bucktown 5k recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Bucktown 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

At the start line.

If you prefer a short version, check out my BibRave review here.

RAM Racing Bucktown 5k was held on Sunday, September 17. This was my second year running it (2016 was my first; recap here). Though I have been trying to mostly run 10k or longer distance races, I couldn't help but register for this Bucktown 5k. Why? Because of the goodie bag. This year's included a super soft, Chicago flag blanket, and when I saw it in person at an expo/felt it, well, it was just too good to pass up.

At the finish line.

My mom picked up my bib for me on Friday afternoon at Fleet Feet Sports in Old Town. She said pickup was easy and no problems. We left the house around 7 and got to the race around 7:30. I went to where I parked last year, and both sides of the street were full. This put me in panic mode, even though we had a lot of time still. Parking in the city isn't easy, and since the course was a no parking zone, it meant all of the cars that normally were parked there were displaced, which means there was going to be limited parking in the area.

The photographer told us to do it haha.

In our search, we came across a policeman on the course. We asked if he knew where some parking might be and he said he had no idea. So, we just drove around. Eventually we found some metered parking on the street maybe mile from the race. A lot of other runners parked here as well, and in the end, though it cost us $4 rather than being free, it was closer to Starbucks and Stan's Donuts, so worked out better haha. I tried to get my mom to get out of the car near the race so she would have time for the bathroom in case we were cutting it close, but she refused.

Free race photos for the win. And there were actually a good amount.

Anyway, we were parked before 8, got our gear ready, and walked over to the race site. Plenty of time to use the portapotties, which didn't have very long lines, and all was fine. There was a DJ and an announcer letting people know when to go line up in the corrals. The race start was different than last year, moved up just a little bit so all of the corrals were on one street rather than being 'L' shaped, turning down a different street.

There were 6 corrals released every 3 minutes or so. We were in the second to last, and I ran with my mom the whole way with her intervals (45/45). The congestion seemed a bit better to me than last year, not running into as many people. I'd say the course was pretty wide in most cases, and MOST cars had parked elsewhere (there was an occasional car you had to weave around). Two sections you ran on half the street, as the other half was for another portion of the course, but it wasn't long or bad, and it was cool to watch the other runners go by.

There were plenty of volunteers and police out to keep the runners on course, safe, and keep traffic off course. There was one water stop (there might have also been Nuun, but I couldn't tell for sure - I skipped it). 

The course.

There were so many families out cheering for all of the runners, it made the race seem very special and local. 

At the finish line, we were given a cup of Nuun, bottled water, a banana, and a bag of snacks which included Soy chocolate milk, a plain bagel, Clif mini bar, Rice Krispy treat, and a piroucrisp. Post-race site had a DJ, games, and a photo backdrop. 

We didn't stick around too long. We headed back to the car to drop off the extra stuff and then headed over to Stan's to grab some amazing donuts. Then we got some iced beverages from Starbucks next door. It was a delicious morning haha.

I shared, I promise.

Definitely looking at running again in 2018 – looks like they are voting between a chicago flag blue long sleeve tech shirt with the 4 stars on the sleeve or a duffel bag. They both looked pretty cool. 

Have you ever run this race? Did anything I mention make you want to register? :)

bucktown 5k this sunday

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Bucktown 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Another weekend, another race! Join me at the Bucktown 5k on Sunday, September 17. Some great news? Race start is at 8:30am. A little extra sleep never hurt anyone, plus, since it's a 5k, still plenty of time to grab some breakfast afterwards. There's some great places to grab food nearby, or at least some coffee. I ran last year and had a great time. You can read my recap here.

Registration is winding down, and from what I hear it's almost sold out, so register now if you're interested. You get an AMAZING, soft, snuggly Chicago flag blanket and if you use code BibRaveBT17, you'll also get a free water bottle.

You can grab your packet at Fleet Feet Old Town on Friday, September 15 from 10am – 8pm and on Saturday, September 16 from 10am – 6pm. There is no race day pickup.

Here is the course:

Get this free using code BibRaveBT17 during registration.

You can register here and then let me know that you did so we can meet up :)

bucktown 5k 2017

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Bucktown 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Oops, I did it again. I just registered for another RAM Racing event. Sorry, not sorry. This year, the Bucktown 5k is offering a BLANKET! It's soft and cozy and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The design is the Chicago flag, which I guess this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Bucktown 5k always has some unique swag; last year it was a comfy tech sweatshirt that was also the Chicago flag. I love that light blue color, and of course Chicago, so I like that the theme is continuing.



