This is a pretty good 5k. The reason I'm giving it 5 stars is because it's one of the better races, but the time between groups starting the race takes so long when you're the last group. I get why it's like 2-3 minutes between groups, however it's very cold out. I do want to say that the end of the race is getting way better, much more organized. The line to get the finisher mugs went super fast. The race packet pickup was pretty easy. The clothing you get with the packet was nice. read more

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Overall 2.4 stars?! WHAAAAAT! This is my 4th year participating in this event and I can't stress enough of how much I love it. This is not a race where you can truly know what your pace is or get a personal record but come onnn. Hot chocolate as an incentive?! 50,000+ people participating?! There's a reason for that! It's a great experience and the perfect run to appreciate the downtown area for all the beauty it has to offer. The events start at 730am however anticipate starting well after 8am. With 50,000+ people there's just no way to get everyone across the start line at exactly 730. The chocolate, the after party, etc are well worth the wait haha. There's something about running this course that just helps me adore the city of Chicago and love all of its architecture. Roads are blocked off for the runners, it's peaceful and honestly just beautiful. This event/course is one of my favorite 5Ks and I'll continue doing it for as long as I can. read more

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This year 2025 marks my 10th year participating in the Hot Chocolate Run Chicago that benefits the Special Olympics. I've participated all 5k & a 15k . The weather this year cooperated as there was no rain! The Expo for the race was held at Navy Pier-- as it has been the last couple of years (moved from the McCormick place.) I went on to the expo on a Saturday this year. It was underwhelming. Usually I attend on Friday and it has an air of much more excitement. This year's swag jacket was horribly cheap quality and not at all true to size. Where the Expo usually has an area set-up for size swap/exchanges this year, they did not! I'm sure they anticipated a slew of exchanges as the sizes, style and fit weren't at all complimentary. Race Day showed that they give 1st timers a leg up as most were in corrals much closer to the start line. If not for a good cause this year's experience just might've been my last. But it is for charity and it is for health & exercise. HOWEVER, There are a ton more to chose from. read more

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The course starts with a long stretch on Lower Wacker. No one wants to run on Lower Wacker! Especially in a large mass of people with little room to maneuver. The start was poorly set up. Huge masses of people bottlenecked at a few narrow entry points to reach designated corrales. Frustration led to people climbing the fences. The finish was a huge crowd of extremely long lines to get hot chocolate and snacks. I was tempted to walk to the Dunkin Donuts. Only the 15K had any portion run along the lake. That was the best part, but I felt bad for all the 5K and 10K participants. Lower Wacker to South Loop and back to Grant Park, without running along the lake... such a waste of a nice day. Would not recommend. It's popular, for reasons unbeknownst to me. Maybe it was better in the past. read more

While I enjoy the chocolate at the end of the race and the expo is pretty cool, the overall customer service of Venture is absolutely atrocious for this event. They have changed the day in the past and refused to give refunds, which would've resulted in us not registering due to another engagement. They also will give out promos later on that they will not give to people who register early. Just in general, if you've already registered, they will treat you poorly because they already have your money. So register at your own risk, but I will be deciding later on from now on, if I continue to attend at all. read more

I ran the most recent iteration of the Hot Chocolate 5K in Nov 2019 and LOVED it! This was my first time running this particular race and it was the best organized one I have enjoyed by far. Signing up gets you a fleece, which definitely came in handy. You can get race packets mailed to you or you can pick them up at the expo over at McCormick place. I wasn't happy with my mailed fleece size, so I went over to the expo and they switched it out with ease. The expo itself is on the small side but there were a handful of vendors who gave away some snacks and health-related freebies, in addition to volunteers giving out samples of the hot chocolate, marshmallows, and other goodies, which was really nice. Race day itself was SO MUCH FUN. The cooler weather was ideal for a nice run and I really enjoyed the course. It was wonderful to run down streets that were sectioned off for us and I especially enjoyed admiring the fabulous architecture around me throughout my run. They also put up mile markers that were easy to spot so we could gauge our progress. When it was closer to the end, we also got glimpses of the current race times for some extra encouragement. There was one snack/refresher stop on the way which slowed me down--I think I'll pass on that next time and power through. (Three chocolate chips and lots of water.) When I completed the race, I got a medal (new this year!) and a DELICIOUS bowl of goodies to enjoy as I recovered with my fellow participants. Of course, hot chocolate was present, in addition to a banana (TOTALLY hit the spot and paired beautifully with the hot chocolate) and other sweet or salty treats. The nice thing is that this race supports Make A Wish, and one of the children they helped was interviewed aloud as we prepped for the race. So sweet to hear his story about overcoming major heart ailments and his excitement about joining in with the 5K now that he is feeling great! You can donate to the organization by tearing off a little ticket from your running bib and handing it to one of the people collecting donations for them and help them with this beautiful cause. Again, I absolutely LOVED participating in this event and really had a blast. Could not be happier and definitely can't wait to sign up again and work towards legacy status! read more

