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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 791 to 801]
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Angela Brunson from Los Angeles, CA
(3/25/2003)
"Flat & Fast!" (about: 1999)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Not a single hill! The city uses draw bridges over the river - and since they are metal, the race organizers put carpet over them. The temperatures are rather cool - mid thirties at the start. But once you get going, it is easy to get into the groove and just coast along. Before you know it, you just got a new PR! Chicago 1999 was my third marathon and I qualified for Boston! | |
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S. H. from Oshkosh, WI
(3/21/2003)
"Great Experience-Route Too Crowded" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon. What a great experience! Everything is first class. The only complaint is that it can be too crowded. I ran a 4:15 and had to dodge runners from my first steps to my last. Also, in numerous sections, the crowdsare so deep that they come off the sidewalks making it impossible for more than 3 runners to make it through. | |
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s. r. from Gulfport Florida (not Mississippi)
(3/16/2003)
"The BEST marathon" (about: 2000)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run 7 marathons - and none compare to Chicago - this is a great marathon - it was my first - and it remains the best!!! | |
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A. F. from St. Louis, MO
(3/4/2003)
"Overwhelming but GREAT" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and I had a great time. I wasn't really prepared for the crowds both spectators and runners, or just the overwhelming feeling of the event itself. but it was still an awesome experience. The fan support was great, and if their was a catagory for pace groups the two that I followed (4:30 and 4:20) would get 5 stars. Although I dont think they were all on pace it was nice to see at least one person from the pace group where ever I was during the course, it helped me have confidence that I could get through the race. THUMBS UP CHICAGO!!!! | |
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K. P. from San Antonio, TX
(2/27/2003)
"Great Marathon!!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The 2002 Chicago Marathon was my first marathon ever, and so far, I've participated in 3 others, and nothing compares! The fan support is incredible! They are the best fans I have seen. However, the crowding is a problem in the first 7 miles or so, but after the race, there was also poor organization...there were so many people (runners and spectators) trying to move around that nobody was getting anywhere. I noticed the bag check was outside the barricades and that is where all the runners were going...but the fans were going in the opposite direction. This led to a standstill. If the bag check was inside the barricade, right after the finish line, so the runners are the only ones to have access, this would make the organization much better. Regardless, this is a great race and I would definitely do it again! | |
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A Runner from Georgia
(2/24/2003)
"Great experience, but crowd too much to handle" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Chicago was my first marathon and I have since run two more. The course is fantastic and the crowd support cannot be beat. The organization is good given the sheer volume of people, but the crowds do present a problem at times. First of all, there needs to be more portajohns at the start line; I got in line an hour before the start and it took me until ten minutes before race time to reach the front of the line. Also, the crowd support was awesome, but more crowd control would be appreciated on the course as the spectators were narrowing the road in several places. The baggage check-in was very easy and smooth, but with the crowds at Grant Park after the race were so incredibly abundant that it took forever to be able to reach the check-in. It was also by sheer luck that I was able to find my family after the race, even with the letter signs. After running 26+ miles, it doesn't feel too good to be pushed and shoved by spectators. I realize that there will always be crowd issues with races this large, but I guess I'm used to the wonderful organization of the Peachtree 10K Road Race by the Atlanta Track Club. These complaints are minor, however, and don't do much to detract from a wonderful experience. The crowd support can't be beat, the course is interesting & fun throughout, aid stations plentiful and still lots of gels left for runners running a 4:30 pace. Chicago spoiled me! | |
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J. S. from Florida
(2/15/2003)
"Give me some air!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I had to rate this race low on organization simply because the course remained unreasonably crowded for the first 6 miles and again at the end of the race when you're hoping to kick it in! This crowding was not only frustrating as you try to weave through groups of slower runners, but it was very unsafe. A girl behind me fell and busted her knee before we crossed the starting line. In addition, several runners were inconsiderate to drop their clothing and aid station trash right on the course, causing even more injuries. I don't understand why the number of runners was allowed to increase for this next year's marathon. Isn't that putting GREED before the safety of the runners? It would be such a perfect race if the runner limit was decreased! Last of all, the spectators were really great. My only complaint was that there were areas where they were allowed to come into the street making the already crowded course more narrow and tight. I would do this race again if the runner limit were to decrease. | |
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K. B. from Chicago
(1/30/2003)
"Good for a first marathon" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 I ran Chicago as my first marathon. Overall it was a great race/experience. The spectators are wonderful, it's a flat fast course and aid stations spaced approximatelye very 1.5 - 2 miles. Some negative comments regarding this marathon (1) entry fee is too high for what you get - i.e. - cheap,cheap short sleeve t-shirt, stale bagels at finish line. It seems like your entry fee is actually only paying for the high priced elite athletes. (2) Finisher's certificate - this is the end of January and I still haven't received mine - I emailed the race director and they said they mail them out at the end of January - 3 months seems a little too long to be mailing out certificates. | |
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T. G. from Chicago
(1/16/2003)
"Great, but CROWDED!!!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Everything was excellent (flat course) except the crowds of runners. Other people wrote that they were crowded for 2 miles? I was crowded for at least 6-7 miles. I started somewhere in the middle, thinking that I would let the mass start group go. Big mistake in a group of 37,500. Instead, there were parts at the beginning, where I had to completely stop stand and wait for 15-30 seconds until the crowd went through a narrow part of the street. This happened about 5 times. There would be a water station on the left. And 100's of runners would cross over from the right, and crash into me (over and over). REALLY slowed me down at the first. was running about 12 minute miles for the first 6 miles, and I should have averaged about 9 minute miles. add that up and that is 12-9=3 for 3*6= 18 minutes!!! I know it's not a big deal or anything, but it tires you out, to run over people, bump, run past people, have them cross in front of you. Many groups of 5 people running side by side, SLOWLY, so you have to run around them. Tiring. Even after the initial 6 miles there's still the crowds, so you end up running around people a lot. I probably ran about 28 miles in that marathon. Not a big deal if you don't care about your time, but I do care. Very flat course, LOVE the flat course. Couldn't imagine doing this on anything other than flat. Plenty of water and gel shots. Fans were great. There were some gay guy cheerleaders, and some drag queens dancing on a platform cheering us on. Except there was one guy with a sign that read ''what were you thinking, QUIT NOW''. But he was kinda fat, and I was having fun so he looked pretty stupid. Would I run this one again? Yes, but I will be starting in the front. Better that people run around me, than me run around people. | |
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B. S. from Tampa, Florida
(1/14/2003)
"Fan support fantastic" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon so really the five stars may be a bit biased. However, the race is mostly flat, the fans are awesome, the city friendly and the weather was perfect. The only downside is that it is quite crowded to start. It took about ten minutes to get to the starting line and about four or five miles to get clear of some of the crowd. Loved it and will return. |
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