The Course:
Right along the top of Lake Michigan. Absolutely gorgeous and flat.
Weather:
For a June race the temperature was in the low 60's which was ideal. The downpours and hail that mother nature delivered as I was out on course was less than ideal, but you can't control the weather.
Management:
Great communication and for a small event the event had no glaring issues.

I would definitely recommend this for someone looking to complete a race in Michigan or someone looking for a June race that should have decent weather.

This year was the 10th anniversary for the half, so they gave out long sleeve tech shirts that fit great! The expo was relatively small, but they had great race gear for sale. The race starts at the University of Toledo, and there are not that many access points to get into the parking lot, so I was happy I took a hotel shuttle to get there. Gear check was quick and easy to deal with. Easy access to corrals, and they had pacers set up every 5 minutes. The course is great. Not as flat as they claim, but the hills were not too bad. The half runs through the neighborhood of Ottawa Hills and the homes there are beautiful! The full split about mile 7. Aid stations were spaced well. Downhill finish, and finishing in the football stadium is pretty cool.

I decided to run this race because I knew I could drive up the morning of the race from my home in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago and not need to invest in a hotel room. The start of the race moved up 1 hour from the time I signed up to race day. It meant I had to start my day even earlier, but still didn't seem to be an issue.

Parking: A big deal was made about parking on social media before the race. I chose one of the pre-pay/reserved options that was available. I probably could have saved the money because this led to my frustration with the race.

Pre-race
The VIP experience that I paid for to get better parking was not what it was supposed to be. They put the VIP tent in a flooded field which meant stepping very carefully to avoid wet feet. I had to retrieve my own packet despite what was promised as part of the VIP experience. There was a promise of VIP gear check, but that didn't pan out either. It was actually easier to use the regular gear check because that wasn't in a flooded field.

T-Shirts/SWAG: The finisher shirt and medal are awesome. I really liked the design and that everyone had the same medal with different neck ribbons by color to designate the distance you participated in.

Aid Stations: The aid stations were well placed and well supplied. Volunteers were amazing.

Course: I liked this course a lot. I thought it offered a lot of variation and enough change that you were not bored. Unlike the full marathon, the half was the correct distance.

Elevation: There was a bigger hill around mile 5, where Lincoln Memorial Drive turns into Lake Drive. Running west on Wisconsin Avenue is a slight uphill which feels harder because of the placement around mile 10. The wind gusts at some points made turning the corner interesting, but nothing too challenging.

Race Management: Definitely needs improvement. I would like to see starting corrals by time put into place and I really did not like starting with the finisher chute tables in the way. The starting area was already quite narrow and it didn't help that you had to look out for the tables and that it was still dark at the start. I think the idea of having the start/finish be at the Yards seemed ok except, if there is any rain in the days leading up to the event (or during the event), the entire post-race party ends up being a giant mud pit. It seemed that the finish line tent areas were sort of half-assed put together; for example, the VIP tent still had flaps unsecured so during big wind gusts, the flaps would fly open. Non VIP gear check was easy to use and in a good location next to a paved path. The amount of porta potties was adequate. I noticed a lot of photographers along the course, but for whatever reason there were only a few photos of me, I know that they are free so I won't compain. I think the free race photos option is always a nice inclusion. One thing I was disappointed in is the time we had to wait for results. Official results were not available until early afternoon of race day, by which time I was already home. I would love to seem them utilize race printout technology that they had in 2016.

Overall, I think this is a great half marathon course, but management needs a lot of improvement.

The Mini is a very large race, which is why I chose to stay at a hotel near the start line and walk over. I heard from others that parking was a little hectic so I was happy with my choice.
The start was quite the spectacle with an Indy car leading the way. Overall I thought the course was fairly flat, and basically winds out of downtown and towards the Speedway. Honestly, there wasn’t a lot of scenery running out of town. Running through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway seems cool in theory, but it is very hot on there, and the cement is pretty hard, so the 2.5 miles you're on the track just seem to take forever. It’s great that I can say I’ve run on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but it’s probably one of my least favorite parts of any course I've run. Hopping off the speedway at mile 8 is fantastic, and there is a bit of shade through some streets covered in trees. Once you hit mile 10, you hit several neighborhoods and then downtown again as you run towards the finish line. The crowds are enthusiastic throughout the entire course, and it’s nice to have all the bands out playing.
The aid stations are all excellent. There is plenty of water and Gatorade. There were medics along the course as well. No complaints here.
Race communications are excellent. This is a well-run race, and they have everything down to a science. They send out emails throughout the year, which keeps excitement up.
The shirts were pretty nice in comparison to other races that I’ve run.
The Mini is a race everyone should experience just once. It's definitely worth it to sign up for a chance to experience the crowds and the speedway. Just be prepared for the heat once you hit the speedway.

I ran this race because it is local and helped me to check the state of IL off my 50 state list.
Chicagoland weather can be very unpredictable at this time of year. It was very chilly for most of this race. Pre-race most runners stayed inside to keep warm and post-race the wind picked up so I didn’t stick around very long.
Overall, the race was well organized, course was not too hilly and there was a lot of cheer groups in the subdivisions we ran through. Unlike some reviewers, I did not have an issue with parking. I appreciate the short walk to wake my legs up pre-race and cool them down after.
Overall it was a good race and I would highly recommend it.