| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| H (°F) | 91 | 83 | 87 | 85 | 89 |
| L (°F) | 74 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 72 |
It was my first time running a 5K and it was great. There a was a lot of donuts and it was cool event. I went there with my family … MORE
It was my first time running a 5K and it was great. There a was a lot of donuts and it was cool event. I went there with my family and they also loved. Overall I would recommend to anyone.
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My dad and I are visiting Chicago for non-running reasons this weekend but of course we were going to find a race while we are here. By luck the Stan's … MORE
My dad and I are visiting Chicago for non-running reasons this weekend but of course we were going to find a race while we are here. By luck the Stan’s Donut 5K took place while we were visiting since my dad love Stan’s Donuts which is a Chicago donut chain. The race had excellent and frequent but not excessive pre-race communication. Packet pick-up was either Thursday or Friday before the race at a local running store or you could do it race morning. We arrived in Chicago Friday morning and got our packets Friday evening. It was easy and packet included a nice, very pink donut themed tech shirt along with bib and some coupons. The race takes place at Montrose Harbor by Lake Michigan. Just a warning there is a not an easy way to get there by public transportation. The closest bus stop was about 1 mile away so we took an uber since we didn’t have a car. There seemed to be plenty of parking if you do drive to the race. The race area was set up nice with separate start and finish lines and a few booths, some games and bouncy houses for kids, and blow-up donuts for selfies and pictures. The race had waves every 3 minutes. They assigned you a wave based on predicted finishing time. The race was chipped time with mat at start and finish so it didn’t matter when you started for your time. The RD was very funny and interactive at the start line. The first few waves did seem to just be the fast runners but no one seemed to be following the assigned waves after that. That’s my only production critique is they could have done a better job separating the waves by pace but at the same time it was kind of nice to have it more laid back. I started somewhere in the middle around when I was assigned and I passed a lot of slower runners and walkers. However the waves did space everyone out perfectly and the course was wide so it was not hard to pass people. The course was nice around the harbor. The weather was absolutely perfect. There was some pretty lake views and some nice city views. Some views were just plain park views but nothing was unpleasant. Course was well marked and super fast. It was flat but not quite pancake flat with some very minor inclines and declines which is generally the best elevation profile for me. There were 2 water/donut stations at miles 1 and 2 where they had mini donuts and cups of water. I decided to go for the mini donuts. The first one was glazed and it was delicious and the second was cinnamon sugar and it was somehow even better. Was it a good idea to eat the donuts? That depends…if you want to have as much fun and fully experience the race as possible go for it but if you want the fastest time possible and to avoid stomach cramps it’s not the best idea. I was super fast today except for stopping to eat the donuts and did develop stomach cramps around mile 2.25 but it was worth it. I powered through to have a fast finish even with eating the donuts. At the finish line you get your donut themed medal which is very nice for a 5K. Participants also get a free delicious donut. There is also cold brew coffee and Reign energy drink so plenty of caffeine. Overall this was a well organized, really fun 5K with great swag and delicious donuts. Definitely a race I would recommend and I would do again if I happened to be in Chicago.
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The Stan's Donut 5K was such a great run to participate in. The course had great scenery, Soldier Field never disappoints! Family-friendly experience and a very tasty event with mini … MORE
The Stan’s Donut 5K was such a great run to participate in. The course had great scenery, Soldier Field never disappoints! Family-friendly experience and a very tasty event with mini donut stations on course, as well as full-sized donuts and iced coffee at the finish. Plenty of photo opportunities and activities to participate in. The swag was probably the best part! Each participant receives a t-shirt, sparkly finisher medal and more. Definitely recommend, and definitely participating again next time!
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Great race
It was my first time running a 5K and it was great. There a was a lot of donuts and it was cool event. I went there with my family … MORE
It was my first time running a 5K and it was great. There a was a lot of donuts and it was cool event. I went there with my family and they also loved. Overall I would recommend to anyone.
Donut Stop!
My dad and I are visiting Chicago for non-running reasons this weekend but of course we were going to find a race while we are here. By luck the Stan's … MORE
My dad and I are visiting Chicago for non-running reasons this weekend but of course we were going to find a race while we are here. By luck the Stan’s Donut 5K took place while we were visiting since my dad love Stan’s Donuts which is a Chicago donut chain. The race had excellent and frequent but not excessive pre-race communication. Packet pick-up was either Thursday or Friday before the race at a local running store or you could do it race morning. We arrived in Chicago Friday morning and got our packets Friday evening. It was easy and packet included a nice, very pink donut themed tech shirt along with bib and some coupons. The race takes place at Montrose Harbor by Lake Michigan. Just a warning there is a not an easy way to get there by public transportation. The closest bus stop was about 1 mile away so we took an uber since we didn’t have a car. There seemed to be plenty of parking if you do drive to the race. The race area was set up nice with separate start and finish lines and a few booths, some games and bouncy houses for kids, and blow-up donuts for selfies and pictures. The race had waves every 3 minutes. They assigned you a wave based on predicted finishing time. The race was chipped time with mat at start and finish so it didn’t matter when you started for your time. The RD was very funny and interactive at the start line. The first few waves did seem to just be the fast runners but no one seemed to be following the assigned waves after that. That’s my only production critique is they could have done a better job separating the waves by pace but at the same time it was kind of nice to have it more laid back. I started somewhere in the middle around when I was assigned and I passed a lot of slower runners and walkers. However the waves did space everyone out perfectly and the course was wide so it was not hard to pass people. The course was nice around the harbor. The weather was absolutely perfect. There was some pretty lake views and some nice city views. Some views were just plain park views but nothing was unpleasant. Course was well marked and super fast. It was flat but not quite pancake flat with some very minor inclines and declines which is generally the best elevation profile for me. There were 2 water/donut stations at miles 1 and 2 where they had mini donuts and cups of water. I decided to go for the mini donuts. The first one was glazed and it was delicious and the second was cinnamon sugar and it was somehow even better. Was it a good idea to eat the donuts? That depends…if you want to have as much fun and fully experience the race as possible go for it but if you want the fastest time possible and to avoid stomach cramps it’s not the best idea. I was super fast today except for stopping to eat the donuts and did develop stomach cramps around mile 2.25 but it was worth it. I powered through to have a fast finish even with eating the donuts. At the finish line you get your donut themed medal which is very nice for a 5K. Participants also get a free delicious donut. There is also cold brew coffee and Reign energy drink so plenty of caffeine. Overall this was a well organized, really fun 5K with great swag and delicious donuts. Definitely a race I would recommend and I would do again if I happened to be in Chicago.
Awesome Experience!
The Stan's Donut 5K was such a great run to participate in. The course had great scenery, Soldier Field never disappoints! Family-friendly experience and a very tasty event with mini … MORE
The Stan’s Donut 5K was such a great run to participate in. The course had great scenery, Soldier Field never disappoints! Family-friendly experience and a very tasty event with mini donut stations on course, as well as full-sized donuts and iced coffee at the finish. Plenty of photo opportunities and activities to participate in. The swag was probably the best part! Each participant receives a t-shirt, sparkly finisher medal and more. Definitely recommend, and definitely participating again next time!