About a week before The Morton Arboretum Arbor Day 10K Run I did the Rockdale Ramblin' Run, which…read moreis supposedly the toughest 10K in the Midwest. I'm not fully convinced the title has been appropriately appointed. It could be that I was still sore from the first big run, but I found the Arbor Day 10K to be a bit tougher since it was a lot of low-grade inclines and rolling hills instead of a few big ones here and there. My Achilles tendons were not amused and I ended up having to walk for about 2 songs in my Spotify 11 Minute Mile Playlist. Still, I finished this race in 1:14:06 instead of 1:16:01. I attribute this acceleration to the fact that gravity works in your favor coming down a few of the steeper slopes. Weeeeeee! The course is what makes this worth it. It's absolutely gorgeous and I highly recommend running its sister race, the Fall Color 5K. Your entrance into the race gets you and your car buddies free admission to The Morton Arboretum afterward. I haven't taken them up on this offer yet, but maybe I will after the next race. I think it's a wonderful option. The Post-Race Party is OK. You get a tech shirt from your goody bag but there aren't any medals. They gave out large cartons of water but the food portion consisted of only half a banana and big ass bagels... I burned almost 1,000 calories, can a girl get some cream cheese and a whole banana? ... Nonetheless, all was forgiven when The Hot Sauce Committee took stage and provided the live entertainment for the event. Parking is pretty easy. They've streamlined the process, so you get in and out quickly. I arrived about an hour before the race started and didn't feel rushed.

This is Illinois. The flat Midwest. I don't do hills…read more Apparently, Morton Arboretum didn't get the memo. Hills, inclines, twists and turns. This course definitely challenged my strength and endurance. It was definitely a slow (uphill) and crowded start but typical for any race. Just when I wanted to quit and walk, a cheery volunteer would stick out a hand for a high five and BAM I got my second wind. Water stations were located at the start, mile 1.5, mie 3, and finish. Strollers are not allowed, but I did see 2 pass me by. Damn those fast Lululemon moms! The $33 registration includes free parking and a tech shirt (fits very large! My husband ended up wearing my size small). Finish line. Plenty of water to rehydrate. Whole Foods had a tent set up with bananas and bagels. Athletico had massage tables set up for after race stretching...I did not want to get off the table! Dick Pond also had a tent set up with merchandise for purchase.

This race was awesome! Just ran it this morning, 6miles took me 1hr & 15min. The course was through…read morea prairie and a farm. Excellent views & obstacles, will definitely do it again! A+!!

This race is Amazing! To date I have done 15+ 5Ks of all ranges, courses, causes etc. This one was…read morehands down the BEST. I literally can not say enough good things about it, we had zero complaints. It was easy to get to, the directions they had on the website were better then what came up on the GPS. Parking was FREE and there was plenty of spots available. Packet pick up was a breeze, no wait time. Our goodie bag was great. There was plenty to do while we waited for our start time. The course was challenging but not unbearable. First mile was mostly a fast run with a mud pit and a few other obstacles. Second mile was a bit rough, the hills were tough. Third mile just looped around really. Obstacles were everything they should be, challenging but FUN! The end was the best part, giant pool followed by a giant mud pit, then the finish line. The athlete refreshers were perfect for after the race: granola bars, banana, fruit snacks and water. There was a Monster tent handing out drinks, the Subaru swag tent had reusable ice packs for you to take home. The absolute best part was the "car wash" and hoses they had set up for you to clean off all the mud. Paul Mitchell was one of the sponsors, they had gallons of shampoo out by the hoses for people to use, it was perfect. I have been to mud runs before where they had a water tank truck with a guy holding a hose and one person at a time got to rinse off. This was the best set up I have ever seen. It was also a family oriented event. Lots of stuff to do to keep the kids entertained including a kid mud run. I would highly, HIGHLY recommend doing this run. We will be returning next year without a doubt.

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.

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!

Very nice course . . . I can say that now that I've recovered from the mini hill at mile 10.5 over…read morethe highway and the slight incline the final 2 miles. Well organized. Enough water stations. Minimal bathroom lines. Only complaint is with the hoodies. They are too feminine. My wife says thanks!

The course through Busse Woods was nice. It is a small race so for me being a slow (12-13 minute…read moremile) runner, it did not work. I ended up running most of it by myself with very little people around. The volunteers were poorly trained. I got stuck on the course and they did not know how to radio a ride to help me. The course was confusing and not clearly marked. I think if you are a faster runner and can stay with the main group this is an okay race but not for a slower back of the pack person like me.

Umm...where were the animals?…read more There was a lot of unusual smells and grunting but they were all coming from the runners on this 75 degree morning (heat index 85) on the first Saturday of June. Don't be confused this is a run raising money for the zoo but you don't actually don't run through the zoo (unlike Lincoln Park Zoo Run which is tomorrow!) You have your choice between a 5K/10K for $25. I thought it was a bit unusual that the giveaway shirt was a longsleeve cotton shirt-too hot to wear in June! They did have a Dri-Fit shirt available with an additional $30 donation to the zoo. Still a fun neighborhood road race with an even ratio of downhill to slightly inclined routes. Loved being cheered on by people sitting in their front yards and greatly appreciated the random sprinklers they turned on to help cool us down. Finish line was a bit narrow so I did feel like I was truly fighting to finish. Plenty of volunteers handing out lukewarm water in disposable cups rather than cold tall bottles of water (but I did end up finding a stand in the park giving away cold bottles of water). The race also coincides with the Taste of Wheaton so no need to look elsewhere for food. Just bring cash and snack away on elephant ears (my favorite!), Jersey Mike subs, Chick-fil-A sandwiches, and Wok-n-Fire eggrolls! You deserve it!

I won't be doing this race again. First, you don't actually race at the zoo, it's in downtown…read moreWheaton. The course isn't bad - it's mostly flat and shaded. However, the 2012 race ended with me not receiving an official time. The woman from the timing company told me it's not the company's fault, some of the bibs had the chips installed horizontally instead of vertically. If it's not the timing company's fault about faulty timing, who's is it? I really only race to find out if I can beat my previous times. Without an official time, I can run by myself outside. The timing company had a clipboard and asked for my bib number and my self-reported time. Not very professional at all.

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.

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!!!