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☰
Chicago Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Chicago Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 4.9
Number of comments: 949 [displaying comments 161 to 171]
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G. M. from Long Island, NY
(10/13/2010)
"The Heat" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The much-higher-than-seasonable temperatures resulted in the posting of a red alert level and serious punishment of the field. As temperatures approached the day's high of 86 degrees with cloudless skies, the runners paid the price with considerably slower second half times than would otherwise be expected under optimal conditions. This is the third time in the last four years that race-day temps exceeded 80 degrees. The course, the spectator support, the city... this is a marathon every marathoner should experience, but my most lasting memory will unfortunately be of heat exhaustion and the 37 minutes needed to complete the last 3 miles on wobbly legs killing any chance to break 4:00. | |
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D. G. from Cranston, RI
(10/13/2010)
"A Great Race From Start To Finish" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great experience! As far as the quality of the course, it is as flat and fast as they say. It was very scenic, wandering through neighborhoods and skyscrapers and never going through those "boring" or "unattractive" sections. The view coming back into the city down LaSalle Avenue with the Willis (Sears) Tower looming ahead was awesome. The entire course is closed to any traffic and the streets were in good shape - no broken pavement or potholes to speak of. The organization is top-notch, especially considering the fact that they are handling 45,000 racers. This top-notch organization included something as small as answering an e-mail question in less than 24 hours. Race day morning was smooth, with volunteers with vests and signs located at intersections and throughout the park providing help and fielding any questions. Water stations were all well marked and well stocked. They even had massage therapists helping people with cramps or other issues in the later part of the race. The alert system worked well, with the flags changing from green to yellow to red as the race went on, the temps went up, and the risk to the runners increased. There were plenty of refreshments at the end as well as volunteers keeping people from immediately stopping and sitting down when they finished. Another plus was the ice machines and the volunteers handing out bags to the overheated and/or sore finishers. This was especially nice given this year's above normal temps. Bag check/claim was located right near the finish, which was very convenient. Post-race party was great with free massage, beer, and an awesome band. The army of volunteers that it takes to make this event happen could not have been better. From an answer to a question to word of encouragement; from a smile to a "congratulations," these people were top-notch. I also can't say enough about the people of Chicago, who came out and supported this race. There was not a section of this course that did not have spectators along the way. You do not run any of those 'lonely miles' on this course. Many people had signs for a particular runner but I noticed many signs encouraging all of the runners. And they are loud. I run with headphones, but most of the time I had them off just so I could listen to the crowds. I remember them being especially loud around the Willis Tower, Chinatown, and in the last mile. All in all, I give this race high marks all around. | |
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C. S. from New Jersey
(10/13/2010)
"Glad I did it" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first Chicago Marathon. I'm glad I did it. It was overall a nice experience, but the course lacks the views of some of the smaller "mom & pop" marathons I've done. The crowd support was good but it's got nothing on NYC. The water stops were well managed and even on a hot day the volunteers were awesome!! The expo was FABULOUS! The medal is a bit disappointing. I'm glad I ran it and experienced it, but I'm not rushing back to run it any time soon. | |
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B. F. from Newton, Iowa
(10/12/2010)
"Good experience in first marathon" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I chose Chicago as my first location to do a marathon. I'd heard great things about Chicago, and for the most part, the experience lived up to the talk. | |
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E. T. from Eagan, Mn
(10/12/2010)
"No Wrigley Field???" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Come on, man! The course managed to make Chicago look boring. No running by Wrigley? No White Sox Stadium? Other than that, it is clear that the marathon is getting just too big (record 38,000 runners at starting line). The logistics at the start line were nightmarish, at least for those heading to seeded corrals. For whatever reason, a long fence was placed to separate the entrance for non-seeded runners from the seeded ones, but it also diverted the mass of people into another mass of people trying to gain entrance to the A, B, C and D corrals. Also, there wasn't enough porta johns on the course (lots of people had to do what the bears do) and the ones at the end had run out of toilet paper. All those factors seem to indicate that the marathon as of now is at above capacity. However, the marathon had more than enough volunteers who were, as opposed to some other marathons I've run - very helpful. There were several pace teams for the same target times and in different corrals. The crowd support was, of course, great. | |
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K. H. from Wilmette, IL
(10/12/2010)
