The only thing this race has going for it is the scenery, it’s ran along the Fox River and surrounding neighborhoods, which offers nice views. To break it down...

Expo: there is none, just walk in to the police station, and pick up your bib and shirt. It was quick and easy and the volunteers were super friendly and energetic

Course: ran along the river and some neighborhoods. There are very little to no spectators along the course, which can make the later miles very boring. There are several big hills throughout the race and even though the last 3 are “downhill,” they don’t really feel like it. I’m just glad that the half was actually a half, as this organization has had issues for the past few years with the course being short.

Aid stations: few and far between, which is much less than ideal when you consider that this is an August race, when temps potentially get up close to triple digits. The only good thing about the aid stations were the volunteers, the bursts of energy that you get were helpful to keep you going.

Start/finish: crowded! Everyone is squeezed into a small section for the beer garden. The beer was semi cold, which is the last thing you want to be drinking after a race!