Great way to start the day! Before you head out to stuff your bellies today on turkey day; get…read moreactive. This 8k walk/run sponsors Best Buddies; a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Over 1000 participants were involved in this year's event. I'm proud to say I was finisher #366. Start/Finish line located on the upper Muny parking lot which also offers parking, Johnny on the Spot, trash cans, water & bananas for the refuel. I encourage fun runs for charity, fellowship, fitness and healthy lifestyle implementation. They are not only for true runners & marathoners anyone no matter what your age or fitness level can enjoy a day out on the course. ~Christy said so

I was lucky enough (ha, get it?) to travel to St. Louis for work last season to run this race. It…read morehappened to be a cold day (about 32 degrees), but that didn't stop the spirit of St. Louis! It reminded me a lot of Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle, just on a bit of a smaller scale. The people were super friendly as we chatted in line. My awesome St. Louis coworker even drove me to the race and hung out to watch the runners (thanks, Todd). Overall, a great experience and I'm glad I planned the extra day to participate. I did not stay for the parade - that will have to be added to the bucket list!

This is by far my favorite run in STL. I have done this race for the past 3 years and it is a…read moreblast! There are always a lot of people at all skill levels so if you can walk 5 miles, you can participate. This race is very entertaining. There are kids, adults, people in funny costumes, people tied together with shamrock tinsel, a group pulling a keg in a wagon and drinking while running. Although I have yet to spot a leprechaun...maybe this will be my year! The best part of the race is the finish line, free beer! Whooohooo! Oh, and you can get a super green running shirt at Big River Running that says, "Kiss me, I'm a runner" to wear at the race. Check it!

THE WILD, WILD WEST!…read more Have you ever seen those cowboy showdowns which causes all the townsfolk to leave? That's what it felt like running in St. Louis; an abandoned town when a big event goes on. The folks of St. Louis knew the Rock n Roll series was coming, so they basically fled. There was no activity whatsoever especially for a downtown area, and it was a bit eerie. It's like us runners were a disease. Did St. Louis think we brought Cholera, Measles, or even Typhoid Fever? Remember the game Oregon Trail in elementary school? I guess they took the "You have died of dysentery" memo seriously. Lol In addition to the sense of loneliness, the race was quite boring after the first 3 miles. At the beginning of the race, you run alongside of the Gateway Arch and by Busche Stadium. Beyond that, you are just running down the depressing streets of St. Louis. The only thing missing along the course was tumbleweed. I did see a pizza box rolling around on the street... so close enough. Lol I wish there were more opportunities to run by the arch, and to run inside Bushe Stadium. The next day, the field at Bushe Stadium was gutted so it wouldn't have mattered if runners ran by it, or on it. At the least, the course wasn't difficult. They used to offer a marathon option, but it looks like they did away with that. I heard it was hilly, and if were a little more exciting, I wouldn't have mind. The post-race was also quite uneventful as well. It was in a small, and cramped area at one of the nearby parks. They should have allowed runners to at least celebrate inside Bushe Stadium. We are in downtown, and Bushe Stadium is just right there. Baseball season is over in October, unless you make it to playoffs. The Rock n Roll race in San Diego did that with Petco Park (home of the Padres!) and it was amazing. Plus, it was baseball season, and they had a game in the evening too... so if San Diego can do it, anyone else can do it too. For some reason, the Rock n Roll series holds this race and Denver at the same time. The Rock n Roll series is a big organization, so I don't understand why they have to host 2 races on the same day. Anyway, for 2018 I guess it won't be an issue because St. Louis has been cut. Oh well. Hopefully St. Louis will make it's way back into the Rock n Roll series again... maybe even with Will Smith, Wild-Wild-West style? lol. :) In 2016, if you ran the RnR Chicago, and this race, you were entitled to the Midwest Quest Medal. It spins, and who doesn't love a medal that spins?! :D http://www.runrocknroll.com/chicago/wp-content/sites/20/2016/01/MIDWEST-GIF.gif

Ive run this several times. It is always organized well. Im thinking about volunteering next…read moretime. Everyone involved is so motivating and positive. Get in early for cheaper registration fees or chexk for groupon deals. The information provided about packet pickup and parking is always so helpful. My group was able to us the map and find parking close that was fairly inexpensive. Keep up the good work.

2024 and 2026 have been great experiences! Everything runs on time and the post-race party was a…read moreblast! The half-marathon course was challenging but fun. It's also been beautiful, I will definitely be back next year!

I've worked a ton of races with this company. It can be hit or miss sadly…read more Most the time for vendors they are unorganized and unsure of processes. The Halloween race they had no vendor parking. The staff was rude when we were trying to take pictures stating their media person was there, yes we appreciate that however we paid a lot to be there and like some picture with our product to post. The cowbell was so unorganized. Some staff is friendly and professional. It's really hit or miss sadly. For as much as vendors pay to be there and all the time it takes to set up, they aren't the nicest to them, most respectful

Honestly this one's a tossup between 3 and 4 stars. It seems that the Illinois State Fair, compared…read moreto some of the other state fairs, is kind of boring and doesn't offer a lot. Iowa and Minnesota's state fairs have a better selection of foods to offer, for instance. But I think I'll just stick to the positives of Illinois's. The fair does pay great tribute to the Prairie State, like agriculture, dairy and midwestern life. I'm very surprised and glad that Chicago isn't mentioned all that much, although I wish some Chicago foods would be offered at the fair! The buildings and architecture are nice. The Route 66 Experience (which is open year-round) is a must for everybody. No fair visit is complete without checking out the livestock barns as well as going to livestock judging competitions. Oh and I can't leave out the butter sculptures. As far as the entertainment part, they do have a great eclectic mix of cover bands and popular acts performing there. Again, despite of everything that I said - I do think Illinois needs to step up its game and re-define itself as a popular destination. After seeing what Iowa State Fair has to offer, it definitely made Illinois SF look very weak.

