Race to the Taste

Every runner needs a little motivation. The light at the end of the tunnel. What’s better reward than the promise of tent after tent of glorious Chicago good eats?!
Know before you go:
–plenty of street metered parking off of Michigan &9^th– 11^th Streets-​3 hour maximum @ $ 2.50/hr
–pick up your free strip of Taste of Chicago tickets before 10:30am
–HYDRATE!!! this is unfortunately the time that Chicago starts heating up!
The 5K race course runs through part of LSD (kinda cool running on a highway!), Soldier Field, the Shedd Aquarium, and the lake (thank goodness for that lake effect!) I love running downtown. Distractions and attractions a plenty!
I also signed up my 3 year old niece for her first Kids Dash (20 yard dash). She received a Kids Dash tshirt, race bib, and even a medal at the end of the dash! Also there were plenty of mascots around for kids to take pictures with (including White Sox’s mascot South Park… GO SOX!!)
After crossing the finish line we were greeted with the typical unilmited bottles of water, Gatorade, bananas, apples, dried fruit, and bagels. (If you’re heading to the Taste afterwards, why not grab an extra bottle of water to wash down that turkey leg!) Best post race memory… cooling off under their water spraying station!
Race started at 8am and the Taste didn’t open until 11am. Tents were set up with picnic tables and participants from the race were allowed to stay inside the confines of the Taste while the entrance was closed to the public (so if you’re meeting anyone up, remember that they won’t be able to enter until 11).