Tiffany K's Staging Area

The course was primarily flat, weaving through several parks in Chicago’s west-side neighborhoods. However, the route included a few potholes, one of which led to me twisting my ankle and overall, the scenery was fairly limited. On a positive note, the spectators and volunteers were enthusiastic and very supportive throughout the race. Bib pickup was quite congested and could benefit from better organization, potentially by using a more suitable location. Additionally, given the scale of the race and the high registration fee, I would have expected a more substantial swag package.

This was a small, pleasant race that started near downtown Cleveland and headed toward the Towpath Trail. I was surprised by a few of the bridge inclines and declines along the route, but overall it was a comfortable run with a manageable crowd. There were plenty of snacks and water at the finish, plus free shirts from previous years.

This was a well-organized event with fully closed, paved roads to support the large number of runners. The course had some rolling hills but was mostly downhill. Aid stations could use improvement. I had to pause briefly to grab a water cup, and a few stations didn’t appear to be officially set up by the race organizers, which caused some confusion. That said, the cheering squads were energetic and abundant, adding a great boost along the way. Overall, a fantastic race experience!

The route mostly followed the Rio Grande and was well-marked, but the terrain was predominantly sandy through the forest, making it challenging to run. The route wasn’t closed off, so we had to navigate around other pedestrians and dogs. As someone visiting from out of state, the elevation (~5,000 ft) was something I had to adjust to as well. The swag included a long-sleeve tee, a finisher medal, and some bread and granola bars at the end of the race. The volunteers at the aid stations were friendly and encouraging.

The course itself was very average – just a loop around campus on the pavement. Due to the massive amount of participants, it was tricky to run through people. The fun part was just running with friends and grabbing sports drinks and snacks afterwards.