Not having run this race since 2005 (and A LOT has changed about it), I was excited to get back to this race. Other than Ragnar, this is one of the very few evening race opportunities. I had signed up for this race back in April at the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k Expo, and I had received a "Run with Fire" free coffee mug for signing me up... free swag? Heck yes!

This race does not have an expo, but they did offer packet pick-up at multiple LifeTime Fitness locations throughout the metro, which is definitely the way to go. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to fight rush hour traffic through to the other side of the cities just to spend 5 minutes picking up a packet. This way, I was able to quickly swing by while out running errands and still have time left in my day to get other things done. Swag was about average, minus the fact that both the shirt and the medal were GLOW IN THE DARK, which was pretty sweet (although I don't recommend ever wearing the shirt to bed, as the glow is a bit distracting). I would have much rather preferred a crew neck shirt in the women's size as opposed to a v-neck, but that is a personal preference.

To save time and money on race day, I chose to carpool, and with the free lightrail pass for all Aquatennial attendees (available on the Aquatennial event page), my friends and I were able to park in Saint Paul, close to a lightrail station for free and ride in. From there, it was about a half mile walk to the start, which it was a beautiful night to chat while doing so.

The start line was right by the Convention Center, which is a perfect place to have a start, as you have multiple rooms within the building for on-site packet pickup, options for food/drink, and gathering with groups of friends beforehand. Given that this race had a new course, and a good chunk of the race was on roads I have not run before, I don't have much for comparison, but it was nice running in the opposite direction on the river road than I normally have. Having a bridge right at the end, given the heat of the day, was not the most awesome, but it definitely tested how much you had left in the tank! The course ran through downtown Minneapolis out to the river and then across to Boom Island Park, which then became an ideal location for the post-race party.

Upon crossing the finish line, racers received their medal and a goodie bag with items from some of the race sponsors. It was nice to have the bag, as so many times I feel like I don't have enough hands/arms when I run a race with all the food and items I receive at the finish line. In addition to the usual post-race items (potato chips, bananas, etc.) we also received a pizza from the local Jet's Pizza joint. It really hit the spot, when drinking the post race beer. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't have the Goose Island beer they had advertised, but the beer selection, including a hard seltzer, were delicious to enjoy while listening to the band and hanging with friends.

We decided to stay later at the party, and take the shuttle back to the Convention Center, so there was a bit of confusion as we walked to catch what ended up being the final shuttle. The website stated the last shuttle would leave at 11pm, while the security guards were saying 10pm (it was about 10:15pm). We were worried we wouldn't get a ride back to our vehicle, but fortunately we did.

I also want to give a shoutout to the volunteers working the bag drop. A friend forgot something in her bag she had already turned in. While it wasn't anything critical, the volunteers searched in the truck to find her bag anyway, so she could get her gum out for the race!

This race is always well run, and I will definitely be back!