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Sep 19, 2024

Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.8

Organization 4.9

Spectators 4.6

Number of comments: 99 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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L. T. from CT (9/25/2019) "Flat, Fast BQ course" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great race!! Well organized & course was as advertised: flat & fast. Can't say enough about pacers. I ran with the 3:50 group, which meant they were targeting a 3:49 & they were spot on. There seemed to be a natural flow that some parts of the loop were faster/slower than others but overall pace was perfect. After a couple loops I just checked out and ENJOYED the run!!! I am usually checking my watch at every mile marker, trying to bank some time, etc. But, the pacers were SO good that I just enjoyed running in our group. At the 1/2 we were 20sec ahead of pace & stayed right there. Everyone - race organizers, pacers, volunteers and runners could not have been friendlier or nicer. I flew out here to BQ and did and would not hesitate to go back. Oh and the elite hydration tables were awesome. I usually slosh gatorade up my nose & all over myself trying to get a precious couple gulps down. Having my own water bottle available each loop? Heaven!! I actually drank my Gatorade instead of decorating myself with it! Loop course allowed ample hydration stations and crowd support. Initially I was dreading passing the finish line on each loop but it was great - lots of crowd support and many 'shout outs' over the PA to individual runners and pace groups. Overall, I highly recommend this marathon.
Melanie Mathewson from Springfield, IL (9/25/2019) "Every Runners Dream Course" (about: 2019) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was so well organized which was a huge help in keeping my race day nerves down. The course was fairly flat and the perfect amount of scenic to keep my mind occupied for the mental battle it takes to run a marathon. Although I was taken down on mile 23 by a torn MCL (bummer), I will definitely be back at this race for many years to come! All around great race!!
L. K. from NYC (9/15/2019) "Amazing race!!" (about: 2019) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Really, really loved this race. The organizers were fantastic. The course was flat and easy. The race was run like a top marathon - even though there were only 300 participants. I have only ever run the NYC marathon before, and so I can't stress enough how well this race was organized. SO many things can go wrong, and it can be hard to get everything right with only 300 people paying to participate. But BQ2 did! Bathrooms were accessible; there were 16 water stops total; everything went smoothly. The eight loops meant you had pretty constant support from fans, too. Due to construction, a last minute change had to be implemented, and BQ2 got that done and kept the course as an official qualifier. Can't imagine how stressful that must have been, so thank you thank you for everything! My one suggestion for improvement would be the pacers. For the 3:30 group (one of the biggest - 20 or 30 of us), we started with two pacers who pretty quickly had a significant gap. This left us runners questioning which pace group we should be with. I wanted to play things smart and start out slow, so I stuck with the second pacer. But the other group was running maybe 10-20 seconds faster, which is huge! And no one really knew if they were going fast, or we were going slow, or both. Also, the pacers switched out every 6-8 miles, and the pacers coming in weren't exactly sure if we were a few seconds ahead or behind - which, once again - huge, when it comes to executing this race. You don't want to get stuck at mile 23 realizing you have to increase your speed by 10 or 20 seconds when you are just hanging in. At mile 20, our pacer left and told us we'd have another pacer at mile 23 & but these are crucial miles! So the few of us left with her were a bit shell shocked. To be fair - I am not blaming anyone's performance on this, but I did think we'd either have 1 pacer for the entire race or two pacers for half a marathon each. If the two initial pacers hadn't split into 'fast' and 'slow' groups, this also wouldn't have been a problem. In the end, only 2 out of 11 in my age group BQ'd, and 4 dropped out. Once again - NOT blaming the pacers. So easy to blame everyone but yourself in these types of things. But 20 miles in, body dying and not sure if you're going to be able to take another step...having your super amazing supportive pacer tell you she's leaving was not a fun surprise! But let's be honest - I was dead at that point anyway, so it didn't make much of a difference. But it could have for someone who was just hanging in. All in all, once again - amazing race. All of the pacers, organizers, and volunteers were so, so fantastic. Thank you so much for putting this on!!