Join me for this fun, Chicago neighborhood race on Sunday, September 17. Bonus: the race doesn't start until 8:30am, so you have a little bit of time to sleep longer. I enjoy not having to wake up at 4am myself. Plus, after the race it's the perfect time to go have some breakfast at one of the local eats (lots of great options).

Use code BibRaveBT17 during registration (right before checkout, click on the button to add a promo code/coupon) to score a free water bottle.



Hope to see you there!

bucktown 5k recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry for RAM Racing Bucktown 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Here's my shorter BibRave review.

Bucktown 5k has been on my radar since I saw their amazing swag in 2014 – sweatpants! Every year something unique and fun. I wasn't able to race in 2014 or 2015, so I was excited that in 2016 my calendar was free on the day of the race. This year they had runners vote between a vest and sweatshirt – the sweatshirt won out (which made me happy because it's what I voted for haha).

Packet pickup for the race was held on Thursday–Saturday:

Fleet Feet Deerfield

800 Waukegan Rd.

Deerfield, Illinois 60015

Thursday, September 15, 2016 - 4pm to 6pm

Fleet Feet Elmhurst

124 Schiller St

Elmhurst, Illinois 60126

Thursday, September 15, 2016 - 4pm to 8pm

Fleet Feet Old Town

1620 N Wells St.

Chicago, Illinois 60614

Friday, September 16, 2016 - 10am to 8pm

Saturday, September 17, 2016 - 10am to 6pm

I popped into Old Town on Friday around 11:30. They had pickups for two races at the store that day and Bucktown 5k was in the back of the store. For whatever reason the scanner had problems grabbing the code from my phone, so the guy just looked up my info using my last name. Quick and easy. Pickup included a RAM Racing drawstring bag with your bib, sweatshirt, and safety pins.

Race day brought sunshine, temps in the upper 60s, and the usual high humidity. The race start was at 8:30am on Sunday, September 18 at Burr Elementary School Grounds (1621 West Wabansia (Wabansia & Marshfield), Chicago, Illinois). i knew nothing of parking in that specific area, so we left early and got there around 7am because let's face it, my anxiety is high when I don't know what parking will be like. Luckily, there was a good amount of free street parking nearby (and I saw a bunch of other runners getting out of their cars, so I knew I was in the right area and felt comfortable parking where everyone else was ha).

At the race site (and by the start) there was a good amount of portapotties. There were no lines when we got out there around 7:30 (we hung out in the car for a bit). Eventually Eric got there and we met up to chit chat, I met his friends Tim and Megan, we took some photos, wished each other luck, and headed to our corrals. The corrals went from A–K and were released every 2 minutes. It was a good size crowd – a couple thousand runners (5,000 maybe?).

The course took runners through Bucktown – a cute neighborhood with tree lined streets and lots of friendly folks out cheering on the runners. One family even had their own water table set up manned by the kids – very cute. The course was closed to cars and was set as a tow zone, though plenty of cars were still parked out on the street. This made running the course a bit trickier, as everyone had to go around the cars. 

Mom and I ran together doing our intervals – 40 seconds running 30 seconds walking. We weren't gunning for a PR, so just taking it easy and having fun. There were some parts on the course that were very congested (mostly the parts that were half the street so runners were going each way, and then also had cars parked), but overall not too bad. Runners want to make sure to watch their footing, as the streets of Chicago are filled with potholes and uneven bits (I might have rolled my ankle once or twice). Not the races fault, just something to be aware of.

After the race, we received bottled water, Nuun in cups, bananas, and a plastic bag filled with chocolate milk from Silk, a bag of mini pretzels, and a Nature Valley Chocolate Chunk Bar. The after party had a DJ going, a photographer taking pics of runners with the RAM Racing backdrop and podium, samples of Nuun, and other tents for runners to socialize and hang out.

Pros post-race! We don't look nearly as sweaty as we were ;)

Post-race Party.

I met back up with Eric and friends, took some final photos and chatted a bit more before heading out separate ways. Mom and walked down to Stan's Donuts for a post-run breakfast treat, and then stopped into Starbucks next door. Who did we see there? Eric, Megan, and Tim! haha. Small world. Anyway, we took our treats back to the car, drove home, and then ate. I went with that big one - it was a chocolate pretzel drizzle something or other (bear claw maybe)? Whatever it was. Delightful. I ate my other two donuts over the next two days. Yum.