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After completing both the 5 and 15k, I absolutely love the Hot Chocolate racing series! The Hot chocolate series is nationally recognized and major cities all over the US participate. It's truly a fun run where volunteers pass out chocolate along the route to all runners. At the end of the race, there is a post race party complete with a DJ and tons of photo ops with both Marsha and Mellow (the official mascots). Post race, runners are rewarded with hot chocolate and a medley of sweet treats (mainly chocolate). The participant swag bag has some great gear. This year, each participant got a embroidered zip up hoodie. It's super warm and the fleece lining is great for those cold weather runs! The finishers medal is a nice incentive too and is offered to those who complete the 15k. I know people in the past have complained about the disorganization of the event; especially with the expo and registration but over time, they have gradually improved that process making it completely seamless. For an extra charge, I opted to have my runners packet and bib conveniently mailed to my home. This option is offered online when you checkout. The race is mostly flat with a few small hills. Mile, pace markers, along with route pacers are clearly visible; all to keep you on track so you know your average pace/time. This was a fun race to do solo or with a group of friends. NOTE: Register early in December to get cheaper registration rates! read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - HC (Hot Chocolate) 15k Chicago. Finally did it! Left:15k Finisher medal for 2016. Right: Swag sweatshirt. This year was a hoodie! - Races & Competitions Near Me

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Paying for parking at Navy Pier blows. McCormick was a pain but I don't remember paying for parking. And a hooded sweatshirt? Pass. I'll spend my money elsewhere. read more

I ran this in 2013, it was my first 5k. It was a little pricey, but the track jacket was nicer than the previous year and better than a tshirt that most races give you. Packet pick up was fairly easy at McCormick place. It was like a 5 minute wait, but we spent our time looking at the other vendors/booths. The race itself was fine. LOTS of people. My friends and I were in Corrals H/I. The good part was that it was timed (tracker on bib). The course itself wasn't too bad. Kicks off at Columbus up to Wacker (slight slope), and then to State Street, Roosevelt, Michigan and back for the 5k. There was one water station on State Street or thereabouts (for the 5k). Hot chocolate & fondue items given at the end (banana, rice crispy treat). read more

I ran the 2012 Hot Chocolate 5K and didn't think it was bad at all except the waiting part..but i'm sure it's not easy to plan such an event and I still think they did a great job... the weather is unpredictable...and with soo many participants.. waiting is common (just like waiting at a restaurant to eat).. Picking up Packets & Hoodies - Friday, November 2, 2012 -I didn't expect there to be a wait because I went on a Friday at around 3PM, but unfortunately, I ended up waiting around 1-1.5 hrs..just come prepared to wait in the cold..and come with a person to keep you company or something to keep you busy while waiting -they give you hot chocolate & chocolate while you are waiting which is nice...but don't drink too much hot chocolate unless you want to use the porter potty while waiting... -the volunteers that were passing out the packets & hoodies were fast and friendly...the long wait is because there is just soo many ppl.. -Hoodies: are fitted!! and cute!! :) ..but don't depend on it too much to keep you extremely warm.. perfect for running though! 5K Race on Sunday, November 4, 2012 -the website recommends that ppl show up early to line up in their corrals..I was lucky to be placed in corral D as i was able to start my run sooner than my friends who were in corral I.. the race begins with ppl in Corral A starting the race... -I loved being able to enjoy the scenery of the city and seeing the ppl cheering the runners on throughout the whole race.. it was motivating for sure! -volunteers were great --in passing out water/gatorade/chocolate/fondue mugs and directing traffic Fondue Mug (free for pick-up after the race) - consists of 1 small banana, hot chocolate, chocolate pieces, melted chocolate (for dipping), pretzel pieces, 1 medium sized marshmallow, apple slices....tastes delicious & perfect right after running & when it's cold out! Race Results: are posted on the website right after the 5K...and you can search by last name or bib number... very easy to do! :) Costs: close to $50 for the 5K (make sure to sign-up quickly cuz it gets sold out fast!).. and more expensive closer to $70 (maybe) for the 15K...it seems expensive...but hey.. it's for a good cause.. and they provide you with free hoodies, hot chocolate, chocolate, and fondue in your own fondue mug! I would like to run the 5K or maybe the 15K next year.. read more

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This past October was my second time doing the Hot Chocolate race in Chicago. I enjoyed my 5k back in 2011 and had recently picked up running again. This time, my husband tagged along for a weekend race and Chicago adventures. We maximized our time in the city and enjoyed our visit with my friends from back home. In fact, we gathered a group together to meet and run the race together #optoutside. It gave us a goal to train for while enjoying the great outdoors of Chicago. I would complexly recommend this race as a 'fun run' for those who are looking to enjoy themselves and start a running program. Pros: Affordable Entry: We signed up later, so we each ended up paying $64+fees for the 15K. I thought it was very reasonably priced for a longer race and the quality of the race swag that was included. We intended to run the 15k and downgraded to the 5k without an issue. Race Swag: My husband and I were pretty impressed with the quarter-zip jacket that was included in the race. They fit both of us nicely. Women got the purple version and men got the blue version. We wear our jackets it outside of the race for training runs when it cools down. Health Expo: I was impressed with the organized expo once we found the correct hall within McCormick Center. The expo was small and had a handful of vendors with plenty of photo opportunities with a giant marshmallow and mug of hot chocolate. There wasn't a wait to exchange our gear (we originally signed up for the 15k and downgraded to the 5k) and the folks working the expo were fantastic. Flat and Fast Course - My husband and I are just getting back into running races and wanted a flat course. This course was a great option1 It starts and ends in Grant Park with sweeping views of beautiful Lake Michigan. It winds you around a 3.1-mile loop with city views and landmarks. I LOVE Chicago, and the crisp fall air lends itself to great running weather! Post-race Fuel: You can go bananas for their delicious hot chocolate feast at the end of the race. We had a piping hot cup of hot chocolate, rice crispy treats, bananas, marshmallows, and chocolate dipping sauce to enjoy at the end of the race. The execution could've been better (see my con list below). However, it would not deter me from running this race again. Race Packet: We paid the extra $15 convenience fee to have our race day swag delivered to our doorsteps. We ended up going to the expo to exchange our 15k to 5k on the expo weekend. However, this was a super nice option since we were traveling to Chicago for the race. They sent everything we needed to our house and would highly recommend this option to those who do not want to deal with the hassle of packet pickup. Cons: No Medal for 5k: However, the medal for the 15k is super nice. If you are into race medals, check out their versions for the city you choose. They also make it clear when you register. However, it would be nice to get some medal for the shorter distance of 5k. Unorganized Finish Line: Expect long lines and a walk to get the mug filled with treats to dip into chocolate. Personally, I thought it was too long of a distance between the finish line and the family meeting center/treat stations. The folks working the stations were great. However, trying to figure out where to go and then waiting in the super long lines stunk. We almost said 'screw it' and skipped getting the treats at the end; I was happy we waited. However, there could've been a smoother experience. Course Treats: If you are running the 15k, bring your own fuel (fruit chews/GU/Shot Bloks). This is a chocolate filled extravaganza. If you want something other than chocolate (i.e., M&Ms), you better pack some in your race belt for the run. The 5k, which is what I ran, also had chocolate along the course. I get the theme, however, didn't find it practical. Wasn't bad/wasn't good - just a note to be aware of those who are running the longer distance and count on the fuel stations to recharge. read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Races & Competitions Near Me