Renee Macneil from Texas (9/15/2019) "Great support to get you to your BQ!" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great race! I attended the 2019 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland marathon all the way from the North Dallas, TX area. This race was such a positive experience from packet pick-up to the many BQ signs to take photo opts at the finish line. The course support was amazing and the volunteers kept us well-hydrated. I will be back if I need a qualifying time again! Thank you BQ.2!
D. Z. from IL (9/13/2017) "good course, friendly organizers, great crowd!" (about: 2017) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Even without the focus on qualifying for boston, this marathon would be a joy to run! The organizers and pace runners were helpful, the crowd was very enthusiastic and the other runners were all super-friendly (cuz they're all there for the same reason you are: to get that BQ). And that's to say nothing of the route! It runs north and south along the river so you have nice long straightaways in the cool refreshing air, perfect for building that momentum. I am happy to say i hit my BQ and hope to be in boston in april 2018... but i may come back next year just because it was such a great experience!
B. R. from Tennessee (9/13/2017) "Great race, especially for a BQ" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I would give the course 4 stars only because there are a couple small issues that are worth knowing. It's not a closed course so there are occasional cyclists, runners, walkers, etc to deal with during your race. Also, the southern bridge on the route is surfaced with older wooden planks which can be tricky to run over. The whole bridge undulates a bit underfoot and sometimes that can throw off your rhythm. Definitely a minor issue! The organization of the race is fantastic! It's laid back, the volunteers, pacers and organizers are awesome. Bottle tables were an incredible feature, and the water/gatorade aid station volunteers were top notch. Many smaller races have volunteers who can't handle the cup exchange, but that was not the case with this race - these people were pros! Spectators were light along the majority of the course, but at the end of each loop, there was a healthy crowd! If you bring supporters along with you, they will see you at least 8 times on their way! All in all a great race that requires minimal mental preparation. You can just get out there and run even splits or gentle negative splits. I thought I would hate the repetition but it was actually a great feature. I started to feel the course more by laps than by miles, which made it much more palatable. I was able to just sort of tune out the mileage and just lock on my pace and nutrition/hydration plan. Oh, and the weather was perfect, especially after running in the heat all summer. I would HIGHLY recommend this race to BQ. I easily got my BQ by more than 6 minutes without having to push myself to the absolute limit.
J. G. from St. Louis, MO (9/12/2017) "The Road to Boston!" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 In my 80+ marathons around the country, I try not to duplicate a race, but I'll always make an exception for this race! For the past 3 years in September, I've had the pleasure of running this FAST, FLAT course/race, "America's #1 Boston Qualifier" (around a beautiful lake) in Geneva, IL and in the process, they helped me record 3 BQ's and 2 PRs! So if you're looking for a fast course to set a PR, record a BQ and/or secure your entry to the Boston Marathon, please consider running BQ.2 Marathon Races! The Race Officials, Dave Sheble, and FUN volunteers will give you every advantage that they can to help you to your best qualifying time possible! Everything about the race is designed to get you into Boston with a time far enough below your qualifying time to make the final cut. They also offer Pacers running 4-mins BELOW the official qualifying standard for Boston. For example, if your qualifying time is 3:30, the pace leader will be running to finish in 3:26. This will give you the best chance of securing a spot at Boston! They also offer "Elite water bottle tables", that's right! Pre-fill your own bottles with your favorite, personalized race drink and set them at the assigned table. During the run, simply grab, drink and throw your bottle in the drop zone where volunteers will put them back on the table for your next lap! They also offer EASY packet pickup and VERY convenient FREE parking! Parking is literally across the street and approx.. 3-min walk to the start line! Hope to see you in 2018! Happy running everyone!!
C. M. from Iowa, USA (9/10/2017) "Great race to get that last minute BQ!" