The big hype for this is that Chicago is the biggest running city and this group hosts the famous…read moreChicago Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series with a half marathon in August. The new Tune Up Series in June was supposed to offer a taste of what Rock 'n' Roll offers. If this is all they got, I'm not ready to Rock and my list of complaints goes to 11. 1) Parking was a major drag. I showed up with what typically would be more than enough time to park and pay, but the machines in the lot were slow as molasses. They would be much better off making a deal with whomever owns the lot and charging a flat parking fee, say $2.50 or even $5. I'd rather pay $5 than have wasted 30 minutes in line at the pay box. 2) This is another race that organizes bibs by numbers and not by last name. I don't want to have to think about my number. I know my last name whether I'm half asleep or wide awake. 3) I hate races that won't spring for timers at each mile. Letting runners know their time at these marks is crucial to helping someone pace themselves. I don't think they are THAT expensive. I've seen them at races that cost less money and had less attendees. Get on it! 4) Where's the music? I was promised music along the way. One DJ playing top-40s is NOT music along the course or a taste of what the 1/2 Marathon offers. Or is it? I'm confused. One DJ around the 2.5 mile mark and then a band singing covers of some Rock and Country songs at the end does not a Rock 'n' Roll party make. 5) We're near a beach, so I know the track won't be free of debris. But for the love of all that is holy, get a shovel and relocate some of that sand toward the end. I did Warrior Dash on Saturday. I'm not looking for more obstacles. 6) Finish line refresh area was way too small. They had you get in and get out. I was able to grab one bag of Pop Chips and almost didn't get my medal. I wasn't even able to get my banana or water and had to rush out of the pen to make way for others. It was backing up like bad plumping. 7) They had a table full of extra medals after the last person crossed the finish line. I asked if I could have an extra for my scrapbook and I was turned down. They all say "Rock 'n' Roll 5K 2011" on them. Are they really going to use them for something else? They better melt them down and recycle those or I'm pissed. They had no problem handing out extra stupid flip flops with their 2011 logo on it. 8) Most inefficient way to serve beer EVER. Beer bottles were glass and the servers had to open each one individually and pour it out. Just give me the glass bottle, get plastic or kegs next time. They dumped a bunch of the bottles into a larger can while I was there and one broke and hit me. Also, they lied about where friends and family were allowed. I was told they were able to go everywhere except the finish line pen, and Amy H. tells me non-competitors were not allowed in the beer pen, which was all the way at the other side of the race site. 9) Music was so loud we had to go to the beer area to hear each other. I dunno, I guess they are trying to rock it out. But this clearly is not a rock concert and I would like to speak with my fellow competitors. 10) The vendors there were pushing their goods WAY hard. I like to get a little info and see what's what. I do not like to be guilted into buying something or signing up for things I'm on the fence about. 11) Most races like this go until about noon. Almost everyone was gone by 9:30am. That should say something. I was able to find my car with no problem because the lot had practically cleared out. Sorry Tune Up Series, for all the buildup and the price I expected to Rock 'n' Roll all night and party everyday.

This was my first 5K so I can't compare it to others, but here is what I thought…read more Pros: - flip flops (even though the ones I got are way too big for me even though I asked for my size) - medal (honestly what other 5K gives you a pretty cool medal?) - cool t-shirt (also gave away free t-shirts after the race) - the course was relatively flat - easy and cheap parking! (got there around 7ish and parking lot was empty so I got to pick my spot and had no problem with the parking meter!) Cons: - where was the music?! - running in sand is NOT fun - bikers are mean! okay, I get it maybe they were training, but hello we were running a marathon! - free beer, great that its free, but not great that you're secluded from everyone else! the information label of your name, dob, etc on your bib should suffice as an ID as most runners don't run with their IDs so a lot of us left because we didn't have it on us. Overall, I did enjoy the run and I do wish it's back at Montrose Harbor next year because of easy parking (downtown is so expensive!). However, somehow close off the route for the allowed time because other bikers and non-competing runners can get annoying.

