I admit -I'm a bit partial. This 5K was held by the gym I go to. I love this gym and sense of…read morecommunity of those who attend every day and I was really excited about this race. It's not every day that you know a large majority of people involved in the event you are attending. However, this review is an objective review based on my experience with many, many 5K events. I was super impressed as to how organized this race was, especially given the really bad weather yesterday. The weather held out until about 15 minutes prior to the start, and then it was a complete downpour! They made frequent announcements and were even prepared and passed out rain ponchos to those who wanted them. Since the registration disclaimer said "rain or shine", the race was on! I was particularly impressed with the turnout and excitement of the crowd to continue to run despite the rain. There were elite athletes going for time, the "regular folks" (like me) and a bunch of walkers and families with strollers. What I LOVED about all the people who were either registered or volunteering (or even those hanging out to support everyone) was that everyone was excited and pumped up and wanted to make this a great event regardless of the damper of the downpour! The route was great -in years past, I was told people in the neighborhood typically come out and cheer but this was not case due to the rain. You could see a few people on their front porch watching, but the weather definitely had an effect on the neighborhood "cheerleaders." No worries -the volunteers along the route were happy to give "high fives" and words of encouragement as they directed the participants down the route! My favorite part of the race was two things -fellow gym member, Theo, spinnin' house music at the finish and our "coach" Lamont, who trains us every day, cheering us on as we crossed the finish line. There is nothing better than having your "coach" see the rewards of all of his training! I am definitely doing this race next year and am hoping for much better weather!

I enjoyed this race despite it being one of my worse 5K run times ever due to not training…read morewhatsoever. Normally in preparation for a 5K, I would do some sort of speed work in-between normal mileage leading up to the event, however both lacked because of life responsibilities. The glorious part about not training is that your pacing is off. Once I clocked that first mile I had an idea of what pace I preferred. Other than that, it felt great not to have that expectation to go out and kill myself, which took a stress load off. But best believe next year I have a goal! And that goal is to beat that 21:33 time that is hovering over my head at the moment. I loved the support that this race had along its course, and the race official brought enthusiasm. Outside of the volunteers on the course there were also people cheering us on from their window or porch, which is rare during a 5k event. The course itself was very accurate, flat, and out-and-back with nothing extra. It was also well marked, yet had a biker guiding the lead runner with everyone else following. Out-and-back courses are fun because you encounter the other runners in route back to the finish, which gives you that extra support to push on. The only thing that can hinder your performance during this race is the weather, so I recommend wearing something on the lines of a light long-sleeved shirt or either that fantastic race shirt with arm warmers. We all know that Chicago weather is unpredictable in the fall, so do not count out wearing shorts. With all being said if you are considering Lawndale 5k you will not be disappointed. Thomas G

I have never done an indoor race before, so that was something new and I'm all about expanding your…read moreexperiences. It was definitely better to run in controlled conditions than have to worry abour rain, sleet or snow in an unpredictable February (even though it ended up being 45 degrees and sunny). They did a really good job organizing everything. I found Check-In relatively easily and was directed to Gear Check. The lines moved quickly and I was at the Start Pens (12min+ I'm ashamed to admit). They let each Pen approach the Starting Line every two minutes and sounded the horn. It definitely helped keep people from stampeding and made the Course less congested. I was a big fan of the victory bananas and Smart Water. Can't say that I liked the Powerade (I'm a Vitamin Water Zero girl). I also didn't like the Gear Check Volunteer snapping at my friend's friend to "cover up [her] number!" when she asked her number (clearly printed on our bibs) and was told she already had her bag. Overall, I think it was run pretty well and will get better with a few improvements. It was their first year. I might do it next year if they bring it back, but I personally didn't like how it felt like a maze with all the winding between the North and South Buildings. I hated that you could see almost the entire Course. That's mostly because I kept seeing how much was left to run and all I could think was, "I'm glad a cardiovascular organization is running this because I might have a heart attack."

Not particularly well organized event (wasn't exactly easy to figure out where you needed to go for…read morethe race in McCormick when you were there). Course has many turns (as you would anticipate in an indoor race), and when running with the large group of entrants, log jams occurred at many of the turns. Nice to get out of the house in the winter and do something physical, but I would probably look for something else besides this event to do. Note: Writing my review for 2014 event.

To my knowledge, this was the first year this event took place in Chicago. This was a seriously fun…read more5K! It was held at night and started at around 8pm. There was a huge storm so it was delayed a bit. I was so excited that they waited the storm out and we were still able to run. They planned out this route really well. There was dance music at almost every single point in the race. Some races, you run and it's totally quiet for an entire mile. With this race, it was a cool blend of light show, effects, glow in the dark and all out dance party. Then, after you finished, there was this crazy big rave-like dance party in Soldier Field! I could not believe how much fun I actually had. Even though I'm an "old fogie" ...I even managed to work my way up close to the stage, just to get the full effect. Ahhhh, I remember my club days. I highly recommend this event if it returns next year. Super fun time -I'm inviting a boat load of people!