I don't eat donuts often, so these are a real treat.

Get in my belly!

Other than few minor complaints about cars parked on the course and some potholes, it was a well-organized race and I love the unique swag they come up with every year. I also like that they involve the runners in the decision of what we'll get (voting for options). They did the same thing for Hot Chocolate this year, and though the jacket I voted for didn't get picked, I liked both options so was still happy :)

I'd definitely recommend this race and plan on running it again in 2017 if it fits in the racing and social calendar. 

btn big 10k recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry for RAM Racing BTN Big 10k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Feel free to read my more succinct (and of course, my personal opinion) Pro/Con list of the race over on BibRave.com.

Ok, so I'm not insanely into college sports (or honestly, care much about them at all), but I DO love to run races. Of course when the opportunity to run BTN Big 10k came up, I opted in, and was lucky enough to receive an entry. I was super excited because three other pros got in, including my BRF Angie.

Now, I didn't go to any of the schools that are in the Big Ten, so I went with what I'll call my 'sister' school U of I. I visited that place quite frequently, as a TON of friends from the neighborhood went there. I went to UIC myself, aka the U of I in Chicago. The University of Illinois system comprise three campuses — Urbana-Champaigne, Chicago, and Springfield. Anyway, I did think about just going with the generic option ('BTN Fan' gender-specific tech shirt), but U of I seemed fitting enough for me, plus orange and blue = Bears as well. And orange, because BibRave ;) But anyway...

So, when registering, you chose the school you wanted to represent. Your options were Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, or Wisconsin.

Packet pickup was available the week of the race from Tuesday–Friday at Fleet Feet Sports Old Town location, 10am – 8pm each day. That's pretty awesome. I had a meeting in the city on Tuesday, August 2, so I went at about 2pm to grab my packet. Pickup was a breeze, even with the other 2 packets I had to grab. The other two also got extra swag – bandana (thanks to the BibRave code) and a water bottle. I didn't even have to mention those items to get them – they were on top of it! All packets I grabbed were of different schools, too. For everyones packet (including your own), just provide your QR code that they sent via email.

Front and back of the shirts I picked up at packet pickup.
Best on the right, of course ;)

They had plenty of people working, so even if it were busy, I think there wouldn't have been much wait. They validate parking there, too, so I only had to pay $2 instead of $12. You could also have chosen to get your packet mailed, which I think was $10–$15. No race day pickup, but I think with the amount of days they had it available, that's acceptable.

RAM Racing did a great job at communicating everything about the race. What amenities were on course and what would be at each station, the new course for 2016, corral info, and then about a week or two before the event, you could find a participant guide on the website that detailed just about anything you might have a question about.

I had to wear my BibRave gear for the event rather than my school shirt, but worked out perfectly, as it's orange. So I added a blue Sparkle Athletic skirt to make the perfect Illinois race outfit.

Heading to the start corrals.

For the race, mom and I parked at Soldier Field. It was a quick walk post-race, but maybe 15 minutes to get to the start line. We met up with Angie, Frank, and Kelly. The Pros took the opportunity to take some fun photos before heading to corrals. Corrals weren't being monitored, though if you were in A–C, you wanted to be there with time to spare, because they blocked those off maybe 10–15 minutes before the race start. I was in Corral H... the last one, so had no worries. Angie and Kelly decided to run slow with me, and it was a ton of fun. It was nice to be able to take mid-run selfies, or just fun photos of each other running (without being asked) with great backdrops like the lake or the skyline. We did 45/30 run/walk intervals, except for the inclines (Angie told me Chicago has no hills, so I couldn't call them hills) in which I prefer to walk up and run down haha.

Instead of explaining the courses multiple turns, I'll just show a map here:

It was nice to have the first few miles on the streets of Chicago. It helped with congestions and allowed for a more enjoyable race experience. Also, I do a LOT of races on the LFP, so it was nice to have a little bit of scenery change. (Don't get me wrong, the LFP is awesome and beautiful views... but a change is always nice).

Obligatory pre-race selfie!

Frank, Angie, me.

My one issue with the lower portion of the path, the part that's next to the lake, is that it's filled with bumps and potholes and cracks. I'd love it if the city would fix it. It's been like this way too long. I know it's not the races fault, but definitely something you want to be aware of if you run down there ever. Watch your footing.

