Disclaimer: I received free entry to I Love the 90’s Run 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.
The I Love the 90’s 5K in Nashville was a fantastic race! If you have a chance to race in any of the cities of Chicago, Nashville, or Oklahoma City I would highly recommend it. The registration process was quick and easy. I didn’t have to go through pages of “promotional” magazine offers or donation pages to random things. I entered my information and shirt size. Easy.
The night before the race, I had everything ready for my first 5K in a few years. I love racing but I let local 5Ks fall off my priority list. Knowing that I’m recovering from some rough rounds of bronchitis, I knew I probably wouldn’t be in prime race shape. But I knew I would have fun with something like 90’s party music in my ears.
The drive up to Nashville was easy and I even found truck-stop coffee and a banana. Y’all know I love a good clean travel station for some good coffee. I thought this banana might be a good idea before the race.
Because I drove directly to the race, I used race-day pickup. This was very well-organized. The race event emailed a QR code a few days before the race. They scanned my code and I got my shirt and bib.
Head of the line was easy to find, thanks to the inflatable starting line. We had a big crowd of runners ready to go. The speakers were blasting the best of the party music from the 90’s.
The course was mostly shaded and easy to follow. We ran around Shelby Park on a wide foot path. Markers and cones kept the traffic going. I greatly appreciated the many trees to help with the temps. This part of the country is often overly warm in late September.
Too bad we were boiling. We are in the middle of a 90+ heat wave with no sign of fall crisp air in sight. It truly was a “90’s” race!
Two water stations had Nuun and water. Both stations had plenty of both choices and volunteers.
The finish line had water, Nuun, Honey stinger waffle, and THIS MEDAL! This has to be one of the top 5 medals in my collection. I grabbed the Honey Stinger for purely nostalgic reasons. I started using their gels way back in the first years of running. I loved the flavor over many other brands and the honey just seemed to work better for me. I didn’t realize until I opened it that it has gluten in it. I couldn’t try this version of Honey Stinger. 
The post-race area was hopping with people getting their selfies and beer. I kept moving along to the car. That truck stop banana came in quite handy.
And this is my idea of a post-race drink. Iced coffee, specifically a pumpkin cream cold brew. I almost whipped out a sharpie to fix my name. Not many people call me “Trina” and get away with it, but I was too busy enjoying my drink and thinking about my next 5K.
Overall, this was a fantastic return to 5K racing. I loved the location, event course, and racer perks. If you have room on your 2020 race calendar, try to get to an I Love the 90’s Run.