Hot Chocolate 15K
I remember watching with envy as a slew of runners were about to celebrate the end of the race, while I still had roughly six miles to go.
Miles vs. Calories
This may be the only race where I may have gained more pounds than lost them due to the amount of chocolate they give out.
Chicago's Signature Weather
This was another race that took place during the best of Chicago's weather: Cloudy with a hint of rain.
LinkedIn Photo Op
By the end of the race, I was so pumped up that I posted about the race on LinkedIn along with a photo I liked taken by one of the race volunteers.
Signing Up
Even though I've been hearing about the Hot Chocolate races since even before my first race, this marked the first time I was actually participating in one. By this time, I had several half marathons under my belt, so I was feeling pretty confident about completing a Hot Chocolate race. The BRC (my school's run club, in case you missed the race where I was introduced to the club) was promoting this race on our Slack channel. There were three options available:
- 5K (3.1 miles)
- 10K (6.2 miles)
- 15K (9.3 miles)
Of course I signed up for the 15K (no, not because I wanted to show off, but just as a personal challenge), and I ran a few laps around my local track to prepare for it.
Arriving There
The race took place in the fourth quarter of 2022, at the beginning of November. On race day, the weather was cloudy with a little rain sprinkled in between, just how I like it. As always, I got there at least more than an hour early.
I parked at the usual spot near the Gleacher Center and walked south towards the art museum with the two lion statues. There were clearly a lot of people running the race, and through the rush of it, I found two of my friends from the run club and spent some time with them until the start of the race, where we split up into our respective corrals. After some stretches and practice steps, the race began.
The Race
This race started on Columbus Drive, taking me north towards the Loop. The first two miles had me running underneath the bridge on Columbus Drive, but unlike other Chicago-based runs, I turned left on Wacker Drive instead of on the bridge over the infamous Chicago River. Running along Wacker Drive, I experienced a nice view of the Loop-based buildings on the left and the River North area restaurants and apartments visible across the river on the right. The latter half of the first mile was spent in the Loop, weaving through the streets in the Loop. The second mile started on Van Buren Street, shortly before getting on the long stretch of Michigan Avenue, which spanned almost two miles.
The whole run on that avenue was full of energy: the cheering crowd, the great weather, and the wide lanes giving me room to breathe. Even if this was my first time running ever, my legs wouldn't be anywhere near tired because of all this positive aura! This road was also where the 5K runners would branch off and head towards the finish line at Grant Park. I remember watching with envy as a slew of runners were about to celebrate the end of the race, while I still had roughly six miles to go. Throughout the whole avenue, I ran past Chicago gems like Grant Park, the Museum Campus, and Soldier Field, the latter indicating we were in the southern part of the city.
Once I reached 31st Street, we turned east, running past the fifth mile marker until we got on the ever-historic Martin Luther King Drive. We ran south until reaching 35th Street, which marked the southernmost part of the race. I used that road to get on Lake Shore Drive, where I officially began the return trip back towards Grant Park. The remaining three miles were spent on the Lake Shore Trail, letting me enjoy the scenic view of Lake Michigan as my turn to celebrate was coming up soon.
After passing the ninth mile marker, I reentered Grant Park and ran under the finish line, officially concluding another race.
Race Treats
Throughout the entire race, volunteers at service stations were not only serving water and Gatorade, but also pieces of chocolate (of course) to all the runners. I slowed down by each station and gulped down a small cup of chocolate. I couldn't help but laugh that I may have been consuming more calories than burning them, completely invalidating the purpose of the race. It didn't bother me one bit because I was having too much fun.
The snacks they served at the end of the race were on another level. Each finisher was awarded a segmented bowl with marshmallows, bananas, other smaller snacks, and a helping of melted chocolate in the middle of it all. I thought it was a pretty clever setup, and I enjoyed each bite. I ran into the core of our running group members, and after some finisher photos and a stop at a local bakery in the Loop, we headed home.
