The race is completely flat, as far as I'm concerned. I've read repeatedly about the incline up…read moreSummit Ave. around mile 20. But other than about a short hill a block long, I don't recall any other "hills". (Keep in mind, this, coming from a San Franciscan.) The tour of the lakes was a treat, as was the various neighborhoods the course wound through. Out of the 35+ races I've done, this is my favorite, thus far. I'm a big fan of well-organized races that are smaller and more low-key. But I forget how a huge amount of support can help. I have never done a race with this many spectators lined up from beginning to end, cheering for YOU. After awhile, you zone out--especially in those latter miles when all you want to do is finish--but whether you realize it or not, their enthusiasm certainly keeps your morale up. Thank you, MSP, for your Midwestern hospitality!

I had a great experience running the Twin Cities Marathon this year-so glad I signed up!…read more Email updates were helpful and timely, my corral placement (there were 3 and I was placed in 2) was fair, and I love that I didn't need to enter a lottery to enter like I had to for Chicago last year. The expo (held at the St. Paul RiverCentre this year) was busy but pretty well-organized, if you knew to head past all of the booths to the packet pick-up. Participants had to self-scan their bibs to activate the timing chip, but that only took a second and there wasn't much of a line. Wide variety of cool running apparel/gear and marathon essentials sold, along with lots of freebies (yay Clif bar samples, Caribou coffee, and other swag). I found this expo much less stressful than Chicago's. The race course is absolutely beautiful, taking you from downtown Minneapolis to St. Paul. After some hard-core googling for previous marathoners' accounts of this race, I psyched myself out about hills, especially on Summit Ave. My take on this after running the race: don't worry! There are some hills, but nothing crazy, and the course is quite flat for the most part (and there's an downhill finish that makes you feel amazing crossing the finish line). Running around the lakes was probably my favorite part. Crowd support was amazing (lots of funny signs, kids offering high fives, and nice spectators offering hugs/water/donuts/beer/fruit/etc.), and the volunteers made the race go super smoothly! Powerade/water stations were labeled clearly and staggered appropriately every few miles (along with port-a-potties), and the post-race refueling options were great (bananas, fruit cups, chocolate milk, soup, coffee, water, chips, nut rolls, etc.). Got an emergency blanket, and the finisher medal and long-sleeved tech shirt I received are pretty and of good quality, too! I also love that as a spectator or runner, you can sign up to receive mobile text notifications on up to 3 runners-that way you know when runners pass certain points and finish the race! My results were also available by the time I got back home from the race, and the photos should be up within a few days. (Instant gratification is my fave!) Would definitely return to attempt a PR on this marathon. Highly recommend for marathon newbies or veterans!

actually insane that i did this…read more as someone who doesn't workout (like i literally just walked around lakes everyday for a week to "train" for this) this wasn't as bad as i thought it was gonna be. i did all of the obstacle courses except for tear gas and electric shock. luckily i was with the HOTWORX team so it helped a lot since you really need boosts to complete a few. i was fully prepared to just check this off once but i would do it again.

Super fun race! I wish it was 50 and sunny like last year in November but the weather didn't deter…read morethe racers! I did the 10k and the course was beautiful, definitely a good number of hills which gives it a bit of a challenge. The finishers mug was also a nice warm treat after which made pushing through the cold worth it! My only feedback is the finish line was a little bit of a walk to the area where you get the finishers mug and we only got water bottles at the finish, it would've been nice if they were a little closer or get a banana or something small at the finish. Otherwise it was a fun race and well put together!

A lot of broken promises. I finished first in my age group. Ram Racing…read morestates that they will mail me information on my jacket, voucher for next year and medal? Received nothing. If you want to remember the race you have to buy a shirt/sweatshirt. This was the most expensive race I have ever run and I didn't even get a T-shirt. Corporate greed at its finest.

We booked a private party for adults at Pro Kart and had an awesome experience from start to…read morefinish. The booking process was super easy, straightforward, and pleasant. They send the check-in form ahead of time, so once you arrive it's quick and seamless, no standing around filling out paperwork. You can bring your own helmet or use one of theirs, which is nice, and I loved that you can choose between different course and race options. We booked the Grand Prix package and it was perfect. Tons of lap time, a great mix of practice, qualifying, and racing, and plenty of time actually on the track. They also have an option to show up and drive also for spontaneous dates. The karts themselves are great. Fast, gas-powered, and really fun to drive. The track setup is well designed and makes the racing feel legit, not gimmicky. One of the best parts was getting to see all the stats afterward, lap times, rankings, and performance breakdowns. It adds a competitive edge that makes it even more fun for a group. The staff were super friendly and helpful throughout the whole experience, and everything ran smoothly. This is such a great option for adult group events, birthdays, or date night. We would absolutely do this again.