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I've never been much of a runner, but I'll run/walk/crawl for chocolate. I've done it three times now, again mostly for the chocolate. Over the years they seem to have gotten the organization of the event pretty much down to a science. I've heard about about hours-long lines for packet pick up in years past, but in the last three years it's been pretty quick even when it's busy. They send out frequent e-mails to update you with information and give you what you need to know about the day of the event. It definitely gets packed, with volunteers, runners, and supporters. I like the giveaways at the packet pickup and post-race. It's always fun to walk around and check out the vendors with your chocolate mug with hot chocolate, dipping chocolate, marshmallows, pretzels, banana and other sweets. As others have mentioned parking can be a bit of a hassle since it's in Grant Park, but I've often used Spothero or found some good street parking about a half mile away. The race itself is pretty fun, they have sufficient water and toilet stations. And they usually have chocolate along the race; this year they had different sweets and types of chocolate throughout. It's a fun race with chocolate at the end, what's not to like? read more

I ran the 5k for the Hot Chocolate Run today. The event starts off with an expo in McCormick place the 2 days before. The expo is where you pick up your bib and goodie bag complete with the hot chocolate quarter zip. They also serve hot chocolate and cookies dipped in chocolate at the expo. All of the sponsors have booths as well, so you can visit and get some free stuff! I really appreciated that there was a size swapping station at the expo. If your quarter zip was a little tight or loose, you were able to swap--however, there was a paucity of larges leading to a long line of women waiting for a bigger size. The quarter zips were a little tight fitting this year, so that might have led to the size mishaps. The Hot Chocolate race is big--I've ran other RAM races, and this one was huge. I would highly recommend doing the extra work and getting into a preferred corral if you are running for a time and not just for the fun of it. The open corrals, in my opinion, are for those that are just trying to finish. The 5k and 15k course is the same for the first 2 miles. The first mile, you run on Lower Wacker drive. I really did not like this. I always avoid Lower Wacker because it smells so bad--imagine trying to breathe while running under a stinky bridge. The only positive of running on Lower Wacker was that it was freezing outside and there was some warmth there. Another thing I didn't like about the run was that for the 5k, the start and finish were 5-6 blocks apart. Therefore, after finishing the race, we had to walk a long way to get to the post-race party. I like the other RAM races where the start and finish are at the same place. Although, this may be hard to do because as the first wave of runners is finishing, the second wave is starting--because it is such a big race. Gear check was also far away from the start--I would recommend not bringing anything with you if you can help it. I was also a little sad that the 5k finishers didn't get a medal or anything at the finish line. The medal is quite nice for the 15k finishers. I also think the 15k course is nicer because it goes along the lakefront near the end. Some positives--I loved the style of the finisher's mug. I like that everything is in one place--your fondue, hot chocolate, and bananas, biscuits, rice krispies, and pretzels for dipping. I also think the race was very organized, and there were volunteers everywhere to help you get to where you needed to be. The hot chocolate and fondue was so yummy too--definitely the highlight of the race. There's a VIP tent available for people who give their email at the expo to MB financial. I was such a fan of this. I was able to sign up my family, so that they could wait in the heated VIP tent for me while I was running. The tent also had hot breakfast--sausage, cheesy eggs, and scrambled eggs--as well as fruit and bagels and muffins. They also had hot chocolate and the same finisher's mugs that were outside. With the VIP tent access, you had unlimited access to the delicious hot chocolate and fondue. read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Races & Competitions Near Me

This year was my first 5k with Hot Chocolate. Everything up to the point of packet pick-up was excellent: flawless registration, weekly emails with training schedule, reminders of packet pick-up and a QR code to simplify. Packet pick-up at McCormick Place was an awful experience from parking, to finding the ballroom, to the cost of parking. It was a quick registration once we got to the tables. The jacket included in our packet was surprisingly good quality. The whole experience for pick-up could be simplified for registers. It appeared as a ploy to be around all the venders. The day of the race was fairly organized. With 15,000+ participants it was packed but the volunteers and signs on where to enter the street for the proper coral was confusing. Definitely need to pick the correct running time for the proper coral. Otherwise, running time will be severely effected. The 'hot chocolate cup' at the end of the race was plastic. Somewhat misleading, filled with snacks, a marshmallow and a scoop of chocolate to dip whatever in. Not the most hygienic give-away. They did follow-up with race pictures. Bonus! read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Near the end - Races & Competitions Near Me

