TC Loony Challenge 2017

Registration: is online and guarantees and entry into the TC 10 Mile. (Entrees in the 10 Mile are usually by lottery.)  It's very early in the calendar year and Loony Challenge will fill up.

Packet Pickup: 10 Mile packets have to be picked up at the expo.  5K/10K packets can be picked up at the race on race day.  But there's a guaranteed trip to the expo.  This year I made sure I took the bus, which cost me a whopping $1.75.

SWAG: Each race has it's own shirt, medal, and 'gift' which is socks.  So I have a lot of of socks now.  There's also a sweatshirt which I haven't tested out yet and a medal for the race series. The race series medal is always one of the prettier ones I get.

Transportation to and from the race:
Expo: Parked in St Paul near OldJob and took the bus
10K/5K: Bus to train, train to race.  Olive gave me a ride home.
10 Mile: Bus to the start.  Dungeon Master gave me a ride home.

Start Line: 10K/5K have the same start in St Paul, opposite the finish line.  (Below is Olive, myself and Dungeon Master before the 5K by the potties.)
10 Miler is in Minneapolis near the Viking Ship.  Despite the promises made last year, Viking Ship was closed to runners again this year.  I've made a vow never to step foot in the pace so I was okay with it.

Course:
10K - same as the past few years.  Here's the 2015 and 2014 reports.
10 Miler - same as last year.  This course has been around for a long time though 2015 and 2014 races I ran were on a modified course due to landslides and construction to repair said landslides.
5K - New this year.  This course is now a loop and it's a significant improvement over the old 'out and back' situation.  It's so much more comfortable to have the whole freaking road to spread out.

Pace Team: There was actually a pace team for the 10 Miler.  I recognized the 11:00/mile pacer from Red White and Boom last year though I did not stay with him.

Fan Support:
10K - it's decent, there were people cheering in various places along the course
5K - also decent. I think the loop is probably harder on the cheerers than the runners.  Fans probably only get to see their runner once.
10 Mile - big in downtown Minneapolis, then not much along the river bottoms, then good again once the course connects to the marathon course near Franklin Ave. The crowds were a bit smaller this year because weather.  I don't think I can blame the race director for that one. 

Finish: All races share the same finish line.  The the way these races end, running by the Cathedral and then dropping down to the spectacular view of the capitol is my favorite finish line of any race I've done.

Race Recommended For: So, when they call it a challenge, they are for real.
5K - good for families, run/walkers, walkers, and very competitive for fasties
10K - good for newbies because it's so well organized and well supported, very competitive for fasties
10 Miler - good for first timers or someone who wants to do more than a 10K but not a half marathon; good for experienced runners because of the organization and support.
Loony Challenge - Good for anyone who likes doing a lot of stuff at once.  I definitely prefer the weekend of madness to the slow burn of last year's Summit Challenge.

Bonus for me: This year's average pace was 11:22/mile (compared to 11:47/mile for 3-way challenge.)