In order to get the full effects of this race ya might want to wear 70's race attire! Yep, thats…read moreright! Bring out the short colorful shorts or colorful spandex tights;bandanna's/sweatbands, long socks, and afro; if you don't have an afro already. Then once you show up in your gear ya might want to bring it, because this is "The Original 5k!" : ) I really enjoyed this race, and hope to make it out again to run it. The Original 5k brings excitement, and competition, and attracts some of our local fast runners, and also runners that just wanting to have fun. Two words! Bring it! Bring it, or stay at home and watch that episode of Golden Girls you love : )

With only 1,081 runners (2014), you're not going to have any bottle necks at this race…read more Super fun concept...Bring running back to before technology? What, who does that? Fleet Feet does! They have people at the mile markers holding signs, yelling spilt numbers, it's absolutely hysterical. At the end of the race, they printed the results and posted them on a piece of plywood. Love it! The goodie bag is a really good pair of tube socks. I love them and wear them all of the time. You'll also see some dudes sporting some super short shorts. (wolf whistle) They could have had a few more people manning the gear check...that's literally my only gripe about the race. I'm kinda bummed they are doing the race on a Thursday instead of a Saturday this year. I seriously loved this race!

C and I did our first 10k and in Chicago no less! Truth be told, it was pretty awesome. Never…read morethought I would want to run during my vacations, but I've been getting more into these types of runs lately. This one went pretty smooth and organized I thought. We registered pretty late, so our 10k cost $65+fees. The race included gender specific tech t-shirt, medal, free hot breakfast buffet (taco shell, eggs, potatoes, sausages, salsa, French toast, BACON, fruit cup, water bottle), a pint of beer from Lagunitas, timed chip, photographers, bag check. I'm really glad we had this in our itinerary, it was so fun! You get to run along Lake Michigan. Con: packet pick up be prior to race day at Fleet Feet or $25 for will call pick up day of race.

I have run this race twice. Once when it was the Magellan Chicagoland Spring Half Marathon…read moreback in 2013 and another time most recently in 2016, Michelob ULTRA Chicago Spring 13.1 & 10K. This is a half marathon, just thought I would point that out, which starts on Lake Shore Drive path along side Dusable Harbor. You head out south towards Soldier Field and McCormick Place until you get to 47th Street where you turn around and come back. The course is relatively flat, as is all of Chicago, but there are a few dips and climbs when going over bridges or through under passes. Be ready for great lakeside views and it will probably get a little warm during this May race. There are a good amount of aid stations, water, and time clocks throughout the course. You won't have many spectators as it is an out and back course. There are only a few spots with entertainment/cheering sections. The CSHM finishes in Lake Shore East Park. Run just past the starting area, under LSD, and up a slight hill. Round a corner and you are home free. This race has great giveaways. Starting with the full breakfast plate, you get two beer tickets, and all kinds of free treats. They provided wet towels, Drink Body Armour, bananas, chips, fruits, and more. It is a well timed race for those who have been training all winter and want to strut their stuff come spring time. There is a series which includes this race and the one in September.

I ran the Chicago 10K earlier in the month for the first time. For some reason, I thought the race…read morewould be similar to the Shamrock Shuffle and would go through the downtown area. This race was similiar to the Soldier Field 10 Mile course -it starts in Grant Park and goes along the lakefront path south and then you run back. This course is not as exciting to me -I much prefer to see the sights and sounds of downtown. Despite that, it was a well organized race. There was frequent email communication beforehand, plenty of bathrooms and water stations and, overall, a great event. The packet pick-up was at Fleet Feet in Old Town -they always do a great job keeping the packet pick-up process quick and organized. Plus, I really like the shirt! There was an option to buy additional styles, which was cool. I bought an extra one so I have my finisher shirt and a bonus shirt. Despite not being that into the "plain, back and forth" lakefront course, I would likely do this race again just to mix it up!

The Abbott Chicago 5K is held the day before the Chicago Marathon and its a great opportunity for…read morethose running the marathon to get in a pre-race shake out run through the downtown streets of the city. When I ran it in 2022 there were over 8000 runners and it sold out quickly. It was a sunny morning but really cold and chilly. Definitely woke me up! The wool beanie hat they gave out came in handy to keep my head warm. Nice finisher medal too. Good crowd support for a 5K race.

I ran in the first annual International Chicago 5k in 2016…read more This 5k race is a part of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. It begins at Daley plaza, the old start line of the marathon, and traverses down under the El on Lake Street all the way to LSD path. From here you run down the path the length of Grant Park and after a couple of right turns you finish on Columbus Drive. The focus was international participants and the announcer recognized runners from around the world. The race runs long, at least mentally, as the stretch down Lake Shore lacks any distractions. Most people probably used this race as a shake out run before their marathon race the next day. As a spectator it was difficult to see off your runner at the start line and then make it to the finish line in time. And when you did make it to the finish line, the "viewing" area was less than ideal. Runners receive a neat Chicago themed beanie at the end of the race.