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Oh my God! If you are a chocolate lover this race is for you! Yeah you! You reading this! : ) Chocolate themed expo, and chocolate all along the run/ race course. I'm a competitive runner, and this run knocked me into have fun mode. I laughed during the whole entire run from start to finish while munching on Hershey kisses along the course that i got from supporters. There is even hot chocolate along the course also, but I avoided that because my stomach wouldn't have liked that. This race is crowded! Very crowded, so if you are a competitive runner, I recommend getting there earlier than normal because you'll end up stuck in the pack of runners that are just having fun. This run has a 5k, and a 15k run as part of the event. If you love bling, aka medals, I recommend doing the 15k. The bling is chocolate themed, and will give you something to smile at every time you look at it in the future. All considering this race, I recommend letting loose, and just having fun. It's a great memorable run. I also recommend registering as soon as possible because it gets a little pricey if you wait until the last minute. Enjoy! Thomas Gouard read more

Today was my first time at the Hot Chocolate Run AND my very first 15k! Scenery: Love! I really enjoyed running through some neighborhoods and past some more touristy areas. There was a gorgeous view of the city around mile 6! Course congestion: The 5k runners/walkers and 15k runners shared the course until a split closer to the 3mile mark. It was really frustrating for runners such as myself, because even people in our corral (K, about the middle with a 10:30 mi pacer) came to dead stops about .25 miles into the run. So many people stopped and walked and did NOT follow course etiquette. Doing so not only slowed down our pace (frustrating), but caused you to try and veer around them to avoid a collision (dangerous). Course length: There were markers at the 5k/3mile mark, the 7 mi. mark, and 9 mi. mark. When I hit the 9mi mark, I was thinking, "Great, only .3 miles left to go; I'll sprint to the finish" but it was soon clear the Finish line wasn't even in sight! I was pacing myself on my Nike Run app/GPS, and it shows the course was 10 miles even. Snacks/water/hydration on course: Volunteers passed out snacks (marshmallows, chocolate chips), water, and sports drinks. The hydration was much appreciated and volunteers were great! It was not clear what was water (since my first water was in a blue cup) and what was sticky sports drinks! Finisher mug: Ohh, my pancreas hates me! Hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, 1 marshmallow, 1 mini Rice Krispie Treat, 1 bag of pretzels, 1 bag of pirouette cookies, 1 banana, and 1 small wet nap. The hot chocolate could have been hotter, but it was still good. I wish they gave napkins. I asked for a paper towel and was denied. :( Entertainment: They had two DJs - one near Buckingham Fountain and another near the Finisher Mug area. There were some bouncy houses for the kiddies. Medals: Cute! I'm not sure how the "Chicago" circle comes off into a magnet tho.. ? Jacket: I did the packet mailer and received my drawstring bag, bib, and jacket two weeks before the race. I opted to exchange for another size, which can be mailed in for a $10 fee or exchanged at the Expo. The jackets are really nice and cozy! I wish: They had a tent with a heating area! The weather was actually perfect (55°), BUT when you've been sweating for 85+ minutes, you quickly get cold, even with wicking clothes and layers! I wanted to stick around and enjoy the festivities, but didn't want to shiver through. Other: They had an ice tent after the Finish line! I was SO grateful for that since my knee was killing me! On another note, I like that I could look up my stats online following the race. Overall: It was a good experience and I'm proud of myself for running 10 straight miles (AND for my good time with a bum knee!). I'm glad I did it, at least once! read more

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To say the 2012 race was a disaster is a compliment. Poorly planned from the beginning. Worst part was that even after the morons managing this debacle received horrible feedback from their customers via FaceBook, with people waiting 3+ hours just to pickup up their bibs on Friday. The A-team proclaimed their fantastic "burning the midnight oil" adjustments, only to fall flat on their faces with wait times of 1.5 - 2 hours on Saturday. Horrible management bordering on gross negligence. Come on people, I know the economy has picked up, but the people you hired to run this show are TOTALLY INCOMPETENT! On race day the corral start was incredibly slow. We ran the 15K race and arrived at 6:50 am because Michigan Ave would be closed to people on the west side at 7:00 am. Fortunately we took a cab, since hundreds of people ran into huge delays on the CTA. From our "R corral" the wait time to start was over an hour and 15 minutes! We were standing in the 37 degree cold at 7 am waiting for what?? When we finally started there were so many people walking within the first 1-2 miles I almost tripped over several of them, not to mention one dude pushing a stroller who started the race in Corral A! These were the people we had to wait over an hour for? Apparently the RAM guys encourage racers to lie on their application, so they can start their 15K stroll early. The race itself was okay. After we passed the cluster of walkers in the first 2 miles, it was fairly smooth sailing. They did post people along the way pointing you in the right direction as there were sections where you could easily veer off the race path. At the end of the race we had to wait in line for 15-20 minutes just to pick up our finisher mug. The mug was a MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT. It was some cheap plastic bowlish type thing probably engineered by the geniuses at Microsoft. They carefully designed this doodad with randomly shaped sections carved into it so as to make the mug COMPLETELY USELESS!! Why would they spend thousands of dollars on this cheap piece of junk that everyone tossed in the garbage bin after licking the chocolate fondue out of the bottom? Question to RAM and Hot Chocolate management: Was it worth saving the few hundred dollars to give your customers who paid over $75 each to run this race a piece of useless memento to take home? These people are penny wise pound foolish to say the least. I would love to see someone actually proudly displaying their Hot Chocolate finisher mug in their living room. Now that would make my day!! This had to be the worst race I've run this year. The Shamrock Shuffle had almost the same amount of runners and it was much better organized. I was in and out in less than 15 min picking up my bib and I didn't have to wait an hour and a half in my corral freezing my butt off. Shame on RAM and Hot Chocolate for putting on such an amateur production. I want my money back!! read more