First time visit! I was super intimidated going on the track especially figuring out the helmet,…read morecart, and remember the flag colors but the staff is helpful, easy going, and attentive. I felt like I got plenty of track time and overall a fun experience!

I love this race. I've only run it once, but having downtown Minneapolis shut down to allow folks…read moreto run a fast road race was a blast! Runners are broken up into various waves. I was in the 40+ masters wave, and was able to nearly toe the line. Some slower milers were up front as well, so that would be a strike against the organizers. Each 1/4 mile is marked off with a timing split, tho I somehow missed the first 1/4 mile marker. Not sure what happened there. Maybe the haze of lactic acid build up was messing with my vision? After you are finished, you can watch the elite women and men race. I feel fortunate that I've seen 5 or 6 people race a mile in under four minutes by attending this race. Not too many people can say that, you know

I had not been to Canterbury in 10 years. We won tickets and were able to rent a clubhouse table on…read morethe glass. It was so fun to have a higher level view of the whole track, with a mini TV to see up close. We were able to order food and drinks to the table, which was good. I had never bet on horses before but the teller was very kind and helpful when I told her it was my first time. We also played blackjack in the casino which was so fun, the dealers made it a great experience for it being my first time as well. When we went to watch down by the track, we randomly got selected to participate in a wheelbarrow race and ended up winning concert tickets for Canterbury park. That was a major plus!! I love that you can watch the horses walk the circle before they race.

It's been years since we last watched/played the horses. Our son invited us and while a lot is the…read moresame, important parts have changed, namely the betting. The food is standard stadium fare. If you're seated in the enclosed grandstand you'll enjoy table service, full bar, and convenient bet placing! Save your winning tickets the cashier is on the level below the table service area, but you can place the bets in a variety of areas!

I love the Minnesota State Fair. It is a dreamland! It is absolutely the funnest place ever. I…read moredon't know where to start. The first time I went was three years ago and it blew me away! The size of the fair alone is so impressive! I'd never seen or been to anything like it. The food at the fair I could write a novel about how fun the food is and the adventures you go on finding different items. I've eaten so much food here and I always leave craving more of my favorite things. The beer selection alone is impressive. This year my goal was to try as many different new beers as I could. I got to 12 different ones. All so good and delicious. One of my favorite from this year was the caramel apple beer or the key lime pie! So good. The activities are always so fun and exciting. I always feel like a little kid coming back. Seeing the butter sculptures and the art made of beans and grains, the grandstand with all the shops, the dog shows, and even all the live music. That is only a small number of things you can get into! It's been our family tradition for the last three years. I keep coming back. I can't wait for next year!

My first time at the State Fair and it did not disappoint…read more Things we did that helped our group have a great time: Attend during the week if possible. The crowd is much smaller than the weekends. Very few long lines for food or rides. We parked across the street at a school and paid a small parking fee. It was a short walk to the entrance and at the end of the day, you want a short walk back to the car. We brought water, lots of water. It's hot and food and beverages can be expensive. Dress cool. Denim is not your friend with the heat and humidity. We wrote down new food options we wanted to try ahead of time as there are hundreds of food and beverage stands throughout the fair. We only found one of the new food options which was disappointing but we still ate all kinds of yummy treats. We rode the skyway to the other side of the fairgrounds snd worked our way back to the front. There are an abundance of alcoholic beverage buildings throughout the fair and they don't care if you walk around the fair with alcohol. All of the animal exhibits were wonderful. Beautiful animals. Especially the birthing building. How lucky were we to view a live birth! There are so many craft and food exhibitions. However, all of the buildings are hot. No air conditioning. It was difficult to spend too much time in any one building which was disappointing. If you are with a larger group such as us, we only bought a couple of food items and shared amongst the group so we could try more items. The rides and carnival games were meh. I could skip this entire section next year. Loved that there were plenty of security guards throughout the fair. I think this helped quite a bit with crowd control. Especially the evening. A variety of shopping available with deals including pontoons, clothes, docks, RV's etc. There were various music venues scattered through the fairgrounds. All the bands were heard were excellent. Especially in the international section. All the staff we interacted with were very nice. Overall we had a nice time. Would definitely attend in the future.