This race had potential to be a 4 or 5 star race but it fell a bit flat for me. I think if they…read moretake a lot of feedback that they got on the Facebook event page and improve these areas next year, I would probably give it another shot. It was rainy and dreary the night that we ran. Luckily, it did eventually stop however it pushed the race back awhile. I won't blame them because they were trying to wait it out, but we did end up not starting until a lot later than we were supposed to. Pros: -Soldier field! I've never even been to a Bears game, so getting to walk on the field and see where the Bears play was pretty cool. -It was at night, which I liked. We didn't have to get up super early to make it there. -It was an untimed race, so there was no pressure to hurry up or worry that you wouldn't finish in time. -Volunteers were all really friendly and encouraging. -Glow tunnel.. sooo cool and probably the best part. What's not to love about jogging through a tunnel made of Christmas lights? Cons: -Since it practically flooded the day of the race, it was really slippery during certain parts of the race (namely when we ran underground at McCormick place.) I'm super uncoordinated, so I had to walk most of that and probably didn't do as good as I could have. -SWAG bags were a bit lacking. They promoted a "super awesome glow kit" but it was nothing more than two glow necklaces. That and a black drawstring bag were the only SWAG that we were given. I wish we would have got shirts for free instead, but you had to buy them. -The "after party" was cool-ish but you were stuck with stadium priced drinks and food. We got a hot dog, hamburger and bottle of water and ended up dishing out almost $20. I would have liked if we got a coupon for something free or even lower priced items. -LOTS of walkers and it was hard to get around them sometimes. I wish they had separated runners and walkers or at least had the walkers start later. I also read online that other cities were throwing washable paint at certain mile markers, but they didn't do that at our race. I'm wondering if they had too many complaints about it and decided it against doing it anymore. The race wasn't horrible -- in fact, we did enjoy ourselves -- I just think that they could improve it if they decide to do another one.

Like Andrea H, I have a soft spot for the RnR half because it was the first half marathon I ever…read moreran; it's also why I'm rounding this 3.5 star experience up to 4. Last year, despite a primarily positive experience, I had three main complaints - unisex shirts, plastic cups at water stations, and not enough port-a-potties. They seemed to remedy the plastic cup issue, but I'm not so sure about the other two. Here are some things worth mentioning about the race: + Music along the course keeps it entertaining. - Expensive entry fee - $80-110 for a half marathon isn't cheap and there are definitely better deals to be had. + Scaled back goodie bags. While this is a negative for most, I throw 90% of my bag's contents in the trash anyway and felt less wasteful. - The finish line layout was awkward, almost maze-like. -Unisex shirts, booo! At this price point, they should offer separate sizing; many smaller (cheaper) races are able to accomplish this. Even the smallest mens size isn't that small. + Shirt exchange at the expo - unlike last year, if your shirt was ginormous, you could exchange it on the spot for a smaller, less potato sack like size. - The medals don't list the race year; the cynic in me says this makes it easier for them to reuse next year. - Not enough people/organization at water stations. Many of the early water stations were completely overwhelmed, not being able to pour fast enough to meet demand. Some of the later ones weren't directing people further down the station causing backups. + New, more interesting course. I like the changes and since I didn't really review the course in advance, it was nice surprise. All in all this is a fun race series and I would recommend doing it at least once. However, the more races I run, the more discriminating I become and I'm not sure this is one worth the high price tag.

This was my first RnR race and I was pleased with the event…read more The downside for me was that the 5k path was also part of the 10k the following day. But, we were able to do the 5k and the 10k and get the Remix medal, which brought my broke-pieces much joy.. since a half marathon might not have been do-able. Race organization seemed put together well. The expo was large, which is always awesome. The medical tent after the race was busy, but everyone was being helped. Despite the rain for the 2018 race, volunteers were in good spirits.

Love doing tumbling here and staff is friendly, lots of events. Huge parking lot. Very clean…read morebathrooms

I had came here for a cheer/dance competition that my niece was involved in. The facility was…read morecharging $10 for the competition which was an all day competition which was not a bad price at all. The inside of the facility was clean despite it being a lot of people in there for the competition. Even the bathrooms were clean. I was only in the gym but I noticed this community center has a baseball field.