After many months of doctor visits and physical therapy, I planned on run/walking the 5k. Mind you, I am not fast, I walk 2 min, walk 2 min, etc... I was one of the walkers on the far right trying to stay away from the "serious" runners. I was towards the back. Did not try to run up front since I knew tons of runners would try to run me over so I took every precaution so that I could participate as safely as everyone else. Oh yea, I also paid the $50 to participate so I had every right to be out there as the next person. So to the b**** who was screaming at the walkers, don't yell at people who are on the course. You don't know them! All you know is that they are there for a similar goal, fitness and charity. No one should expect to PR here. If you are planning to do so, then move to the front and/or do the 15K! Here's a challenge for you, or are you not up for it? In any case, this was my first Hot Chocolate race. I had my doubts especially since my "serious" runner friends suggested I not do it because of the over crowding but again, I had a goal and that's all that mattered. My therapist gave me to OK to do it and it was the closest race date after being released last week. I just had to do it! Pros: -Beautiful city and wonderful day to run in Chicago -Expo - great location, easy to get to, wonderful people from Illinois Bone & Joint Institute who gave me great suggestions to help improve my running. -Great volunteers handing out water and chocolate squares (new favorite - dark chocolate w/ sea salt! amazing!) -nice to have the fondue already packaged for us rather than getting our grimy hands all over the chocolate (although I didn't get a as much chocolate as others, I only got about 2 tablespoons - really, don't need any more calories since I only did a 5k) -Lots of toilets Cons: -Too many people on the course but interesting to watch the madness (not for the weak at heart!) -No toilet paper (good thing I didn't need to potty!) -Display fruit? Really, don't need to have fruit on display, just hand it out or put it out of our reach rather than having people police the fruit -Hope the recycle all those plastic containers that they handed out. Think paper next year! -My friends chip didn't work the day of race although though it worked fine the night of expo -I didn't get a chip, I think they ran out for 5k and gave me a walkers # and wouldn't let me exchange it so that really upset me since it cost the same. Couldn't help registering so late though, had to get clearance first so, if I do it again next year, I'll register much earlier. -Women's jackets are fitted - it's OK, it'll be a goal to fit into my jacket by next year! read more

OK, this is interesting. I'm looking at my first review -I remember when this was at Montrose Harbor and it was way too crowded. That was 3 short years ago! Well, truth be told, not much has changed. This is like Chicago Marathon craziness except it's not -a really, really insane amount of people for a 5K and none of the glory for running a mere 3.1 miles. I do give the organizers credit: it has moved to downtown to accommodate the crowds, it was more organized (they have divided runners into heats) and the sweatshirt was awesome this year. However, I was pretty irritated to get up early, get down there on time (6:45 for a 7am start) only to wait **over an hour** in the cold (BRRRRRR!) to begin running! Therefore, my feedback would be to have runners show up according to heat. Example -if my heat really isn't starting until 8am, perhaps I can show up at 7:45 vs 6:45. Maybe this would help alleviate the chaotic nature of the crowds as well. I just know it was crazy overwhelming navigating through the crowd to find the sign for my heat. Then, at the end, I wasn't even all that impressed with the chocolate. I don't mean to totally rag on the event. It's a cute / fun event. I guess I just had higher expectations for how "big" this was and you go through all that drama and then the chocolate was kinda "meh". P.S. Tons of drama at the sweatshirt pick up too -my friend waited several hours outside in the cold for her packet. -Held in a tent in the Soldier Field parking lot. Luckily, by the next day, they had improved their process so I only waited maybe 20 minutes. I echo the sentiments of several other reviewers -I want to love this race but it was a huge pain in the butt. I can say I did it. Until they improve the entire process overall, I will likely skip it in favor of less chaotic races. read more

This was my first race and I wasn't truly sure what to expect hearing from many of my runner friends. The Packet pickup : Piece of cake! I was finished in less than 10 minutes and hung out waiting for a few friends. It's sadly almost a 5K from parking lot A to the main expo so bring your walking shoes. The Swag - How can you complain about a nice hooded sweatshirt with a nice logo on it? The plastic mug at the end is more of a "trophy" than a reusable cup. Race day - Parking was a breeze for me and for only $8 a block away, I had zero complaints here. The starting corrals were a new thing for me being a first time racer but I heard many complaints about corral assignments and access to the correct corrals. Many people were jumping fences just to get to their corral. This seems like it could have been done better. The start to the race with Blackhawks announcer Jim Cornelison singing the Star Spangled Banner was just awesome!! We seemed to move rather quickly as I was in Corral H. One complaint about the start was the walkers!! Seriously 50 yards into the race and you feel the need to already walk?! Move to the side mannerless... The post race party - Huge crowds of people having fun and a quick grab of chocolate goodies. Only downside to this was the muddy mess of a field to get there. I enjoyed myself and ran well but could have been at least 3-4 minutes faster if I didn't have to weave around the walkers. read more

I could not wait for this race!!! What better incentive to run than having hot chocolate & more chocolate waiting for you at the finish line? This run is great no matter what skill level you are and plenty of families with young children were easily able to participate. Loved that the announcer would shout out your name at the finish line and having some volunteers with speakers on their backs blasting music as we ran past. As far as the post-race goes, only runners are allowed to partake in the hot chocolate & chocolate fondue (banana, graham cracker, pretzel, & marshmallow), but there were volunteers handing out bags and bags of chocolate to all. Tips: -sign up early! race sold out & you may not get the goodie bag you expected -carpool! this year, parking was not allowed at the race site so free shuttles were provided at the LPZ & Navy Pier parking lot -bring some moistened towelettes...chocolate is messy! read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Races & Competitions Near Me