A year later and not much has improved…read more No expo at Navy Pier this year instead we had to pick up our packets at various running stores, which I didn't mind since I was in and out, but every year they said we need some sort of identification and not once was I carded. I even picked up 3 other packets and they didn't even bother to check if I really knew these people. Last year I complained how ugly the blue race shirts were for the 10 milers and this year I ran the 10K so I got a black long sleeve with a silver front, which wasn't too bad but you're telling me the shirt you gave me was a large? Circulations in my arm felt like they were cutting off and it was tight in the chest area. I decided not to exchange size, which I should of because around mile 4 the neck part was irritating me so badly that I had to continuously pull it away from my skin. I ended up with burn like marks on my lower neck area due to the poor sizing and cut of the shirt, which has NEVER happened to be in the 15 race that I've ran with race shirt provided to me. The race started half an hour late, which I didn't mind and I like the 15 minute gap for the 10mi and the 10K it helps alleviate congestion. The course was the same as last year, however, my biggest complaint is there was a split towards the end of the bridge and some of us went to the left while some went to the right, quite a few of us on the left thought we went the wrong way so we started jumping the fence only to find out we were able to connect at the end, but where was the guidance to avoid such mishap? The lakefront path is way too crowded for the amount of runners registered and the race wasn't even sold out. I felt sorry for the elite/fast pace runners who had to weave in and out of people on their way back. I was glad to finish when there weren't too many visitors. By the time I left Navy Pier and runners were still finishing I felt sad for them because you only knew they were runners because of their bibs, the course should of been fenced off so they can be recognized instead of being mixed in with everyone. I felt like no one cared about them anymore because they're at the end of the pack, which is something you should never feel in a race. The medal was a lot smaller than last year but it does spin although I'm still leaning towards last year's better, but they did take into account of identifying 10k finishers with a red ribbon and 10 mile with a blue. The volunteers passing out the ribbons were just handing out the medals instead of making sure the runners got the right color. Great amount of bagel and bananas for finishers. Would of love a water bottle instead of water in a cup. Overall, this has to be least favorite race. I love love love the fact it starts at Navy Pier but the organization of it needs improvement.

10, yes. Perfect, no…read more I will cut the organizers some slack since this was the race's first year. Overall, the race was fine, but there were definitely some kinks and quirks that need to be worked out. The biggest kink was not the organizer's fault; a few days before the race, the park district forced them to move the start time up an hour. They sent emails and posted notices on the race website; I'm not sure how they could have handled this better, but I know that it was still a frustration for many. 1) I liked the small size of this race, especially because it was the first year. I don't think the race sold out, but the planned cap was 4,000 runners. The small size prevented bottlenecks where the course doubled back; had this race been any larger, it would have been a total clusterf@ck on the narrower portions of the path - especially since the path is still technically open to the public. 2) I don't feel like I got a ton of bang for my buck. I realize that as a late registrant, I paid the priciest entry fee ($70), but taking everything into consideration I don't think this race was worth any more than $55 tops. 3) The expo was unnecessary; there were only a handful of vendors there (Zipcar, Sprint, hippy runner, and the people who are always selling food, clothes and shoes). In the future, they should solicit more booths or scrap it. 4) The goodie bags were a disappointing compilation of race flyers, a coupon for a McGriddle - that had to be used at the Navy Pier McDonald's that day before 10:30, and one sample of Biofreeze. I didn't get a race map in my bag, I found out later that I had to grab one from the info booth at the expo's entrance - lame. 5) The long-sleeve shirts were nice, but the blue 10 mile shirts were kind of ugly; the red 10k ones were much nicer looking. In the future, they could get away with a single shirt for both distances. 6) The medals were nice, but on the website under the FAQ's it said there would be a different ribbon to denote 10k and 10 mile medals. It's not a big deal, but this didn't happen. 7) Updates to the website were poorly maintained. When I didn't get a map, I went to the website and pulled up the map. Not entirely sure exactly where the start was located on the pier, I scoured the website and found nothing. When I checked out the FAQ, I saw this question submitted by another runner, but never answered. In fact there were a number of good questions asked, but never answered. 8) There were plenty of water stations, but it seemed like majority only carried water. The few that did have sports drinks were pretty tight lipped about it - weird. 9) There was only one timing mat, which meant that there were no race splits. It also meant that you could easily cheat by turning around at any point and no one would know. 10) There were plenty of bananas, water, and photographers at the finish line. The weather couldn't have been better for race day; sunny and not too cold, but in the end this race was only ok; however, it has potential. If they work out this year's kinks and make it a better value, it just might be perfect next year.