C and I did our first 10k and in Chicago no less! Truth be told, it was pretty awesome. Never…read morethought I would want to run during my vacations, but I've been getting more into these types of runs lately. This one went pretty smooth and organized I thought. We registered pretty late, so our 10k cost $65+fees. The race included gender specific tech t-shirt, medal, free hot breakfast buffet (taco shell, eggs, potatoes, sausages, salsa, French toast, BACON, fruit cup, water bottle), a pint of beer from Lagunitas, timed chip, photographers, bag check. I'm really glad we had this in our itinerary, it was so fun! You get to run along Lake Michigan. Con: packet pick up be prior to race day at Fleet Feet or $25 for will call pick up day of race.

I have run this race twice. Once when it was the Magellan Chicagoland Spring Half Marathon…read moreback in 2013 and another time most recently in 2016, Michelob ULTRA Chicago Spring 13.1 & 10K. This is a half marathon, just thought I would point that out, which starts on Lake Shore Drive path along side Dusable Harbor. You head out south towards Soldier Field and McCormick Place until you get to 47th Street where you turn around and come back. The course is relatively flat, as is all of Chicago, but there are a few dips and climbs when going over bridges or through under passes. Be ready for great lakeside views and it will probably get a little warm during this May race. There are a good amount of aid stations, water, and time clocks throughout the course. You won't have many spectators as it is an out and back course. There are only a few spots with entertainment/cheering sections. The CSHM finishes in Lake Shore East Park. Run just past the starting area, under LSD, and up a slight hill. Round a corner and you are home free. This race has great giveaways. Starting with the full breakfast plate, you get two beer tickets, and all kinds of free treats. They provided wet towels, Drink Body Armour, bananas, chips, fruits, and more. It is a well timed race for those who have been training all winter and want to strut their stuff come spring time. There is a series which includes this race and the one in September.

This was a fun race despite what is said about the location...it's in a neighborhood you might not…read morebe familiar with on the south side but we took the shuttle from Millenium Park and high fives to that- super easy peezy...since there is nothing more stressful that fussing with parking on race morning! The shuttle buses were super easy to get on, no real wait times either to or fro- so that was a great bonus. The course itself was part street, part lakeshore path. If you're a runner in Chicago, you've probably done a dozen races on that path, but luckily, this one is coming from the South Side and it's great to mix things up a bit. This sign had the BEST signs and great spectators and entertainment...even better than Rock N Roll Chicago this year. I got quite a few laughs from this course and really enjoyed my time running the 13.1 Allstate. It was well organized enough to feel "big" but not so big you got frustrated. Very well organized, good vendors/sponsors for race day- and yes, the beers afterwards were totally delicious!

This race has the good and the bad. It is now sponsored by Michelob Ultra instead of Allstate and…read morethey put out a good spread after the race. The area around the race location is kind of sketchy (there is a reason they recommend taking the shuttle), but the location itself is pretty nice. There were plenty of port o potties at the start, but not too many on the course. The course does get tight at spots and there are some holes throughout the course, but it is a more technical course than the spring half (it is out and back, but you do weave through town a little bit). The medals are huge and there is a decent post race party. A nice change from some of the out and back only Lake Front Trail races.