Although the route was really pretty along the Lake, it was definitely too narrow to accommodate all of the runners. The worst part was when the water station was on a corner and it was when the course narrowed. I don't know why they put the water station there. Everyone was forced to walk. Also, you are in a 5K race people. If you can't even run one mile, why are you doing this race? People were walking at the half mile point when they started at the 9min/mile pace area. Seriously annoying. They need to either pick a different course or limit the amount of people next year. On a good note, the fondue was delicious!! read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Races & Competitions Near Me

If there is one thing you should know about this race, it's that it is SUPPPPERRRRR crowded. It was extremely hard to find the entry point for the race, needless to say, finding individual people were close to impossible. Regardless, I'd still recommend not going TOO early (unless you need to check your things in to a locker) because it was literally close to freezing when I waited for the race to start. As far as trying to climb over the rails to get into the race is concerned, just climb over. There will be people in the crowd yelling are you for "cutting." Truthfully, that's just absurd. You paid for the race. You need to get in inorder TO race so ignore them and climb over. When the race starts, you're basically walking, only until the people in the front start running faster does the clump start to spread out just a little bit for you to maneuver your way through. I estimate that amount of room you have between you and another runner is an average of about a foot (at MOST). Overall, this race was fun and rewarding. The chocolate fondue & hot chocolate wasn't AMAZING (not hot enough), but the free Ghirardelli chocolate squares made up for that. JUST HAVE FUN! read more

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This was the 2nd 5K I've ran. This was not the best experience because there were 45,000 people running this race. There were corrals A-T, which took literally hours to get everyone started. Also, the race packets were at McCormick place the day before, which took several hours to get. The hot chocolate at the end was definitely the reason for the popularity of the race. It tasted excellent and there were plenty of items to dip into the chocolate. I would like to run this race again but will be more prepared for the massive amount of people taking part. read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Had a great time running the 5k! - Races & Competitions Near Me

This is a mess of a run for anyone doing the 15k. We got to our corral at 7:25, our wave started at 7:45, and a clueless volunteer told us we couldn't enter. Then the clueless security guard told us we couldn't come in and couldn't run today (for this run we paid $85 each for). Meanwhile the corrals had started moving up - we ended up having to hop the fence with tons of other people doing the same because the race didn't make anything clear, and we got into a group a good 5 corrals later than we should've been in. So a great start, nobody who works at the event knows what's actually going on. Then we finally get going but can't actually get going- there's such and incredible amount of 5k-ers and walkers in the race, on the same route and at the same time as the 15k racers, that we can't stick to a good pace and are constantly having to dodge people who decide to come to a dead stop in front of us. Thank goodness they were only around for 3 miles. Then we found out the race is actually about 10 miles long, not exactly 15k. But it seems like they take your time for 10 miles and apply it to 9.3 miles distance so you end up with a longer pace than you actually made. We had a run tracking app going, and measured the route on google maps, and both showed the distance was 10 miles. What the hell? I like the hot chocolate gimmick and all and the jacket you get is decent, but get rid of the wasteful plastic bowls that everyone throws out. tl;dr - Don't do this if you actually want to run and stick to a pace and want reliable timing. Do it if you want to walk for 3 miles and eat candy while you do. read more

This is the most well organized race I've been to yet. I've done it twice now and plan on signing up every year :) Everyone is helpful and nice, energetic too! And the chocolate is delicious. It's the best finish line I've ever crossed! read more

It was my first year. I did it with the family and my daughter had her friends too. We had a great time. The packet pickup was easy. The post goodies and entertainment were so fun. We're planning to register early for next year and possibly bring my youngest who will be 7 years old by next time. read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Had a great time as a family - Races & Competitions Near Me

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I love this race! I've been running this for years and it is huge. The expo is very organized and lets you swap sizes which I haven't had that experience with any other race. I love the new legacy program. I do agree with others that the hot chocolate snack is a bit far but you just ran 3.1 miles or 15k. Your legs need to stretch! read more

This was my second time running the 15k chocolate run the first time i ran it i was a bit more fit then i was this time around but still finished under 2 hrs so that fine in my book. I was located in corral D and didn't have struggle with being packed around people because everyone in the early corrals just kept running so no congestion from what i saw. There were a few here and there but didn't cause much to a stop. Only time it was a real slow down was near round about turn points, Other then that the scenery of running through Chicago was nice always reminded me of the Bulls opening when the herd of Bulls run throw Chicago. Over it was nice to do this again. Maybe in another 2 years i'll run it once more. read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Races & Competitions Near Me

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As an avid runner I came to this event to have fun with my friends an family and it delivered big time. Pack pickup was at McCormick place, which I've come to expect for races of this size. As soon as you got to the entrance they handed you chocolate, it was a good start. I grabbed my packet and goodie bag in about 5 minutes. RAM is known for having great goodie bags, and the tech hoodies were no different. Mine fit great but a few of the people I was with wanted to switch out their sizes, luckily they had an area just for swapping out goodie bag sizes. We gave ourselves an hour to get packets, which left us with 45 minutes to check out the merchandise. The merchandise was cool and very reasonably priced, we all ended up with a few things. Race day was pretty awesome. We got there early and had no trouble parking. The weather could not have been more perfect. We all wanted to run together so they let us move back corrals without any hassle. I thought the beach balls in the corrals were pretty funny. Definitely kept us entertained in a situation that is otherwise nerve wracking. The course was fun, the underground thing was a little strange, but the day was awesome and we weren't even to the best part yet. When you finish you head to the chocolate tent where you get a finishers bowl with a cup of hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, and chocolate candy pieces. This was pretty awesome for the guys in the group who have never run a race before, I think they may be expecting such goodies at every race now. Overall this was a great experience, especially for new runners. I wasn't expecting to set a PR or anything, but that's not what this race was about. The experience was so positive for the beginners they are already asking to sign up next year. read more

