The Badass Dash 5K Obstacle Race is pretty new to the Chicago area. Last year was the first year…read moreand they held it in Rosemont. This year, they have two races. I completed the one at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. They are doing another one in August in Rosemont again too. Usually, these types of races are held pretty far from the city in rural, farm areas. I couldn't picture what this would be like in the burbs, but they did a really good job. The obstacles were really unique -there was no mud, but plenty of water oriented ones! Most of it was done either in or around the Sears Center (running up and down the stadium stairs were killer!) However, I was really pleasantly surprised by how pretty the prairie path was around this area too. It was the perfect combination of urban and "farm like" environments. The obstacles were pretty cool and many were unique to this race. My favorite was the end -climbing up the rope ladder and then sliding down into a pool. I would do this again next year -it was really fun and challenging! My advice, though; do not buy the spectator VIP package. I did and it wasn't really worth the money -this part was a bit disorganized and my parents didn't get any more "VIP" of a view than anyone else. Have your spectators sneak around and get a great view from the Sears Center lot.

Did the Sears Center 7k last weekend. It was ok. I'm more used to the farm field type runs and…read morefound it a little disappointing to be running back and forth and back and forth in a parking lot for much of the run. That being said, it was still a good time and the obstacles were fun. The finish line area in particular was very very unorganized. The spectators were not separated from the runners in any way and there were many instances where the spectators were in the path of the course. The timing of the race was also odd. We signed up for the 9am heat, and they released the 9am heat in small batches at a time in 5 minute intervals so we were at the starting line for about 30-40 minutes after 9am waiting for our turn to go. They should have had a 9am heat, a 9:05, a 9:10, and so on. Then when we finished we checked the time of day, but had to wait a good 45minutes or so to find out what our race time was. We didn't know what time we finally started the race, so we couldn't figure out how long it took us to run it until they posted the times. All in all it was a good time, but I'll probably choose a different race to run next time.

PanIQ Escape Room Chicago never misses!…read more My fiancee and I were in Chicago for a memorial. We had done one of the PanIQ Escape Rooms with him and went in his memory. We chose to do The Red Wire. The room itself was very well put together. Upon entering the room, you're transported to a small street in London and the game is afoot. We found all the puzzles fun and a bit challenging. There were a couple of times we needed hints, arguably we were trying too hard. Our game master could tell we were seasoned "operatives", and actually made us work for one of the hints. We enjoyed our interaction with them in this way. Overall, the room was great. We got out in time and felt like we did our buddy proud. 10/10 recommend

Really fun escape room! It was challenging but the decor was excellent. I liked that you got to…read morehave wands and use them for the magical one. It was fun to try to figure everything out as a group and escape!

Second time at Escape Factor. This was my third time ever doing an escape room - my first time was…read moreat Escape Factor two months ago & second time ever was at a downtown Chicago spot. The experiences were miles apart (literally & metaphorically) - I only want to do Escape Factor rooms. Escape Factor is well deserved of its 5 stars on Yelp (and 1K+ 5 stars on Google) - the rooms are incredibly high production value + very immersive (really feels like you're in a treehouse for 'Treehouse Raid at Fort Knox' or 70s game show for 'Bonus Fun Time Game Show Challenge'). Additionally, the game masters are truly incredible - they hit just the right balance of allowing you to stew on your own & giving hints in a way that nudges you in the right direction without straight giving an answer & ruining the fun. Shout out to Nick for being very in character as game show host (and game master) this past Saturday night! Highly recommend Escape Factor if you're in the Chicago area (for us, it's worth the trek from downtown!)

First time escape-rooming and I braved it as a solo adult with six 10 year olds. I was not sure…read morewhat to expect but everyone had a blast. I am still marveling at how entertained and into it the kids were from start to finish-their attention span never waned. Seaogh was our game master and he was awesome through and through. He knows how to keep things rolling and engaged with the kids in the most endearing way. They gave him hugs when we left! Really a great birthday for my son and while escape rooms were not on my 2026 to-do list I'd certainly go back. Thanks Escape Factor!

