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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 181 to 191]
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GIANLUCA TRINCO from ROMA
(10/31/2009)
"COLD BUT SWEET" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Really a great race with awesome organization. The day was very cold but I can only say thanks for the wonderful course (extremely flat). Chicago is a great city, elegant, European-tyle. I enjoyed seeing the list of all the runners in Niketown. Well done, Chicago. And thanks for my PR. (4:03.21) A must-do course.... | |
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C. D. from Boston, MA
(10/30/2009)
"Great job, Chicago" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am from Boston and I've run the Boston Marathon twice. Boston is known as "the" marathon. I will refrain from ever saying this out loud with my Boston running buddies, but Chicago takes the cake, in comparison to Boston! Despite the very chilly start that I wasn't prepared for (this, of course, was just pure bad luck!), I loved everything about the race from the expo to the organization race morning and post-race. Excellent job, Chicago! | |
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Lewis Hunt from Jacksonville, FL
(10/29/2009)
"Way to go, Chicago!" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my most enjoyable of five marathons. What a great event! This race showcases the neighborhoods of Chicago - north, west and south. If you aren't from Chicago, you will feel like you are when you cross the finish line. | |
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C. L. from Cleveland
(10/29/2009)
"GREAT RACE; just don't rely on the pacers" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 First let me commend and congratulate Chicago on an amazing and successful race. I can only imagine the logistical nightmares they have. Having run 15 other marathons, including Boston, the course is truly one of my favorites (sorry, there is something just amazing about Pike's Peak!) and is definitely one of the best run. Unlike Boston, which a lot of people compare it to, you have the start and finish close together so we get that welcome extra hour or so in bed! Also, I think they really showed off the city well, and the spectators were AMAZING and were the loudest I have EVER experienced. Saying all of that, the pacers were terrible, which is a shame if you were trying to qualify. I heard from SEVERAL friends and family and other runners the same complaint. They were CONSTANTLY off and inconsistent. Let me state that personally I didn't really care what my time was, as I had just come off Pike's Peak Marathon and had run very little if any in preparation for Chicago. I just used them as a guide (3:10 group) and noticed early on that they were all over the place (7:23, 7:02, 7:04 7:20+). I am a veteran runner, and I understand that early on it's tough to get into a rhythm, especially with the crowds, but this CONTINUED throughout the race. In fact, I ran 3:08-something and I was PASSED with about a mile and a half to two miles to go!! They have one of the flattest courses, and after awhile these guys should be able to figure out the pace if that is what they signed up for. How they can be so inconsistent blew my mind, and several others who I talked to on the route - ESPECIALLY as there were FOUR of them per pace group!!! I talked to several of my friends who were trying to hit their various goals (3:45, 4 hours, etc.), and they had the same problems! Last year I was at the Clif Bar Pace team booth at St. George's Marathon when I overheard these two women asking if the pacers were going to hit the times. And they asked some other questions in a rude manner. I walked away thinking how rude those women were, especially since I later found out that the pacers on that team only get flight, some equipment and NO PAY. They are also held to a standard that they have to be within a minute either way at the half way point and some other checkpoints; otherwise they lose they spot on the team! I now see what those two women were complaining about. Some people rely on pacers (right or wrong) to get them their times (especially Boston). I'm not sure what the qualifications are for "hiring" the pace team, but they may want to pay some attention to who you are hiring, or maybe even take a look at a different team (e.g., Clif Bar Team) as people hitting their goals is a BIG thing. Overall, though, a MUST race to do! | |
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J. R. from New York, New York
(10/28/2009)
"Great!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my marathon comeback, my first full 26.2-miler after dropping out of NYC Marathon in 2007. I had run Chicago twice before. I could not have picked a better race. The organization was excellent. My only gripe is that the expo is a bit far from public transport. You can take a bus, but there is a long line for it. Still that was a minor complaint. The whole city turns out in force for this race. Local media coverage is extensive. You really feel like all of Chicago is on your side. I am a slower marathoner, and the crowds were still crazy when I got there after five hours. There is plenty of water and Gatorade along the course too. The only thing is that it's a huge race, so you will be in an enormous crowd. Also a lot of first-timers run this race, so if you are fast, you will spend some time weaving through the crowd. This year was a bit chilly at the start too. All in all, this is the US marathon you need to run. Lace up and do it! You won't regret it. | |
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J. M. from Buffalo, NY
(10/26/2009)