I have to totally agree with several points made by Yelper Leilo P. OK, so here is a summary of…read moreevents, in order, for my experience with the 2014 Polar Dash 5K / 10K / Half Marathon: 1) Registration is good. I like that they offered early packet pick-up so I could enjoy the fleece and cute penguin hat as soon as it got cold. If I remember correctly, there was some sort of early registration deal via email and I signed up for the Polar Dash and Monster Dash (Oct 2014) in July 2013 and then soon after was able to pick up both jackets later that month to enjoy them ASAP! Both are really nice but the Monster Dash one, in particular, is pretty cool / nicely made. Plus, I get tons of compliments on my penguin hat. 2) Continued promotions -got an email about early registration for the Get Lucky run (March 2014) and was able to pick that up after the Polar Dash. Super cute and nice quality green shamrock-themed jacket. 3) Race Day: OK, here's where it gets crazy. First, the weather made the run difficult -lots of melting snow and big puddles of water on the path. This, obviously, was not their fault. However, that said, I would likely not do another Winter race since this could not be helped. We got lucky with the relief of the sub zero temps but this meant a very messy (melted) course. Second MAJOR issue: disorganization. There was a huge crowd waiting in line -unbeknownst to all of us, we were blocking the path for the half marathoners / elite runners. At one point, the "spotter" bicyclist who was clearing the path for an elite runner hit one of the 5K runners. I felt so bad for her! She was literally knocked to the ground! This was very uncool. Very bad planning on the organizer's part. There should be volunteers directing us / keeping us clear of the path. Or organize it so the starting lines are separated from the finish. There were no repeated announcements, nor organization, so as the crowd moved toward the starting line, we thought, "Oh cool, we are starting!" Um......we ran the 10K. Or maybe it was a half marathon because halfway through, with the puddles and cold and climbing up snow, that's what it felt like. Again, there was supposed to be a volunteer directing 5K (3.1 miles) runners to their correct path but we didn't see anyone! It was only, say 5 or 6 miles in, that I told my husband, "This is crazy. I think we have run the 10K, let's just turn around!" So that is what we did! I honestly think we were on the path for the 13 miles! I could see runners far into the distance and did not even see the turn-around point! I'm so glad we turned around to head back when we did! We finished in 1 hour and 15 minutes so I'm pretty confident that we ran at least 6 miles and were likely on that 13 mile course until we turned around. And (good point from Leilo P.)....now that I think of it, during the 6 plus miles we ran, I did not pass one water station! WTF? How did the poor half marathoners do it then? In summary, great race gear and promotions / packet pick-up; terrible race day organization. I *really* hope that the other two races I'm scheduled to run later this year (Get Lucky and the Monster Dash), all from the same race series (Team Ortho) are much better organized. I'm giving this race 3 vs. 2 starts because of the great race gear AND (light at the end of the tunnel)....the fact that, after all the drama, I was able to pick up my awesome Get Lucky jacket. My sour mood changed instantly and I left (albeit cold, wet and tired) in a much better mood.

The 5K race sucked! There were no water stations, no on course support, and they pointed half of…read morethe participants in the wrong direction so some of us actually ran a 7K while others ran a 3K. They also failed to mention that 5K participants would not be timed! I basically paid a lot of money for a heavy fleece jacket that I will never wear and a Penguin hat. The medal was nice, but I don't know if I really deserved it since I don't know the length I ran! I don't know why this race was so disorganized and expensive when no major streets had to be closed. Team Ortho did send out an apology email and granted entrance to another race, but I won't be running a 5k they offer again. My friends that did the half-marathon enjoyed it more, but also had gripes about the lack of water stations.

One of the best experiences to kick off the end of summer!…read moreThe event was very well organized. It was a Chi -Lite Wonderland. Before the race started, it consisted of the event MC throwing glow-neon merchandise (mohawks & glasses ) into the crowd and sporadically tossing glow sticks. There was a count down before the race started and we were released into several groups and not all at once, which was smart in avoiding a horrid stampede. There were swarms of bubbles, neon paint being splashed on the runners by other random runners. There were check-in points along the race to rehydrate with water & bottled Rockstar gatorade. The drinking cups matched the shirts of the servers. The creative aspect of the event was phenomenal. Umbrellas hanging upside down from the ceiling that were lighted with neon bright lights combined with a water pond of colored lights! The price ticket was $44 ( including taxes etc) Great deal. There were picture booths to capture the moment as well. Ending the race with a rave was perfect. I saved the majority of my energy for the end. At one point, the DJ stated that the Fire Marshal wanted to end the rave earlier than the crowd anticipated but I guess that crowd wasn't "having any of that" so the party continued and lasted a bit longer.