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.

Sweet, sweet redemption. Fort2Base, you've made it off my shit list…read more It's quite a drive from Wood Dale to Great Lakes, so I'm not completely sure if I'll come back, but I have a tendency to stick with what I know so I can compare my times. I did the 3NM this year and I may do it again or even try the 10NM next year. Whichever I chose, I'd be happy to participate again seeing how well they run things now. Also, their buffet of goodies at the end is pretty enticing. This experience was basically night and day from what happened 5 years ago. We actually arrived much later than I intended, but there was practically no traffic at all. We parked down at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science (RFUMS) around 6:30am and took one of the many shuttle buses from the campus to the Naval Base. After going through security at about 7am, I was able to grab my race bib from the gazebo and had enough time to use a Porta Potty before the race began. This time I actually got to run the race and it was, aside from the hot and humid weather, very enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of the Highland Park Firecracker 5K because you have about 1.5 miles of mostly flat, paved road and then go down a steep hill and back up just before the 2 mile mark. The rest of it was also relatively flat and the condition of the concrete wasn't too bad. Obviously, it differs in that the scenery isn't the same. You're running on the base past lots of buildings and many of the participants are armed services affiliated. There was a color guard group jogging behind me who were chanting the whole time. It was pretty cool! The event is chip-timed. I was hoping for 35:00 but got 36:27. They listed the results on the homepage but the results page on the website hasn't been updated yet. The first thing you're handed when you cross the finish line is a towel soaked in cold water. More races should do this in the summer! It was a lifesaver! The second thing you're handed is your medal. It's substantial for the 3NM and ridiculously huge for the 10NM, which is maybe another reason to try and aim for that next time. I got my race shirt from the merchandise tent. I probably won't keep it since it is a bit big and not the highest quality material. I still have my pullover from 2011 and like that and thought the shirts from last year looked really nice. I do appreciate that they change it up, though.

From the sound of it this race has improve from last year…read more Packet pickup was a breeze, all you needed to know was your bib # and there were 2 different locations, 3 if you are a military personnel, to pickup your packet. I was in and out within seconds. Really it was that easy and painless. Inside our see through bags for our packets was our bib, race shirt, and a race booklet. The race shirt was pretty neat with the "Train. Race. Conquer" on the back, but it is cheap material because the pins I used to clip my bib to the shirt started ripping the material already. The booklet was very useful for getting to the event and understanding the course so spectators can be prepared. Race day we made it to Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science easily and upon arrival around 6am there was a short line waiting to turn in and park. Parking was pretty much taken up so we parked a little way down from where the shuttles were, no biggie. Yellow school buses? Can't remember the last time I rode in one, but they were warm, thank goodness because it was a cold race day, brrrr. Our driver was friendly and greeted everything and asked everyone 10 mile? to make sure we were on the right shuttle. It was about a 20 minute bus ride to the 10 Nautical Mile start line and when we got there it was kind of boring, nothing screamed "look at us we're running the 10 Nautical Mile!" Also the PA system they used to talk to participants and play the national anthem was horrible, I was waiting for the bathroom (which took about 20mins) and I couldn't hear anything. More port-o-potties PLEASE! I missed the start of the race because I was waiting for bathroom and at least 30-40 other people did also. Gear check was simple, tie your gear check slip to the bag and throw it in the van, they will transport and sort it for you. After that was check off my list FINALLY I was able to start. It was kind of eery since majority of the runners started already, but it was peaceful. Huh? Where do I go? There was a lack of direction, but of course I used my common sense and followed the runners ahead of me. The majority of the 10 Nautical Mile course is on a trail in the woods, but at one point we crossed 2 bridges and the metra train stop where there were no crossing personnel and lucky for us runners the passing cars were patient and allowed us to cross. Shouldn't safety be first? My favorite part were the men in uniforms that greeted us at the first water station! They were energetic and knowing I am running in honor of those that are serving and who served definitely pumped up my adrenaline! Thank you! So I'm thinking yes we will see more of them, but even when we enter the Naval Station we didn't get the same energetic greeting. And the hill? Yes it's extremely brutal, but as soon as you get to the top *SMILE!* photographers are waiting and one of them even cheer us on, thanks! Running through the station was probably the best part because that's when we saw more Navy personnel who cheer us on the last mile or so. We were given an awesome medal upon crossing the finish line and water, Gatorade, rice cakes, bars, and there were a lot of other free hydrating items. Despite a few cons overall I really enjoyed the race. It was simple and it made you feel prideful.

