70's race attire! Yep, thats…read moreright! Bring out the short colorful shorts or colorful spandex tights;bandanna's/sweatbands, long socks, and afro; if you don't have an afro already. Then once you show up in your gear ya might want to bring it, because this is "The Original 5k!" : ) I really enjoyed this race, and hope to make it out again to run it. The Original 5k brings excitement, and competition, and attracts some of our local fast runners, and also runners that just wanting to have fun. Two words! Bring it! Bring it, or stay at home and watch that episode of Golden Girls you love : )

With only 1,081 runners (2014), you're not going to have any bottle necks at this race…read more Super fun concept...Bring running back to before technology? What, who does that? Fleet Feet does! They have people at the mile markers holding signs, yelling spilt numbers, it's absolutely hysterical. At the end of the race, they printed the results and posted them on a piece of plywood. Love it! The goodie bag is a really good pair of tube socks. I love them and wear them all of the time. You'll also see some dudes sporting some super short shorts. (wolf whistle) They could have had a few more people manning the gear check...that's literally my only gripe about the race. I'm kinda bummed they are doing the race on a Thursday instead of a Saturday this year. I seriously loved this race!

One of the best fall races there is! It doesn't get much better than this…read more For a very reasonable registration fee ($30), the amenities are as follows: Rockin' goody bag. Actually the bag itself is one of those nylon drawstring backpacks with the Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) race logo on it, stuffed to the gills with fun, cool things. I love a fun goody bag! It sucks when they're filled only with boring coupons and fliers with info about hundreds of other races. My mom, a good friend of hers, and my husband did the 5k walk and so also recieved the same goody bag. We were all tickled. Good amount of parking on race morning - a huge plus. The pre-race atmosphere was awesome. Tons of volunteers, and tents offering lots of fun give-aways. There was the big Stewart's Coffee truck on site; much appreciated by spectators and participants alike on such a cool morning. (I myself, cannot partake of coffee before a run. I won't get into why. But the root word there is "run". Ok, enough of that.) The course itself is stunningly beautiful. As a sidebar, I'd like to thank Mother Nature, and any other participating powers that be for making a perfect day for it. Crisp, chill air. The fall colors. Sunny skies. Pair all of that with running through Oak Park and marveling at the beautiful homes and the equally beautiful architecture. It was marvelous. The course support was pretty unbeatable! It's so cool that SO many residents are out on their porches with flags and horns and groups of people singing and hollerin' to cheer you on. Sometimes you need all the motivation you can get! The post-race offerings were perfect. I stopped at a physical therapy tent to have my stupid, uncooperative, dumb old foot stretched out (plantar fascitis) and the gentleman who helped me easily took about 20 minutes to stretch it, assessed my shoes, and gave me tips and at home exercises. Dang! Very generous. Plus - awesome recovery food. I appreciate that very much. A long review, I know. But there are so many aspects that make this one of the best fall races of all time. See ya next year FLW!

Do not run this race. I have run the 5K for the past 4 years, and I used to love this race but now…read moreit has been taken over by small children. The past 2 years there have been so many children in the race that you might as well be racing the youth mile (that's right, they have their OWN RACE but they still race with the adults). Yesterday a small child was at the front on the start line and he dropped his ipod right when the gun went off. He then bent down to pick it up, impeding everyone behind him. I was hoping he would get trampled just so the morons in charge of this race would get the message: STOP ALLOWING CHILDREN IN THIS RACE. IT IS NOT SAFE. Someone is going to get hurt and you will be responsible. I am done with the FLW Races. Until the race director learns how to put on a race for grown-ups THIS RACE IS NOT SAFE.

I actually had a real ball with my pups. I didn't realize so many people would be part of this…read moreawesome experience and it made my heart skip a beat to know that so many love their pets as much as I do. We got there fairly early so we were able to look around at all the cool outfits some of this pups had. The race was really well done and the route was good also. I didn't like that fact that some of the people with bigger dogs didn't realize that some of us have Chihuahuas and their big dogs intimidate them so they should hold them vs letting them try to sniff on the little ones. Freaked one of my dogs out but the other went into attack mode to protect his brother. Still all in all it was a pleasant walk and the pups were wore out afterwards. The only thing I do have to say is that the actual run was good but they had a big area for VIPS and so some of the pups couldn't get inside due to so many crowding and not worrying if pups had water or not. I was really happy with all the free things given out and my pups racked up on treats and such. That made me really happy. Also, they did have a contest for the best dressed dog, but of course bigger dogs get the attention but still, I think it was fair. Security was good too, although you have some rif raf who still think they can act any type of way and get away with it. Messing with dogs and such is not a good thing, especially when the owner (me) will die for his pups. I say this because some teenagers were messing with peoples dogs to make them growl but when it came to my pups, ummm that's a no no because I don't let anyone mess with my babies. Besides that I think it was a success and I would definitely do it again!

This race was done VERY well...my only complaint is that there was no water at the finish line. You…read morehad to walk clear across a large field to get water. That's a huge no-no when it comes to a running event. From packet pickup to gear check to the vendors at the end...you can tell that this is a very well thought out race (except for the water debacle). No bottle necks on the course. The walkers go the opposite way of the runners (genius!!!). Lot's of puppies. Awe.

I was very, very impressed with this race. One of my goals this year is to sign up for races I have…read morenot done before. I now live in the burbs southwest of Chicago, so I still try to get all around in the city to experience new neighborhoods. The race was a small, neighborhood race. The course was not crowded. It started on Argyle in the heart of the Chinese community, right by the Chinese Mutual Aid foundation. Packet pick-up and parking on race day was super easy. The race started with some speeches and Chinese traditions. From start to finish, I felt it was so welcoming. It seemed that the people hosting the event were very proud of their neighborhood and so hospitable. This made me love the race even more. The race headed east along the lakefront, then south, back north and then back west to where we started. Beautiful path. A local restaurant, Furama, provided some snacks afterward. There was some kid's karaoke playing on the speakers and tables and chairs were provided to sit down and relax and eat the snack. There was also a local dance troupe performing a traditional Chinese dance. Very impressed. Glad I headed out north to the city to experience this one! Will do again!

Generic lakefront 10K course, but worth checking out if you are into Big Ten competition as most…read morerunners show some school spirit during the run. Fun event at the end with free beer and sausages. Nice finisher medal for a 10K.

I ran this run in 2015, and will be running it again in 2016. It's a competitive, and huge race;…read morealong with a dream come true for any Big Ten sports fan. As long as I'm living in Chicago I plan on running this every year, because I love the environment. This race combines my first love (running), with the Big Ten. It's a great feeling representing your favorite sports team in the Big Ten; wearing their colors and competing against other Big Ten fans. Many post race activities with the mascots on stage, games, and plenty of opportunities to take a picture with your favorite Big Ten mascot or cheerleaders. This race is crowded, so if you're a competitor you might want to get there early to reserve a spot near the front. The course is out-and-back, and gets crowded near the finishline due to there being two races on course; the 5k and 10k. Enjoy!