"Hot at the end, but I loved it" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It felt great to run Chicago, even though conditions (again) were not ideal (as temps rose into the 80s before noon). Course is flat with lots to see; spectators are amazing; and the organization is top-notch. I would definitely do it again... especially on a cooler day! | |
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G. Y. from Fortaleza, Brasil
(10/12/2010)
"The Enchanting CHICAGO!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My husband and I run as often as we're able to in the great USA. We have run NYC, Twin Cities, West Palm Beach, San Diego, and the most distinctive race we've ever experienced: CHICAGO!! WOW- how the City of Chicago is capable of catering to such an amazingly large crowd of runners and spectators is beyond amazing. Everything about the entire weekend in the city was incredible. From the city life, to the beautiful people, the world-class food and events, the expo, and finally, the marathon. We love you forever, CHICAGO! | |
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M. G. from Arizona
(10/11/2010)
"The Gigantic Midwest Monster Delivers Superbly!" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My 12th Chicago and 58th overall - this race still delivers year in and year out. No doubt the heat affected a lot of finish times but the crowds of runners showed up and were handed an efficiently run mega-race again. Something like 1.5 MILLION spectators yelled from start-to-finish. Despite the heat, they were ready with torrents of water, Gatorade, wet towels, sponges, spray hoses, and medical help if needed. As always, the race started on time, D-chips worked fine, expo was huge, packet pick-up was a breeze, transportation to the expo easy, media and marketing were top-notch, and the army of friendly volunteers delivered with a smile throughout the weekend. This is one of the biggest races in the world - it is a well-oiled machine that takes extremely good care of its entrants. You don't sell out a race six months early without good reason. Thanks, Chicago, for another spectacular race! | |
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Peter Nesvold from New York, NY
(10/11/2010)
"Great for both first-timers and the experienced" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run marathons ranging from fewer than 1,000 participants to NYC. Yesterday was my first Chicago Marathon. Overall, it's an outstanding experience. I'm based on the East Coast, so I might not do it again (and instead try something different next September or October - maybe Yonkers, the second oldest marathon in the country that only draws a few hundred runners). However, I am very much glad that I did this one at least once. It's a definite "bucket list" marathon! Chicago is probably the most organized marathon I've been to. Even the expo was a worthwhile event. There must have been a couple hundred exhibitors. Also, I forgot to send in my time pre-race to be seeded in an early corral and ended up in the open area. Initially, I was a little worried about getting stuck behind some slower runners. (I find the weaving unnecessarily exhausting.) However, the self-selection process of lining up by expected minute/mile pace was well executed. Crowd support, like any marathon, varies. During the first half, it was incredible. During the second half, it was sporadic. But in my experience, that's par for the course. Even in NYC, there are long stretches of solitary running. But any marathoner should be used to that. October weather in Chicago is hit or miss. This year, it was unseasonably warm. But it shouldn't be extreme either way. The course is the flattest I've run, with the exception of maybe the NJ Marathon in Long Branch. I would caution against getting too psyched about setting a PR here, though, as there are often bottlenecks on some of the narrower streets and tight curves. I do recommend staying at a hotel near "The Loop," if possible. I heard traffic was difficult coming into the city that morning. If you do stay downtown, however, make your Saturday night restaurant reservation early! Every half-decent place was booked. I gave up and had a couple of pizza slices. The biggest areas where the organizers could improve: (1) the medal was too commercial - it was basically just an Bank of America logo. I felt runners deserved something with more imagination. (2) At the expo, the best shirts sold out day 1, and the lines were extraordinarily long. More cashiers, please! (Or just order online.) (3) While water stations were plentiful, there was only one station with energy gel. (4) The text message runner updates did not work, based on my experience and others' that I talked to. Same thing happened to me last year in NYC. This technology seems like it should be simple, but clearly it's not yet ready for prime time. In summary, if you're even considering this marathon, do it. It's unlikely that you'll regret it. | |
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J. L. from Duluth, Minnesota, US
(10/11/2010)
"Truly a must-do event" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've had so much fun running a variety of marathons. Considering the number of people in Chicago, it went by without a hitch. Runners were kind. Spectators were wonderful and encouraging! Plenty of Gatorade, water, sponges - anything that made mid 80's temps more bearable. I was not ready for the heat, but I just rolled with it - slowed down a bit and has a nice strong finish. Sidenote: Transit workers, police, and city workers were very kind and thorough when giving directions and advice getting around downtown. Definitely friendlier than Minneapolis, and I just felt a connection to and the good attitude of the people. My only pet peeve: Grandma's Marathon (Duluth, MN) and Twin Cities Marathon have official finisher shirts you get after your medal. Chicago has no finisher shirts, just a generic red shirt at the expo. Other marathons have design contests for their finisher shirts (mostly tech/fiber material now) and the design gets better each year. Chicago has the potential to something like this!! |
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