We had the best experience of our life! It was fun going around as a complete team and…read morecommunicating in the best way possible in order

They made it challenging and fun with laughs along the way! We had so much fun and enjoyed…read moreinteracting. It brought everyone closer together.

This place is easy to miss. You can enter from N Meacham Road. You should see a path that goes…read moreunderground to a parking garage. You want to park close to the purple door where it says Altitude. Walk up one flight of stairs to see Altitude and Cube Challenges. You turn left and go straight until you see stairs going up. That'll lead you to Cube Challenges. FYI, there are restrooms in the Altitude area by the food. We bought tickets online, I saw a promotion on their social media that was advertising 2 players for 90 mins for $40 Mon-Thurs. We came on a Wed night around 6 pm, it was just the right amount of people. We were able to go into different rooms without any waiting. We even did some rooms 2-3 times. They have free lockers to store your belongings. I would not describe this as a traditional escape room. If you've ever been to Time Mission, it's very similar to that. Different than Activate. There was one room that wasn't working, the Lights On. The staff tried fixing it but it never worked. The Candit room, a couple of the controls wouldn't stick so we had to hold one or two to complete the task. I would be careful with the Bubble Trouble room when moving around. The second time we went in, I slipped and fell on some of the small balls. The Bomb Squad, we went in 3 times but never understood how to play it. The other rooms we were able to figure out. Some of the instructions were very vague but if you go on a week day, you'll have more time to figure things out. I would suggest doing the 90 mins instead of 60 mins, that way you're not rushing to try all 20 rooms. The staff was very kind and helpful. I do wish they had longer hours on the week nights, like if they closed at 9 pm instead of 8 pm.

This race was great and you truly felt the community coming together to show their pride for…read moreHighland Park, the Firecracker 5K, and specifically S.M.I.L.E., which is a program that provides funding to help disadvantaged youth participate in activities and events that they otherwise couldn't afford. My husband is very passionate about their cause. We parked in the park parking lot and didn't have to walk very far to the building where restrooms, registration and packet pick-up were. They had race day packet pick-up, which I always appreciate when these races are so far from home. The only thing I would recommend in regards to that is having better signage since the sign and arrow for that was close to the ground and easy to miss when people stood in front of it. I made a couple circles around the event area and that building before realizing where to go to get my race bib and goody bag. The goody bag is primo, by the way. It's a high quality gear bag and I will use it for all of my races until it dies. The shirts were nice, too. I'll likely donate mine, though, since it's a bit big and I have more than enough. I prefer medals. This race was not chip timed, but they did keep track of people's times to the best of their ability. They timed me at 32:48 and my Fitbit (usually accurate within 1 second) read 32:45. This race is difficult. You start out in a field, so you're already on less than ideal ground and it only gets harder from there. The first mile has low incline, rolling hills on the paths through Sunset Woods Park and the paved streets of Highland Park. You run into some small potholes and cracks, but it's nothing to be incredibly worried about. You'll be more concerned with the steep hill you have to climb halfway through the course. The good news is that you get to go really fast down the steep hill right before it. And the rest of the race is a lot like the first mile since it overlaps a bit. The after party was fun and casual. Their A to Z Entertainment DJ was great. I didn't do well enough to place and I didn't win anything from the raffle, but I got a free snow cone. I consider that just as good.