Not bad for a small 5k, which falls during the weekend of the Backlot Bash! Back when I registered…read morefor this race, I remember it not being very well advertised. Other than it being listen on "Chicago Athlete" website; there were no other places advertising for this race, which is probably the reason for the small turn out. I do feel on that part it could've been better, but the weather may have also been an issue with that also. There was a lot of rain, and it seemed questioned if the even was actually going to still go on, which it did. Skokie Backlot Dash, felt more like a neighborhood run vs an actual run with runners from all over, however, there were some pretty great runners out. The race course itself was pretty accurate, and we had police officers at parts along the course, and also guiding the lead runner, which is always a great thing, because that can be a total nightmare running extra meters in a run, and also throw you off on your personal goal. No issues with that in this race though. Of course, I look forward to doing this race again, and I'm pretty sure that I will run it many more times in the future. Skokie Backlot Dash is another run that brings fun, whether you are running with friends, family or solo; there are no set limits in this race, as far as abilities. "Half of the battle is won, once you lace-up your shoes, and get outside your house to run." Link to register for this race http://www.backlotbash.com/backlotdash.html

About a week before The Morton Arboretum Arbor Day 10K Run I did the Rockdale Ramblin' Run, which…read moreis supposedly the toughest 10K in the Midwest. I'm not fully convinced the title has been appropriately appointed. It could be that I was still sore from the first big run, but I found the Arbor Day 10K to be a bit tougher since it was a lot of low-grade inclines and rolling hills instead of a few big ones here and there. My Achilles tendons were not amused and I ended up having to walk for about 2 songs in my Spotify 11 Minute Mile Playlist. Still, I finished this race in 1:14:06 instead of 1:16:01. I attribute this acceleration to the fact that gravity works in your favor coming down a few of the steeper slopes. Weeeeeee! The course is what makes this worth it. It's absolutely gorgeous and I highly recommend running its sister race, the Fall Color 5K. Your entrance into the race gets you and your car buddies free admission to The Morton Arboretum afterward. I haven't taken them up on this offer yet, but maybe I will after the next race. I think it's a wonderful option. The Post-Race Party is OK. You get a tech shirt from your goody bag but there aren't any medals. They gave out large cartons of water but the food portion consisted of only half a banana and big ass bagels... I burned almost 1,000 calories, can a girl get some cream cheese and a whole banana? ... Nonetheless, all was forgiven when The Hot Sauce Committee took stage and provided the live entertainment for the event. Parking is pretty easy. They've streamlined the process, so you get in and out quickly. I arrived about an hour before the race started and didn't feel rushed.

This is Illinois. The flat Midwest. I don't do hills…read more Apparently, Morton Arboretum didn't get the memo. Hills, inclines, twists and turns. This course definitely challenged my strength and endurance. It was definitely a slow (uphill) and crowded start but typical for any race. Just when I wanted to quit and walk, a cheery volunteer would stick out a hand for a high five and BAM I got my second wind. Water stations were located at the start, mile 1.5, mie 3, and finish. Strollers are not allowed, but I did see 2 pass me by. Damn those fast Lululemon moms! The $33 registration includes free parking and a tech shirt (fits very large! My husband ended up wearing my size small). Finish line. Plenty of water to rehydrate. Whole Foods had a tent set up with bananas and bagels. Athletico had massage tables set up for after race stretching...I did not want to get off the table! Dick Pond also had a tent set up with merchandise for purchase.

This was a fun race despite what is said about the location...it's in a neighborhood you might not…read morebe familiar with on the south side but we took the shuttle from Millenium Park and high fives to that- super easy peezy...since there is nothing more stressful that fussing with parking on race morning! The shuttle buses were super easy to get on, no real wait times either to or fro- so that was a great bonus. The course itself was part street, part lakeshore path. If you're a runner in Chicago, you've probably done a dozen races on that path, but luckily, this one is coming from the South Side and it's great to mix things up a bit. This sign had the BEST signs and great spectators and entertainment...even better than Rock N Roll Chicago this year. I got quite a few laughs from this course and really enjoyed my time running the 13.1 Allstate. It was well organized enough to feel "big" but not so big you got frustrated. Very well organized, good vendors/sponsors for race day- and yes, the beers afterwards were totally delicious!

This race has the good and the bad. It is now sponsored by Michelob Ultra instead of Allstate and…read morethey put out a good spread after the race. The area around the race location is kind of sketchy (there is a reason they recommend taking the shuttle), but the location itself is pretty nice. There were plenty of port o potties at the start, but not too many on the course. The course does get tight at spots and there are some holes throughout the course, but it is a more technical course than the spring half (it is out and back, but you do weave through town a little bit). The medals are huge and there is a decent post race party. A nice change from some of the out and back only Lake Front Trail races.