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After not even coming close to requalifying at Boston 2017, I immediately started looking for a way to get that BQ for 2018. I settled on this race because it gave me plenty of time to train (it is run the last weekend before Boston registration begins) and it was 2 hours and 45 minutes from my house. I didn't know what to expect, but this was really a wonderful race. First, the organization was great. Packet pickup was a total breeze, even the morning of the race. Parking was a 400M from the start. The race guide put out by the organizers made everything crystal clear-everything was exactly as described. The course was very good. It is 8 laps of about 5.3K which worried me slightly-I thought it would be psychologically more difficult, but in reality it wasn't. There were a lot of spectators who really cheered for everyone, and because you see them 8 times, you almost feel like you get to know them by the end. There are elite water bottle tables and bottle drops for all of the participants! This was great for me because I need a higher sodium drink than what most races provide. The course is mostly flat-but not pancake flat, it has a few little rollers but probably none more than 3 meters / 10 feet of elevation change. I gave the course 4 stars instead of 5 only because there is a very slight camber on part of the route on the east side of the river that may have irritated my right calf, and there are a few areas where the pavement on west side of the river has been pushed up a little by tree roots and when you are tiring and your stride is a little off, you could trip. The pacers for this race are dead on pace-the whole point of this race is to get you to Boston, so the pacers run 4 minutes ahead of each BQ time so if you finish with them you should get in. There are on the lookout for potential cheaters too-they use both bib and shoe tags, and have their own photographers in multiple places around the loop. There are split timers by both ends of the long, narrow route, and in the middle is a big river. The route is approximately 80% shaded which was very helpful on a day that got a little bit warm. The finish line atmosphere was intense-you got to see people ecstatic because they met their goal, and people destroyed because they just missed it. Me? I ran more than 5 minutes below my BQ time and couldn't be happier. 59% of the runners BQ'd this year. I highly recommend this race. Note: You have to qualify to be in this race by having a BQ in the last two years, or less than 10 minutes off your BQ in the last year, or a half marathon under you BQ pace in the past year.
J. F. from Boston (9/10/2017) "Best Marathon for Serious Runners" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon is an incredible event for serious runners who want a unique and special marathon experience. The organizers do everything possible to create the fastest race conditions possible. The pacers were focused and right on the money. The support crew and volunteers offered tremendous encouragement. The 8 laps pass very quickly, especially as you count them down in the second half; 4, 3, 2 and 1 to go. But the best part is meeting so many dedicated and serious runners all focused on doing their best and earning a Boston number. I have run this race twice and earned BQs both times. I have run 48 marathons and 22 Bostons, and this race stands out as one of the most fun and enjoyable. Thank you to my fellow runners and to the organizers for all your efforts in making this race so special.
J. S. from Westmont, IL (9/10/2017) "Well organized race, designed to help you BQ" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I liked this race a lot (and this was my 12th marathon). Don't be intimidated by the loop course - I found it to be really helpful. I broke the race into 8 loops instead of 26 miles, and felt that it was less daunting. Seriously, mile 20 crept up on me because I was focusing more on the laps. After a few loops, you know what to expect. The weather (at least this year) was great - 50s throughout, and most of the course is shaded. The east end of the course is a slight downhill, and the west end is a slight uphill. Generally it's flat, but it is slightly rolling. No big hills. Crowd support was good - very few patches of no spectators. This race did help me to BQ. The cons - the course gets a little tight, especially in the early miles (larger groups around the pacer) and the later miles (passing slower groups). My suggestion would be for there to be better communication about staying to the right, two abreast. Some runners had their headphones in, music full blast and I had to run on the grass around them because they were oblivious to what was going on around them, even if I yelled 'on your left'. I would also suggest deeper aid stations. There are two on the course - about one every 1.5 miles. But the volunteers for water were only about 4 deep. In the early laps, there were a lot of people in my pace group and I missed water cups because there were not enough volunteers to service the runners passing by. I would say 6 volunteers deep for water should do it. I would also suggest better communication about discarding bottles at the elite bottle tables. On several laps, runners would take a sip of their bottles and throw them directly in the path of other runners, which is a hazard. Lastly, I would suggest more staffing for safe crossing at S Batavia Ave. When we arrived there was only one person, and my spectators expressed concern that there was no one there at certain points throughout the race to help them cross. I would run this race again, and my suggestions above are constructive criticisms (for the communication issues, these are addressing runner behaviors, which are not the fault necessarily of race organizers). This is a well-structured marathon that seemed to go by very quickly. It's intended to help you qualify for Boston, which I did.

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