At the aid stations they had Nuun first and then water. This made it easy to know where to go for what you wanted. I do believe they were in different cups, too (Nuun cups for Nuun and then something more plain I think for water). The 10k had 3 stops. There were also two opportunities for fun slip-n-slide inflatable tube type action, which Angie took advantage of. While it was 'cooler' temps when we started, that sun heated up the place real quick. I know I was crazy sweaty by the end. I was glad to have brought my Orange Mud Endurance Pack with ice water in the bladder, so I could drink a little bit every few minutes. At 7:05 it was 71 with 73% humidity, and I'm pretty sure it was in the 80s when we finished, with bright, sunny skies.

Great day!

What being a Pro means... being on your phone all the time,
even during races for Snap Chat, photos, videos, etc.

Slip n Slide fun!

After you finish, you received a bottle of water, a towel you could dip into ice cold water (if you got there in time. The side we were on were out of towels, though there were some unused ones near the boxes on the floor that I snagged, and then people used the bottled water tubs to soak their towels), and then you proceeded to your school's area to grab your medal. There was a tag on the bib you had to rip off to exchange for your medal. Each school had it's own ribbon, and then the medals were the same. You also could get bananas and Clif Bars (their new nut butter fills!).

Almost finished :)

The Finish Line!

Silly Josh!

The post-race party was where it's at. Each school had it's own tent, and you could go chat with alumni, take photos with a backdrop, and grab school sunglasses. There was Goose Island 312, Amylou Sausages (spicy or savory) which included ketchup, mustard, pretzels, handy wipe, and these delightful creme de Pirouline. It was all very filling.

It's important to hydrate post-race.

Great medal.

There was music, games, and photo ops with cheerleaders and mascot. We met up with Cass and took some more Pro photos, along with plenty of laughs and chit chat. Josh, Kelly, Angie, my mom and I stayed till about the end, which was 11. 

Twinning.

BRFs!

She's funny.

BibRave Pros!
Angie, me, Frank, and Cass

Then we all (minus Kelly) went to Dunkin' Donuts for some snacks. We said goodbyes around 12, when mom and I had to hit up Road Runner Sports for packet pickup for another race the next day. Always busy! It was sad to say goodbye to my BRF and her #ProSpouse, as we didn't know when we'd see each other again. Boohoo. Good thing we talk everyday at least ;)

Rio Donuts. Getting into the Olympic spirit! haha.

I'd definitely encourage any one to run this race. Don't be shy or afraid if you aren't into the Big 10 stuff. You can enjoy it even if you know practically nothing, like me :)

RAM Racing is really hitting their stride and nailing it with the Chicago races (that's all I've run, I'm sure the others are great too) - amazing swag (which has been happening for quite some time), but also just great all around. Enjoyable courses, cool shirts, fun post-race party, large post-race party so it didn't feel too crazy crowded (even though it was pretty dang crowded!). Really fun. I think something they do right is send out a survey after their races to get feedback from the runners. They take into consideration what the runners say and then adjust to make things better the following year. I'm guessing maybe the crowd was too big to have a Soldier Field start? Maybe too much congestion on the course? So they moved it. I can't verify that's why it was moved, but from what I've heard, seems like maybe that's why.

Either way, kudos to them on another successful race, and I'm looking forward to running a bunch more of their races in the next few months (I just did the Humboldt Park 5k for the first time on Sunday it was awesome).

Read what the other Pros had to say about the race:

Angie | Frank | Cass

By the way, want to run any of these with me? Great swag and I've done the first two before and had a blast!

Rock the Night 5k

Friday, August 26

Soldier Field at 7pm

A cool black technical t-shirt with a reflective log (gender specific)

Amylou Sausages and Bell's Brewery

Maggie Speaks

Code: BibRaveRTN = free RAM Racing multi-funcitonal bandana/headwrap

Mag Mile Half Marathon & 5k

Saturday, September 10

Grant Park, Chicago at 7am (both half and 5k)

Men and Women both welcome and encouraged to participate!

Awesome 2016 medal, long-sleeve tech shirt (gender specific)

Code: BibRaveMM = free RAM Racing multi-funcitonal bandana/headwrap

Bucktown 5k

Sunday, September 18

Blurr Elementary School Grounds in Bucktown at 8:30am

Amazing technical fleece-lined hoodie featuring the Chicago flag (gender specific)

Code: BibRaveBT = free RAM Racing multi-funcitonal bandana/headwrap