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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 511 to 521]
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B. Z. from Atlanta, GA
(10/29/2006)
"Right up there with New York and Boston!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I highly recommend this race to everyone based on the flat loop course alone. | |
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C. M. from Frederick, MD
(10/29/2006)
"Great, but not NY finish-line crowds" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have been told that if you loved the NY Marathon, you would adore this one! Chicago is definitely a must-do for marathoners! Chicago was SOOO much easier to get to in the morning with no convoluted steps to get to the start line - no two-hour wait sitting around. We walked the 1 1/2 miles from our hotel at 7:00. The porta-potties were NOT an issue, as we had been led to believe. The start was smooth and fast, the course delightful - especially for someone who has never been to Chicago, the water stops were great, and the people and music were supportive and loud! But the last six miles were tough, with the wind blowing and the minimal crowd support! The NY Marathon finishes in Central Park for five miles with three-four people deep - even for us who finish in five or more hours. That gives it the edge! | |
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T. H. from Ottawa Hills, OH, USA
(10/29/2006)
"Everything was great until it was over" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The race has everything as advertised. Super flat course, great organization and spectators willing to brave conditions I certainly wouldn't without a space heater. My only small complaints concern post-race amenities. Organic, untoasted English Muffins? This is Chicago! I would rather have bratwurst and I don't even like bratwurst. One last thing: the post-race party that evening was charging for water. The same water that was being handed out FREE during the entire marathon. That being said, the race director and all the volunteers should be commended for staging the perfect big-city marathon. | |
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K. D. from Alexandria, VA
(10/28/2006)
"The BEST race for beginners!" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I gave the course a 4 out of 5 because unless you are familiar with Chicago, it is very hard for spectators to get around. Overall, a very flat, fast course with a lot of support along the way. I would recommend making a "spectator plan" for those who want to cheer for you along the way and certainly sign up for runner's updates. With 40,000 people running this race, it's easy to get lost in the mix. | |
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B. P. from Marriottsville, MD
(10/28/2006)
"Fast and Awesome!" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Weather was less than ideal, but easily could have been worse. Regardless, this was a very fast, friendly, and accommodating marathon. Fan support was tremendous, pacers were on target, course/city is beautiful. Just sorry I didn't come here sooner. Now that I know the course better, I hope to return someday to do even better. Objective achieved -- on to Boston!!! | |
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ED O'CONNELL from CHICAGO USA
(10/27/2006)
"GREAT RACE" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great race to run. Thanks to the many people who worked so very hard to make our run so great. What a wonderful place to live. Thanks again to all who worked so hard. | |
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A. W. from Cincinnati, OH
(10/27/2006)
"Awesome first marathon!" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I wish there were more stars I could give for this one. The course was great and offered a good tour of the city. The volunteers were very friendly, and the spectators were enthusiastic, which helped me along. My advice is to get there plenty early to avoid having to climb over the fence to get with your pace group, but once the stress of starting is done, the marathon is awesome. With so many people there from around the world, it is a fun time. | |
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d. o. from san diego
(10/27/2006)
"Great course, great city and very convenient" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 There is no better way to see Chicago than to run this course. I ran in 2006, and the cold, windy, wet weather probably kept some folks at home, as there were spots where crowds were sparse. But in most areas the onlookers were aplenty, and very loud. Going through Chinatown was unreal. There must have been thousands of folks lined up on the streets, which seemed to narrow through the neighborhood, and they were very supportive. I also saw some of the best signs at this race, including, "Hurry up, Daddy, I gotta pee!" and "Run faster, stupid!" It was also incredibly convenient. I could walk from my hotel in the Loop to the start in 10 minutes and walk back to the hotel easily after the race. Did I mention the course was fast? I'm already making plans to return next year. | |
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K. H. from Westland, MI
(10/27/2006)
"Excellent large marathon... but I prefer NYC" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Chicago is an excellent "big-event" marathon. Having run New York Last year, though, I would have to give the edge to NYC by a hair (sorry Chi-Town). But the organization of Chicago, especially the start and finish areas, was much better than in New York. Their expos were comparable but beware of the $18 parking at McCormick Place. I would have preferred more of the course to be in the downtown area but I understand that downtown cannot be shut down for an entire day. Slight course edge to NYC. I started in the front of the open start (jumped the fence) and was able to run at pace from the very start. PR by 22 minutes, due to the flat nature of the course and more training. Highly recommend this marathon. | |
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J. M. from Chicago, IL
(10/27/2006)
"I am already planning on next year" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was such a great race. The spectators were so awesome!!! I would have never imagined there would be that many people cheering you on. The volunteers were so great too. I will definitely do this race again without hesitation. I only have one tiny suggestion. At the end of the race it is very hard to hold all your drinks and food. It would have been nice to have little bags to put things in. Other than that, everything was perfect (despite the weather, which, of course, could not be helped). |
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