I was on of the lucky people who was able to register for the 2013 Chicago Marathon despite the…read morecomplete disaster that was active.com that day. With 3 half marathons under my belt (all that I trained for on my own with my husband), I decided that the extra 13.1 miles warranted seeking professional training. I'm so incredibly grateful that I chose FRTR as my training group! We meet every Saturday morning at 7, sometimes 6:30 in order to beat the heat. Water and gatorade coolers are set up approximately every 2.5-3 miles and at the turn around they also have Gu's/Shot Blocks/etc and cold towels set up. We typically start at the Fabyan Windmill and run along the Fox River (more shade on west side). Pacing groups are informal. Some pace leaders carry first aid kids, some don't. The best is from time to time, they'll have massage therapists waiting for us after our 14 or 18 mile runs....heaven! The coaches are extremely friendly, motivational, and informative! If I survive my first marathon in October, I'll definitely be signing up again with FRTR. (If you end up joining the FRTR club, they offer generous scholarships for your college students!)

I did the Shine tour 2015 Color run this summer and it was a bit of a let down. First of all, it…read morewas cloudy at the start line and then the skies began to darken. My friends and i then heard the claps of thunder and then it was like, OH SH*#, its coming down. And then it did. As we started to run, it began to pour! And not just a brief shower, It rained the whole race!!! Not that any of us could control the weather but as Lily Z. had mentioned, the event planners were ill prepared for the rain. Instead of getting a "dusting" of colored powder, you received a heavy sling of colored mud (because the powder had already mixed with the heavy rains) as you ran through each color station. And just when you've hit the 3.1 mile marker, drenched and cold and perhaps starting to get the shakes from hypothermia, you are hit one last time in colored mud... Only this time its GOLD powder!!! Yes people. You're hit with gold colored mud only to be glowing like a sad looking Oscar statue at the end of the finish line. Let's just say it was the piece de resistance to end it all off. My guess was that the crowd either loved and embraced the drenching experience or hated it completely. I'd hear runners say, "This is so BLEEPIN" awesome! Let's do this next year!" And then there were those that were like, "This Fn sucks. I'm never doing this again." And then there were those families with their 2-3 year old crying incessantly because they're all wet... The blowers at the end of the race were of no use to anyone there since you were already covered in rain and powder. The powder just stained you and anything you touched. Luckily i was smart enough to bring a towel to sit on in the car ride home, otherwise i would have had a helluva time time doing detailing on the car seats!!! Post-racers left the event looking like "Carrie" from the movie but instead of blood, you were a rainbow/glittered hot mess... I guess the only consolation prize this year was that they gave you a finisher's medal. Perhaps next year will have better weather.

The most low key 5k ever. This was my first and everything was oh so casual! I wish the different…read morecolor stations were better prepared because some of them ran out of powder by the time we arrived. Also, I don't know if they were adequately prepared for the rain. The post-it wall was a wreck. The Shout station was closed. I was not impressed with the SINGLE leaf blower for the entire race. The organizers made it seem like the leaf blower was some amazing post-race cleaner. No. it was really a guy with a leaf blower. A bit disappointed but at least the other runners made it fun and energetic.

It was a breath of fresh air the evening I decided to run at Miller Meadow Forest Preserve. Being…read morethat I work nearby as well as drive along Roosevelt Ave where I pass by Miller Meadow - North, it was only a matter of time that I would conduct some form of an activity at Miller Meadow. I entered off 1st Ave which is labeled as Miller Meadow - South; and the first feature that immediately caught my eye was its off-leash dog area which was huge. As a fitness enthusiast that has been running for years, I would categorize the difficulty level of Miller Meadow - South as moderate because the terrain is not entirely flat. Distance markings are marked along the path, a loop style path totaling 1.70 miles per loop. I encountered mostly walkers, a few joggers, and a couple of recreational bike riders along the path. At one point during my loop, there was a woman who caught and overtook me as I ran. We went back-and-forth with me overtaking her and her overtaking me which brought competitiveness during my time on the path. I spent no more than forty-minutes during my initial run on the path but could have easily gone longer if I had the time. While well into the path, I felt that sense of being in nature as well as engulfed by tall grass in certain parts. I also felt that feeling of being secluded, but there were always nature's animals within sight that kept me in the moment. I could not help but enjoy the beautiful sounds of birds chirping, glimpses of the red-winged blackbird throughout the entire path, and I even saw a deer from afar in the woods. There are a variety of activities you can conduct within the path of Miller Meadow - South; some of those activities I can certainly see are hiking, running, walking, biking, in-line skating, or even bird watching. The area can also be used to conduct large gatherings, or picnics; and its large field is perfect for many recreational activities you can partake in. The area is well-maintained, consisting of benches with tables located in shaded areas near or underneath trees, but very few picnic shelters which are perfect for large gatherings; and there are even a couple of portable restrooms within the space. Along the path, there are waste and recycling bins, even in some of the secluded spots. And on top of it all, Miller Meadow has a very spacious parking lot. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Miller Meadow Forest Preserve, as indicated in this review and would definitely return. As a runner, I can see myself returning just to conduct interval runs around its loop in build-up to long run events I participate in. ~An adventure a day keeps the doctor away. ~ Thomas G

It was good. It went perfectly. I got to ride a tandem bike. There was a lot of stuff to do!read more