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This was my first time running the hot chocolate race in Chicago. After reading the reviews from last year I have to admit I was kinda scared. But it turns out I had a blast! Now let me preface thi s review by saying I'm not some elite runner. I've only run 3 races. All of them have been charity races. And while all of those were good experiences none were big productions like this. 40, 000 people showed up to run for chocolate! Holy cow. I thought this year the race was pretty well orgainized. I did wait around for an hour or so to run. Which I was prepared for. The packet pick up expo was pretty cool. It was fast, simple, and moved. It also lioked like a makeshift runners mall. Lol. The course itself was awesome!!!! Running through the loop was so much fun! I only wish I qualified for a earlier corral becausw I was definitely dodging walkers. At one point I just ran along the sidewalk to avoid running through people. And of course the hot chocolate mug afterwards was amazing! That chocolate was everything! Now getting to it required trudging through a pretty gnarly mud pit. Hopefully no one was wearing shoes they wanted to return afterwards. Lol! The best part of the day was sitting on Balbo and enjoying my chocolate with my friends. We had a ball and next year I'm so conquering the 15k! read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Finisher mug. - Races & Competitions Near Me

My husband and I signed up for one of their virtual runs and they never sent his packet. I emailed them and was told it was due to "social distancing" that was causing them to be short staffed in their warehouse and they would send it ASAP... well that was 2 months ago. Now, they have removed any way to contact them on their website. This was my first and last time ever signing up for one of their races. read more

We had a good time walking the 5k this year but the stuff afterwards seemed like it was really disorganized. I have gone in one of the years past and I remember after the race you filed through a tent went in one way and came out the other. It was as efficient as getting chocolate for 40000 people could hope to be. This year it was just a mass of people crowding up to a very limited area trying to get the chocolate ant there was no real indication of a line until you got within 8 feet of the actual counter and then you had to turn around and just fight your way back out through the crowd. There were many people who said it was really disorganized compared to past years. read more

Hot Chocolate 15K/5K - Races & Competitions Near Me

Oh Hot Chocolate, how may I count the many ways your existence annoys me. The only reason you're getting a star is because I can't give 0 or negative, but because the tech hoodie is actually pleasant. BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE: Although I've only started running a year ago, I've ran a 5k race (MWU Groovin in the Grove), 10k race (Chicago AIDS Run & Walk), and a half marathon (Chicago Half). So yes, my experience is broad that it's not just 5k or just half marathons, whatever. I believe I have a good baseline/expectations of race experience. RACE PACKET PICK UP EXPO What a disgrace. The actual expo was an outdoor tent with a five-fold line outside more ridiculous than Disneyland and WDW combined. OUTSIDE in the Chicago cold for 2 HOURS. I've ran 5k, 10k, and a half-marathon and I've NEVER experienced a more horrible experience. No matter how small or big a race is, it is no excuse to have your runners wait outside in the cold for 2 hours just to pick up their race packet. I don't care if it's a sold-out event and 40,000 participants signed up. Other races have done just fine. WHY was this race so excruciatingly physically painful and inconvenient? RACE DAY Why did my corral begin 1.5 hours after the race officially begins? People in the earlier corrals finished before I even started. People already got their finishers mug before I even completed mile 1. NO EXCUSES I was at the END corral of a half-marathon and I started running within 15 minutes of the race start. Who designed the race route? It was not a great route at all. We went into tunnels, back alleyways, parking lots, etc along sewage and garbage. Was it all that difficult to have us on Lake Shore Dr? Thanks for the hills and dips and awkward pathways. Who's great idea was it to have 15k runners start in the same corrals as 5k runners? For the first 2 miles I was stuck behind WALKERS! The finisher's mug was a sad excuse of a "mug". It's cheap plastic that can't even be dishwashed. Your chocolate fondue tastes great but your hot chocolate was COLD and it tasted like GARBAGE RUNNERS: if you respect yourself and the value of your money, STAY FAR AWAY FROM HOT CHOCOLATE or RAM RACING read more

