Georgia Fun Run Named Among The Best In The Country

Let's be honest: sometimes a long running workout is more grueling than it is enjoyable. USA Today's 10BEST recently took a different approach to ranking marathons and named the Hot Chocolate Run Atlanta as one of the best "fun runs" in the country.

"Competition is great and all, but plenty of runners of all skill levels appreciate the opportunity to just hit the road and have a good time," 10BEST said.

In order to compile a list of the most unique and entertaining runs, 10BEST scoured all major markets across the country. The result details events where you will certainly have the chance to get a good workout, but you will also get a good laugh.

Joining the Hot Chocolate Run Atlanta as "fun runs" to be aware of are races that include beer drinking, doughnut eating, and submerging yourself in mud. The top "fun run" in America is perhaps the most festive, however. San Diego's Santa Run where all participants rock a Santa suit and glasses, was named the best of the best.

We are still ten months away from the next Hot Chocolate Run, but the anticipation is already building. "America’s sweetest run is back for our most indulgent Hot Chocolate Run season yet in Atlanta on February 2, 2025!" Hot Chocolate Run Atlanta says.

There are 5K and 15K versions of the run. The location is GWCC - Centennial Olympic Park - 265 Park Ave W NW in Atlanta. Each race typically starts at 7:30 AM. You can find the official course map of where you will be running around the city here. All runners will pass by local landmarks like Mercedes Benz Stadium and the Georgia Aquarium.

The real run happens at the end when you are rewarded generously with chocolate.  "At the finish line, runners are presented with chocolate fondue, dippables, and, of course, hot chocolate!" they said.

The post-run party is then held at Centennial Olympic Park. You'll enjoy your mug full of chocolate while listening to live music and visiting fun vendors.

As someone who dabbled in fun runs, I must give the nod to the WipeOut run, which I decided to jump into a few years ago. The theme has reshaped a bit over the past few years and now appears to be show-based and hosted by John Cena and Nicole Byer.

This course was equally challenging and amusing. The obstacles were certainly not as easy as they appeared, but it was beyond fun to fall off a bouncy house and into a pool of cold water mid-race. Though the cool-off moments were nice, I overlooked the fact that once you do get drenched, you are finishing the face with added weight. Luckily, I was not trying to break a personal time record.

Ben and Jerry's new flavors couldn't be more different from each other. The popular New England based ice cream brand has added three options to their creative family so far this year, and here I will rank them all.

Coincidentally, I tried each of these in one sitting. This was an unplanned taste test. With a house full of young kids, a visiting friend recently stopped by and knew the way to quickly win over the youngsters. Pints of ice cream.

Before I get into explaining which was best, I should note I am not an ice cream (or dessert) enthusiast by any means. Dare I say, I hardly seek out ice cream, even in the summer months. However, if it is put in front of me, I will eat it if it's one of my favorite varieties.

If I'm going for ice cream, though, Ben and Jerry's is easily my brand of choice. Being a New Englander, I have toured their Vermont location a handful of times. Their half-baked in a cone is my go-to choice.

If you are not familiar, these are the Ben and Jerry's new flavors that have rolled out in 2024. Impretzively Fudged, PB S'More, and Marshmallow Sky. Now, it's important to note that Marshmallow Sky is new just to pints. Meaning, it was available in their scoop shops only.

Another flavor entitled Strawberry Cheezecake was also unveiled earlier this year. This did not qualify here as a new flavor ranking because it had been an ice cream flavor (branded "cheesecake). The new "cheeze" version is a vegan dairy-free dessert.

Upon seeing these at my house, I realized they were new. So, instead of selecting one pint to scoop, I took one for the team and realized I needed one proper scoop of each.

My process was to try one at a time and not have all three in the same bowl. Blending flavors might compromise the intended taste.

As a result, there was a flavor where one bite was enough. Another where I couldn't get enough, and the third was somewhere in between.

Here is my official ice cream ranking of Ben and Jerry's new flavors.

It's chocolate ice cream with fudge covered pretzel pieces and pretzel swirl. The problem here is that I do not like chocolate covered pretzels. Oddly enough, I love pretzels alone. Dip them in sugar and ice cream and it either compromises the flavor or classifies as "too much." So, this was my least favorite.

Here we have toasted marshmallow ice cream with peanut butter cups, graham cracker pieces, and marshmallow swirl. The graham crackers are the star of this show. They pair better with the ice cream and chocolate than the typical marshmallow of a S'More. This was certainly a tasty delight, but I feel if the marshmallow swirl did not need to be invited to the party.

Admittedly, I was a little cautious about the blue ice cream color thinking it could suffer from cotton candy syndrome (where too much equals upset stomach city). That is not the case here. It's marshmallow ice cream with swirls, and then chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough. The latter of the cookie dough bites just brings this to another level. Some sweets get forced together and some just belong together and make each other better. That's the case here. It's no wonder Ben and Jerry's decided to promote this flavor. It tastes as cheerful as it looks.