It's a glow-mob mentality! (Yup, heard it, don't care. :-P ) Fantastic event! I hope to do this one…read moreevery year as a sort of end-of-running season finale. It was just so fun! Yes, the $50 price tag is a little steep, but the payoff IMO is well worth it. Consider that you are usually paying $25-$40 for any other walk/run registration, & with this one, the $50 gets you an awesome DJ, music & laser light show- plus funky glow shades, an LED bracelet (required for entrance), and a cute & cooler than most Electric Run t-shirt. Register early. Pricing is date/tier structured. I paid $40 or $45, it went up to $60-$65. There's a diverse crowd, all ages, all strengths, set your own pace. I'd say skip all their overpriced glow/light up accessories. Instead, stock up on your own from party stores, dollar stores & Halloween stores. However, test the glow-in-the-dark makeups before the event, as the gel I bought from a party store was supposed to glow & glitter, but didn't. Try to get glow accessories that require very little assembly! LOL We spent about 45 minutes at the event trying to "break" the sticks & putting our stuff together! We never even stretched, ran out of time. Battery-operated has a nice ring to it! I'm going to start searching for inexpensive items now for next year- & those you can use again, as traditional glow sticks, you can't. Invest! :) I want to do this event every year! This is not a bib/chip-timed event. It's much more of an experience. People are encouraged to dance, & to stop & look at & take your own pics at all the displays along the way. There are some really great photo ops, believe me. Packet pickup is the day prior (or race day- and I saw no long lines for it race day, FYI, thowe were told there would probably be), & no check-in or corral assignments. You just show up with the required bib & LED wristband & line up at will. Easy. The course is pretty well laid out, with only a couple areas where I felt like a hamster on a wheel, like the part where where it was a big parking lot & we were mazing repeatedly thru as if we were waiting in line at an amusement park. But the majority was more well-thought out & the views were spectacular! My favorites by far were all the green & purple lit paper lanterns in the trees, & walking under the "rain of light" canopy, as I like to call it. Side note: how can I incorporate this in my master bedroom?? I did have some anxiety- hi, have we met? I prefer to walk/jog/run on smooth surfaces. I do not like potholes, cracks, puddles, curbs, gravel, sand, mud, quicksand, time-warps, vortexes or the like! (Well, let's be honest; who doesn't like the Time Warp...it's just a step to the right...) Thankfully, this course was very good for the most part. There were, however, places where it was almost complete darkness, but still lots of people. It's a little unnerving not to be able to see the ground in front of you, but I seemed to be the only one acting like I needed to press the call button at an assisted-living facility, so I'm pretty sure I was in the minority. Plus, the hydration tables were awesomely stocked with glow cups of water, but as usual they just get thrown on the ground (why are there never trash cans??), so you have to be careful not to trip or slip there-- & organizers, how bout we don't choose an area going down hill when there's water & objects on the ground in an almost pitch-black tunnel? Just sayin'! I have one major & one minor complaint, & here's where ER lost a star. MINOR: The after party was inside which was fine, but it was HOT & stuffy. Bring in some fans. I think they sell them at Target. MAJOR: the ridiculously long, slow & understaffed lines for drinks at the party. This event attended by 10,000 people was sponsored by Southern Comfort, & we were all set to do a little drinking. WHERE were the BARTENDERS?? I am not exaggerating when I say there were 2 lines with one bartender each. Lines extended across the width of the great hall we were in. That line...did. not. move. Remember when Grandpa Morty bar tended your cousin's wedding reception? Yeah, it was like that. They really lost out here on so much money. A lot of people, my party included, skipped it. I'm pretty patient with most things- que sera sera, right, but we didn't want to stand in those lines when we could've been dancing. Next time, ima bring a flask. Haha Don't, they do search your bag. (Speaking of that, there is no bag/gear check, so pack light. So much easier not to be carrying anything.) I have really enjoyed the 5/8K's this spring and summer. I have never enjoyed an after-race more than this one! There is nothing quite as fantastic as you nearing the finish line to see the show/lights/crowd in the slight distance waiting for you. I felt like I was entering the party at Zion in The Matrix! Lol And I only picked up a mild contact high, just for a sec, & then my dancing frenzy resumed... increased...enhanced...improved? Well, anyway, it was super fun!

