Hockeytown 5K Review

Sorry! This is a long-overdue post. I wrote about this shortly after running the Hockeytown 5K. I'm already trying to plan for next years race, and hopefully I'll be able to pull it off! (Fall scheduling is crazy!)

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If you're wondering why this bib looks like it went through a war, that would be because I removed it a couple of times during the race to take my jacket off....and then again when I put it back on my jacket. Next time, bib is going somewhere easier to manage. Sheesh.

I ran the Hockeytown 5K, and it was SO much fun!!

I was seriously so excited to run this race. I wanted to do it last year, but we were in the middle of some crazy life transitions, so I didn't get a chance. I'm so glad I signed up for this year's race.

Packet pickup. Ryan and Ella's first & last visit to the Joe. :(

And, side note - I have to talk about my beloved sparkle skirt. I get a little emotional with symbolic purchases/items, and these skirts are no exception. When I started running, I started following some accounts of amazing women runners who inspire me all. the. time. (Still do!) One immediate trend I found were their love of sparkle skirts, which led me to discover Sparkle Athletic. I cannot say enough good things about this company - the positive and encouraging community they're growing is amazing! I just love being part of #TeamSparkle. *insert heart eye emoji here*

So. Crowded. This portion of the race could use a little tweaking. They didn't have official corrals, which I think would help, given how many showed up to race (I want to say around 5,000-7,000?)

Downtown sunrise was magic.

Sunday morning, Ryan dropped me off a couple of blocks away from the start line, so I could walk over while he parked/loaded Ella into the Tula! He met up with me while I was waiting to start (they let us out in waves, without any crazy sorting. I think I wound up starting around 20 minutes after the race started?)

My favorite spectators found me!

Once I started running, I felt myself getting caught up in the excitement of things, and accidentally ran through my first five or six walk breaks (oops). It all worked out though, and I wound up taking it easy for the second half of the race so I could enjoy my favorite city without gobs of people and traffic.

Seriously. Absolutely magical.

All in all, it was a really great experience. My only complaints were about the portions of the race that went through the arenas. I sort of thought the run through Joe Louis would have been a little more inclusive of other parts of the arena, given that it's going to be torn down. My other complaint was not being allowed inside the actual arena inside of Little Caesars. (I could see some construction equipment through the doorways, so maybe they just weren't ready, but still. For the fee to actually race, it seemed like it could have included a little more (like last year, there were chances to go through the locker rooms, etc. That would have been cool.) I have a feeling it was just an off-year, with the switch to the new arena. Hopefully next year will be a little more involved! Overall, I loved this race. The course was fun, a little challenging (those riverfront hills though!), and it was a great group of racers.