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 :)

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 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.

A really fun spring run. Half course is straight / extremely flat and run on crushed gravel…read more(except for beginning and end). If it were not for the time of year (and area of the country), I would suggest this is a PR course. Race volunteers are extremely enthusiastic (I think most have a passion for the charity affiliated with the event.) Nice goodies at the end of race (beer and pizza). Course support and finisher medals just OK, but I give a pass as the race raises a good amount of money for a great cause. Note: Comments based on 2014 race.

Modeled after the television show The Amazing Race, the Amazing Milwaukee Race is the local version…read moreof the race. Trust me, it's a lot of fun! The Amazing Milwaukee Race is a great way of meeting people and to learn about Milwaukee. It also brings more awareness to community activities, various restaurants, non profits and places you probably would never have visited otherwise and make a difference in the Milwaukee area (such as donating to the Historical Society to upkeep a memorial, building a prop for a local acting company, or spruce up a wall of a school by painting it). Per The Amazing Milwaukee Race's facebook: "Teams of two experience Milwaukee landmarks and businesses on an amazing urban adventure with clues: activities, puzzles, & checkpoints that challenge participants to get from start to finish. Inspired by the TV show's design, it is a one day "Amazing Race."" I strongly recommend you participate in it to not only learn about Milwaukee but just to have fun!

I attended a conference here and thought it was a cool site for a group of 40 or so if you like…read moretrendsetting. The event ran smoothly and they never ran out of refreshments

This is the third triathlon I've experienced and it was the best! It was pretty small (but not the…read moresmallest triathlon), casual, and just gosh darn beautiful! The entire race is in Bigfoot Park. Swimmers swim in clear waters where they can see fish near the bottom. They bike on a closed off road that skirts the park and the lake. Lastly, they enjoy a scenic run in the woods to finish. Oh - and the transition area was really well organized. Everyone was assigned a particular spot in transition and (what's more) everyone abided by their placement. Spectators have an easy view of all three events and move around without disrupting the race. There are even picnic tables for them to sit at while waiting. Additionally, there's a ton of portapotties and other bathroom facilities scattered throughout. Besides, there weren't THAT many spectators. It seemed as if many racers came solo just to enjoy the race and not to be cheered on by fans. Since it's a small race, the scores are posted on paper immediately after the race. However, because it's a small race, there also aren't a lot of bells and whistles. Unless you placed in your age group or something I don't think you got any type of award or participation ribbon. The swag bag only contained race related necessities (timing chip and bib) and a Running Away Multisport sweatshirt. No granola bars or chapstick or anything else. At the end, racers received a bag of food (that's where you could get a Silk drink, banana, bagel, and granola bar).

This was an awesome race, great course, and a whole lot of fun…read more Lake Geneva is crystal clear and it was a fun course to swim. The bike course took you out in the country of the best state in the USA. The run was a fantastic trail run with great spectator participation. This was probably my favorite course I've done so far and would do it again in a heartbeat!

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!

This is a nice race...even if you wimp out and only sign up for the 5k like me. :) All the races…read morehave good attendance but there's more hype around the quarter (its essentially a little less than doing a 10k) and the half marathon. I think it used to start later in the summer but they made the wise move of starting earlier in the June. Its a lot more pleasant to run when its 60 than when its 80 degrees out. With the quarter and half marathon: -you get to go on the Hoan bridge. -you get a "tech" material shirt. -you start right at 7 am vs 7:20. Why I didnt do the quarter marathon (other than I'm flabby and tired sometimes :): It's about $35 more for the quarter marathon and it starts at 7 am on a Saturday in summer. I dont know about you but it's really a gamble whether I'm getting my butt out of bed and showing up for these things on a weekend morning in summer. $30 is one thing - $65 is another. I registered late so it was $30 but you get goodies that make up for the cost including: -tshirt -medal -summerfest ticket -polish fest ticket -nice earbuds (you know you can always use more of these.) -free drink ticket -water, chocolate milk, banana, & snacks at finish. Couple things: - they ran out of large t-shirts by the time I got to pick up my stuff but medium is still pretty decent sized. -chocolate milk at the finish line=nothing I want in my GI tract after running hard in the summer. -I would suggest walking or biking down here if you live nearby at all. Many roads are closed in the morning and it just seemed a lot easier. Bike racks are next to the Summerfest Southgate and by the finish line

I heart Milwaukee and I heart this race!…read more It was my second time running this half marathon and I finished 20 minutes faster than last year! I signed up at the Shamrock Shuffle 8K Expo in Chicago and got a discount as well as the dirfit shirt from last year's marathon...score! The course was pretty much the same as last year with a challenging start up and down the Hoan bridge twice!...and that wicked incline up to the residential area after mile 6. What makes this race special are the great scenic views of Milwaukee's Hoan bridge, lovely quiet mansions, downhill stretch down towards the lakefront, past Discovery World and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Energetic pacers will keep you in check in case the fun sights begin to distract you from a PR goal. Water/gatorade stations litter the course about every couple miles or so...the most I've seen in my history of running half marathons...all three of them! Entertainment along the way also took the form of a band rocking out the 80's music, a Chinese dragon, Mexican folk dancers, a saxophonist, a spectator dressed as Scooby Doo. Even the runners were part of the entertainment too. I saw one dressed as Elvis! Crossing that finish line with the Hoan bridge in view was an amazing feeling. The volunteers were so sincere in congratulating runners. I love love the chocolate milk you get at the end of the race. They actually have so much re-fueling snacks at the finish that I was running out of hands to carry it all! This race is definitely challenging but worth every minute of the blood, sweat, and tears. The free beer doesn't hurt either=)

This was a pretty cool event. I have not been to the Six Flags theme park in at least 6 or 7 years…read more I'm pretty sure the last time I was there, the water park was not even built yet! The race was very well organized and was not crazy at all -I would estimate that there were about 200-300 participants or so. I like that it was not crazy like some of the bigger downtown Chicago races. The first mile was through the parking lot; at mile 2, you enter the park. It was super cool to run through the park and see how it has changed. The water park portion was so extensive that I definitely want to go back next summer. -Not just for the water park but for the rides too! I had no idea of the additions and remodeling that had gone on. Running through the entire park brought back so many childhood memories for me. It was crazy to see all of the old structures still there as well as many new rides and attractions. If you are looking for some new "scenery" during a 5K, this was a cool event. My only criticism is how they handled packet pick-up: it was only 12-3pm on the Saturday prior in Gurnee. I had to work that day, and when I left to try to make it in time, there was a torrential rain storm and I had to get off the highway. However, I'm proud of the way they handled it -my friend who did make it out to Gurnee said they will let you come to the race early and pick up the packet beforehand. So, that's what I did. No long lines, no drama. Again, a unique event for those looking for something different than the typical neighborhood race.