I absolutely love the Hot Chocolate Race Series and this was my 4th time running the race (2nd time in person). Although I'd registered for the 15k, mother nature had other plans. After heavy winds blew the finish line down before the 5k start, and a nearby lightning strike, the race start was temporarily delayed and eventually the organizers were forced to cancel the longer distance options (15k and 10k). Still, my group and I were just as excited to take on the 5k!

Despite the conditions, we had an absolute blast. I love these races because of the emphasis on having fun! Whether that means gunning for a PR, or just enjoying the ride, you're sure to have a good time. The rain was pouring down at the start, but most folks still had a big smiles on their face. I have to give a particular shoutout to the race staff and volunteers. There was only one aid station on the 5k course (which you passed twice) but I haven't seen an aid station with that much excitement since the NYC marathon!

The race was shorter than expected, but it was fun nonetheless, and of course, we have to mention the post-race treats! The hot chocolate and fondue taste even better when you're soaked to the bone! I've never had a bad experience with Hot Chocolate, and they were quick to communicate with runners as they made course updates in real-time. I also appreciate that they sent all 10k and 15k runners a massive discount code for anyone wanting to return for next year's race.

Despite mother nature's best efforts, this was still a fantastic race with some of the best snacks, volunteers, and SWAG. I've been wearing my sweatshirt ever since!

What a race! I've been looking forward to this race for such a long time and it did not disappoint! Overall, the race was INCREDIBLE, especially the first half! The course was beautiful. The climbs were tough but well worth the effort. Luckily the 2nd half is almost totally flat so once you make it through the first 13.1 you just to maintain through the back half and get ready to enjoy the post-race celebration. And it is worth the wait! Sponsored by Dogfish Head, there's plenty of great beer and live music to celebrate the accomplishment once you cross that finish line!

They let you know in the pre-race packet but be sure to create a solid fueling plan. The aid stations are a little farther apart on the back half, and there were only gels at the 19.5 mile mark, but I was able to make out fine with my own fuel.

The Mohican 100 was my first attempt at a 100-miler so a DNF was not much of a surprise. Even still, this is easily one of my favorite race experiences. This is a race that has a lot of history and a massive community rallied around the event (including plenty of folks to toe the line EVERY year).

A few highlights; the race is incredibly well organized and the trails are very easy to follow, the volunteers are amazing, and you get some truly beautiful scenery along the way. A nice perk for the crews is that the start/finish is next to Mohican Adventures which has plenty of activities to enjoy while runners are out on the trail. My crew opted for a nice relaxing float down the river.

Really, the biggest thing that went wrong for my partner and I was just that the course appeared "too runnable." We went out way too fast and were feeling great for the first loop. There are some decent climbs, but also a lot of long, gradual downhills. This seemed like a blessing because it was easy to make up time on the downhills. All that pounding on our joints definitely came back to haunt us though.

Even still, this was such an amazing race. I have a sneaky suspicion we'll be back to attempt to redeem ourselves. Ultimately, we DNF'ed at the halfway point (54 miles).

I LOVE the Hot Chocolate race series, and the virtual races are no different. I know it's been tough for races to pivot to a virtual experience, but Hot Chocolate does a phenomenal job trying to recreate as much of the race experience as they can for their virtual runners.

First, the swag. I think the HC series easily has some of the best swag around. Regardless of where I'm running the race, I look forward to snagging the new HC hoodie every year!

Second, the community. Even though we can't run the race in person, Hot Chocolate creates a great pre-race community through the regular newsletters and facebook group.

Third, the goodies! I love that HC sends you all the snacks and goodies to put together your very own post-race celebration. I love mixing up a big batch of the hot chocolate before I go out for my run so it's hot and ready for me as soon as I finish.

It's been a challenge to stay motivated over the last year but the Hot Chocolate series puts on a great event for runners to look forward to, AND there are so many more opportunities to participate in their other race locations via the virtual option. Find the best one for you!