Thinking this would be a great way to end out my year of running, my husband and I signed up for the 15K. Really, we weren't in it for the chocolate (although it was a nice perk), or the goodie bag (which really, people, there hasn't been good loot in goodie bags for several years now). We just wanted another goal to keep us moving in the fall. I have the same gripes as the other with respect to the packet pickup. Luckily, I went on Friday morning-ish, so the sun was out and it wasn't as cold as it probably was later. But yes, I waited outside for over an hour. When I finally got inside, things moved pretty quickly, but I was appalled to see the "expo" area taking up so much room. I get the need to do an expo, but at what cost? Keeping people outside in the cold? Not cool. I can't believe anyone actually bought anything after that line. Additionally, getting to Soldier Field via public transportation is a pain in the butt to be reserved only for Bears games. Come on, people. I thought I'd pick my packet up and have time to grab coffee before my noon meeting, but alas, the entire process made me 30 minutes LATE. It took me two and a half hours to get there and back to the Gold Coast for my noon appointment. What a waste. Race morning...I was in corral M, my husband in corral G. I should have fudged my time, which is clearly what everyone was doing, because when I was just about to start (at 7:50 a.m.) I noticed people leisurely walking who had started well before me. It bugs me that I have to lie to get into an earlier corral to avoid people who aren't seriously running. I'm not a fast runner, but I do pay good money for these races and would appreciate a little bit of consideration for that. I know everyone would. I was stuck waiting for over an hour before I started so much so that my toes were numb and I had a weird cramp in my leg for about the first two miles. Luckily, it warmed up (so did I) and I was able to get a pretty good run in. The course was fine. I have no real complaints about it. There was plenty of water/gatorade, and when I needed to make a pit stop (did I mention I was standing around for OVER an hour), I was able to do so relatively easily. I didn't get the chocolate afterwards. I was trying to meet my husband, but it took me about 30 minutes to get through the crowd where the chocolate was offered. And there I encountered more lines. No way. I donated my tag to a family (so their kids wouldn't fight over who got the crappy mug) and headed out of there. (My husband said the hot chocolate was absolutely gross.) I wouldn't run this race again. There are better-organized races out there where I don't spend the majority of my time waiting. read more

Never again that's for sure. This race is a mess. First of all everything that has been said about the packet pick up is true. First of all the location was a mess. The lines were out of control and there were no vast improvements from Friday to Saturday's pick up. There is no need to wait in line for over an hour and a half to pick up registration information. I don't know why they changed it from Union Station but they need to change it back. When my friend picked up her packet she was given some random corral because they had run out of letters. I mean seriously?!?! As for the race itself it was also a hot mess. No one was in their right corrals and we started later than we were supposed to. Despite all this I was looking forward to the end of race party and chocolate. While it was not the only reason I ran the race I was excited. Sadly I was let down. The mug is a piece of crap that you can't use. The chocolate was good but they gave you 3 pretzels to dip. Like seriously I had heard about all this food and all this chocolate we would be dipping only to find out I was getting 2 stupid pretzels, one piece of chocolate, a banana and one marshmallow. I am cracking up laughing as I write this just on the shear absurdity of it all. Why make people pay $50+ for a 5k and not be organized and then have a crappy after party?!?! Basically stay away from this event. There are other really good well organized races that happen in the city and no need to waste your time here. read more

This race was my first race/5K so I was kind of excited about it! On race day I was really let down about my decision to run a race. When we arrived, there were thousands of people everywhere and there was no direction on where to enter the race corrals. We found an opening that someone busted open and entered in there. There were hoards and hoards of people waiting to start the 5K. The funny thing is that people were finishing the race when we were waiting to start! As most of the people already stated, there were far too many walkers! That's fine if you need to stop and rest but don't walk the whole damn thing. They also walked in a line straight across making it hard to pass. It's a run! There were also people stopping to take pictures of their friends with the skyline. WTF. This ins't a run/walk tour of Chicago. Running paths were also often narrow especially around the Shedd and lakefront. Running in the grass was unexpected and dangerous at times. I will never do the HC race again. It was too much money and the jacket is 2 sizes too small. I am going to throw it in the trash or give it to Goodwill. Best goodie bag around? Pfffffffffffft. Not even. This race was an epic fail and I'm sorry I signed up. My time was worse than what I'm used to running but that was kind of expected due to the large crowds and walkers. read more

This race was horrible. I would give it zero stars if that was an option. 1.) The expo opened at 10:30am on Thursday and I got there just minutes later....to wait nearly an hour in a corral like cattle to get a goody bag and my bib. 2.) Best goodybag ever? Hell no. The "race tech" jacket was something you would wear out to feed cattle, not run a race in. Plus, it was two sizes too small. 3.) How does a race go from 3,000 to 30,000? You tried to put 30,000 in start corrals like the Chicago Marathon does. They have it under control, you do not. I couldn't even make it to the A Corral. 4.) How does 30,000 people share a lakepath running course? HORRIBLE. Never again. RAM Racing and I are done. read more

2012 is my 3rd and final year signing up for the Chicago Hot Chocolate 5k. The previous 2 years, packet pick up was a smooth and quick process, I do not understand why it was relocated from the central indoor location of Union Station, to the difficult to commute to, outdoor parking lot of Soldier Field. I waited in line, outdoors this afternoon for over an hour and 45 mins and another 15 indoors after finally getting into the tent. The lame, saccharine posts on Facebook by the event organizers promising to "make it up to us on race day :)" without any indication of 1) How exactly they're planning on doing that or 2) Giving any valid explanation for the complete cluster that the Expo was today, do not cut it for the cost of race participation and the inconvenience experienced today. Race day 2011 was also a hot mess with poor coordination of post race activities and start line timing. The race is over booked and poorly organized, I truly do not understand how they were able to expand to other cities. We're all fools for continuing to participate I guess, but I have finally learned my lesson and based on feedback I heard while in line today and what I've seen online, it appears others have as well. read more

Huge improvements from other years! The expo was a quick and easy, as well as a pleasant experience. We got to sample some of the yummy chocolate Ghiradelli gives out.That's always a crowd pleaser! Even the hoodie was a vast improvement from other years. The female hoodie was black and purple, (moisture wick material) and pretty darn cute! The guy version came in blue and black. The route was really nice as well. This is my first year running the 15k, so I'm not sure if that's changed from other years. Even the after party was a success. There was enough staff available, so everything was exceptionally organized. No chaos, or confusion everyone knew where to go. Ram racing had a tent up,and they were selling hot chocolate items which was convenient and pretty cool. I am so happy I decided to give it another try this year, I will definitely run it next year as well! read more