Another year , another fair and what a nice fun time…read more Great people Great food Great time And if you haven't , you must try the apple cider slushie!

This year was the inaugural Wild Irish 15K (that's 9.32 miles!) road race. It was formerly the…read moreJoker's Wild Half Marathon, but it changed to this for some reason. Not exactly sure why. Anyway, this was an awesome race. It was put together by Ultramax, which sponsors a number of races in the midwest. The whole thing was extremely organized, from packet pickup, to the race itself, and the post-race support. Picking up my packet was a snap. I love it when things like this are organized! It was super easy for me to grab my race number, t-shirt, and timing chip. The day of the race was no different. I loved that it started at Westport Plaza (tons of free, safe, secure parking!), and it was super organized. I'd say about 200 people showed up, which is a pretty good turnout for a race of this distance. Race support was fabulous. There were tons of volunteers, and water/aid stations at every other mile, stocked with gatorade, water, and energy gels. Maryland Heights police were out in full force to block off roads, help direct traffic, etc. Post race, there were free massages, energy drinks and water, and PANCAKES! It really doesn't get much better than that. I loved this race, and it's definitely on my 'must-run' list for next year.

This will definitely be a repeat for next year. It was my first 10k, so I'm not sure what I should…read morehave expected.

This was my first time doing this particular race. I thought it was a lot of fun. The shirts were…read moresuper cute... so that's always a plus! The course is pretty hilly, but what's a race without hills? haha I thought the number of volunteers and the support of the spectators was fabulous! It would have been nice if they had passed out gu at the second to last water station. I usually dont eat anything during half races, but my energy level went down... I guess maybe because of the hills. Overall, fantastic job for such a small race. There were even some big competitors present! They also have a 1/2 mile and 5K run for beginners and children.

A year later, and this half marathon still gives me chills. I ran the Clayton half for the second…read moretime, making it my third half this year (and fourth half overall)! Who needs drugs when you can sign up for races instead? Such a rush. Packet pickup was a snap; the half marathon 'expo' was at The Center of Clayton on Saturday. I received my bib and sweet long-sleeved tech shirt. The race itself was very well organized, and also started at The Center of Clayton. I love the St. Louis Track Club half, because it is a popular race, but not TOO popular. It still has that small, intimate feel. The course itself is SUPER hilly. There's just no other way to describe it. It starts in Clayton, winds through downtown Clayton a bit, then goes over into Forest Park. Beautiful course and lots and lots and LOTS of hills. Get ready. Crowd support is pretty nonexistent, so bring an MP3 player if you can't stand silence. Again, the police officers and volunteers did an EXCELLENT job directing traffic and such to make sure all of the racers were safe. That sort of thing is always appreciated. The finishers medal was sweet, and there were lots of post race goodies to partake in if you're into that sort of thing. After running 13.1 miles, food is the LAST thing on my mind, but if bananas, bagels, and gatorade are your post-race fuel of choice, this one's got ya covered. I'll be back next year, of course.

My first 10 mile race!…read more This one took place in Old Town Fenton; well, it started there, anyway. It wound all around Fenton, leading us through parks, woods, and along the beautiful Meramec river. It was a fairly popular race; if I had to estimate, I'd say that about 150 people were there. There were three different race distances people could choose from: a 2 mile walk, a 5 mile run, or a 10 mile run. I'm nuts (and I'm training for a half marathon!) so I chose the 10 miler. Most people ran the 5 mile run, which made for a pretty lonely race for me. I'd say about 50 people ran the 10 miles. Anyway, the scenery was beautiful during the run, which always means a lot when you're chugging through those last few miles. The highlight of my run was seeing two young deer cross the trail about 10 feet in front of me! That was breathtaking. The race support was fantastic, and there were lots of water stops and volunteers leading you in the right direction. There were even police officers blocking off certain roads so runners could cross safely. That was VERY nice. At the end of the race, there was more food than one could ever wish to have. It was nice having such a big selection. But after running 10 hard miles, the last thing my tummy wanted was a big cheese danish. I could barely choke down a bite of a bagel and banana. But if you're ravenous after a race, you'd love the spread. Race schwag included a bag and a few other goodies. Nothing major. But I'd rather the money go toward the charity, anyway. This race will most definitely be on my growing 'must-run' races every year. I really enjoyed it.

We just finished this years CitySolve Urban Race STL and it was a BLAST. We came in 12th out of…read moreabout 80 teams, not too shabby for a few rookies. It's a scavenger hunt based on clues and loosely held together by rules that ensure fair play and sportsmanship. Every year it could be different, but the racers also qualify to participate in the championship race in Vegas later this year. This year's event had my team of three crawling around the city, on foot for about 4-5 miles of it and on a very entertaining city bus for another 2 miles. It took us all over downtown and over to the SLU area. Although up to five hours is allotted, we finished in about an hour and 45 minutes. There are divisions (Family, Senior, Open) and prizes awarded for the winners as well as best costume, so there were some pretty entertaining outfits to say the least. The bottom line is, people pay 40-50 dollars to enter in full/half marathons all the time, and while this takes a lot less physical exertion or training, it's a heck of a lot more fun! It was a great way to spend a Saturday and I'll be doing it again next year.