Wanna get all glowy and run? Well this is for you!…read more My friends and I decided to run the 5k instead of the 10k and I'm really happy that was the case. The running path was VERY poorly lit, however I do understand that it's a night time run and the point of it is to be a "glow in the dark race" but it's kinda dangerous to do this run because you may end up running into something/someone or get caught in a hole. I'd recommend Firefly choosing a different path to run (that at least has *some* light) and also sending the runners off in waves (maybe like 200 at a time, this would help with the congestion at the beginning of the race). Packet pickup at Universal Sole was very easy. The staff there was super friendly. I love the concept of this race and wouldn't rule it out in the future as long as they make a couple of changes.

First year runs always have hiccups, and Firefly 2012 was no exception. However, for a first year…read morerun, it wasn't that bad at all, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again in the future. Pre-event packet pick up was great. No expo, just simple stop by Universal Sole for your packet. Pre-race packet pick up seemed to run very quickly. Packets weren't extensive, but still nice. Standard cotton t-shirt, bib, timing chip. The best part were the 3M LED reflective (velcro) strips. I'll be reusing those quite a bit since I tend to do my training runs in pre-dawn hours. Gear check was quick for dropping off, but an extremely long line for retrieving gear. It seemed that they were short of volunteers, or at least didn't put volunteers in the right places. I had a friend watching my bag, so I can't speak as to how secure the gear check was, however I did note that it seems to be a completely open tent, no closed off area. The run itself: The 10K started at 7:30. No waves. Very small and tight starting area. The 5K started at 7:45. Again, no waves, very small and tight starting area. They need to have waves, and a bigger start corral area. Runners were having to navigate around race watchers and tables. A night run is fun, but depending on the course can be dangerous. They didn't need spotlights, but they definitely could have used more soft lights along the race path. The paths themselves were a combination of dirt paths and paved paths around Montrose Harbor lakefront trails. Which are notoriously pock-marked and potholed ridden. It can be dangerous enough in full daylight on foot or on bike. At night, with no lights, people were tripping/falling/face-planting. The paths are also narrow. So congestion was an issue when you came up against a pack of joggers/walkers keeping pace with each other. In a wide line. Blocking the path. (Argh). And some near mishaps with strollers weaving in and out of the crowds, trying to avoid the aforementioned potholes. Hopefully the race organizers will make the appropriate changes for both safety and congestion issues. Post-race: The finish line got too crowded. Again, I think they didn't have enough volunteers for crowd control, or just didn't have volunteers in the right places. Post race "finish bracelet" was one of those plastic bracelets that's supposed to glow in the dark. Nothing fancy. There was a tent handing out goody bags, but the line was extremely long, and didn't appear to be worth it for a bag that was folded flat and didn't appear to contain any alluring goodies. (I'm guessing it was probably coupons/fliers inside.) The race organizers had advertised food trucks for post-race food during the post-race party and costume contest. There were a few food trucks, in addition to the two food vendors that are there all season, and the popsicle bike guys. Unfortunately the food trucks didn't seem prepared for the amount of people, and were running out of food before all the runners were even finished. The DJ for the post-race party was good, entertaining, high energy. The costume contest went by quickly, and offered good prizes. The post-race party definitely seemed to wrap up quickly, whether that was planned, or they just ended early because everyone left. Since the food trucks left after running out of food, and there were no beer tents, or additional food tents, and only a couple of sponsors handing out beverage samples, there wasn't much motivation for runners to stay for an after-race party. The atmosphere was more of runners grabbing their gear, maybe a popsicle, and then just going home for lack of anything better to do. So yeah, ups and downs, pros and cons. But none of the cons were too egregious. All things that can be easily addressed as the event staff gain experience and hopefully take into account any and all feedback they received after this year's race. It's a nice location, so close to the waterfront. Ample parking, at least compared to downtown. And it's a fun theme. Saw some great costumes!

I agree! Great race. Very small, neighboorhood and family oriented! It was my first time this year…read more A cool run down 26th St. in Little Village. The shirt was cool and the whole event, from packet pick-up to the actual race was organized and well executed! I'm a happy camper (or should I say runner?) and I'll be back next year!!

This race continues to grow each year, and with it so has the organization. Much bigger and more…read moreorganized this year. I will continue to support this race as long as I can. Just like other years I thoroughly enjoyed it, plus you get a jarrito with your goodie bag.

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.