"Amazing Organization!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my seventh, and first time running Chicago. It was truly an amazing event that I wish I had run earlier! I have run other big cities - NYC, Marine Corps, Disney - and Chicago's organization is in a league of its own. They are the ones that everyone else should follow when it comes to putting together a successful marathon for 35,000+ runners. PROS: Organization!!! Everything was perfect! The expo shuttle service was great; there was a girl with a sign at our hotel directing us to the bus; the gear check and retrieval of my bag after the race was excellent... the start corrals (we were in the open corral), the water stations (they were huge, went on forever!!!), the porta-potties (most I have ever seen at any run - they were everywhere!), the encouraging volunteers, the loud, friendly fans, fast, flat course, the medal, the tech t-shirt, the post-party, and the free massage - all excellent. Everything was so well organized and efficient considering you have all of the runners and their families gathered in one area!! CONS: The only negative thing I can say is the start was a bit dull. No fireworks, and no DJ/music getting you ready. It was very relaxed, and quiet, which is not a bad thing. There really wasn't anything negative to say about this run. Overall, this was one of my favorites; the ease of walking to the start and walking back to my hotel was so enjoyable. Thank you to all who put in the months/years of planning and organizing. Keep up the great work - it really paid off!!!! | |
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David Weiss from Middleburg Heights, Ohio
(10/21/2009)
"An excellent marathon, with some hiccups" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I had an excellent time doing this marathon; there were some great aspects, and some not-so-great ones. The good: The spectator support was absolutely unbelievable! New York City is the only other race I've run that can rival this fan support! The aid stations were absolutely terrific, with tons of volunteers and therefore plenty of time and not too much congestion to get hydration, etc. The course was terrific, seeing the entire city, and nice and flat. The expo had a lot to offer; and I loved the Pittsburgh Marathon offering 50-buck Dick's gift certificates to sign up for their 2010 race on the spot, which I did. I also liked the video presentation of the Chicago course. I also liked the finisher's medal. The not-so-good: As with other large races, the packet pickup takes a lot of work and time with so many people. The weather was a bit cold, but it really didn't bother me too much during the race. I think perhaps I'm being a complainer, but I have several complaints not about the race itself, but pre-race complaints. I know that with a race of this size, it can be difficult to accommodate people. I was, however, extremely disappointed with several things. First of all, I found out several months before the race that I would not be able to get into Chicago 'til the morning of the race from Ohio. I emailed race personnel, and immediately was told that there were absolutely no exceptions made with regard to packet pickup. I find this extremely irritating, since I was traveling from two states away, and I communicated my need several months in advance. Several friends in Chicago were not able to get my pack for me, so I ended up hopping a cheap flight to Chicago on Saturday morning, pretty much just to get my packet, flying back to Cleveland, doing my work business, and then driving overnight to Chicago to arrive just before the race. Also, parking for the race was an absolute nightmare, as I arrived into town Sunday morning. Lastly, I quickly attempted to get to the start line, only to find everything fenced off. Luckily, a race personnel person assisted me with getting through the fencing to get started. I then had difficulty getting through all of the walkers, and things were really slow for the first three to four miles at least. Lastly, they had lots of porta-potties, but there were lineups that lasted long periods of time to use them. I kept track, and added over 10 minutes to my time because I was waiting in line for a porta-potty. Well, enough of my complaining. Overall, it was still an extremely fun race, and the crowd support was absolutely incredible. I personally would rate this an even better experience if I hadn't had the packet pick-up fiasco. | |
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M. U. from Houston, TX
(10/20/2009)
"Great Marathon!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my fourth Chicago Marathon, and this is one of my absolute favorites (along with Boston and Houston). Great, fast course. Fantastic, large, loud and supportive crowds. Good organization. If in doubt, RUN CHICAGO!! | |
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C. S. from Vancouver, Canada
(10/20/2009)
"The best running experience I have ever had" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was perfect for me after having done five marathons and 30-odd halfs in the last few years. Nice and cold (0C/32F) and it was a quick and smooth start too. The organizers should take credit for this, given the number of participants. Thanks to the people of Chicago, I PR'd by five minutes to get a 3:32. I could not have done this without their roaring support for the whole 26.2 miles; it really was humbling. Because this event was of such quality, I can't see how another marathon could be as rewarding. It was worth every cent. | |
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S. B. from New York
(10/17/2009)
"Very well run event, and a fun, flat course!" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great race, and one that I would do again. The course is flat (as advertised), and should be fast. Just make sure to get in a fast starting corral. I fought traffic for 5-6 miles through some rather narrow streets, but once free, I was able to run at my pace. Plenty of H20, porta-pots, fans... no complaints. I ran New York a few years back, and this blows it away in many respects - the organization, starting process, course, and all of the logistics associated with getting in and out of the city. |
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