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Lakeshore Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Lakeshore Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.5 
Organization 1.8 
Spectators 2.7
Number of comments: 209 [displaying comments 91 to 101]
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MrBill Shaults from Orland Park, IL
(1/21/2005)
"I never got my 1st place division award!!!" (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Great course, wave start, all ++++'s. Problems at the hotel, but the pasta dinner was great. Organization was terrible. Not well marked, and ran out of water!!!???!!! Still waiting for my award. I ran the half. | |
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N. B. from Tennessee
(1/12/2005)
"The worst race I have ever participated in." (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 I ran the half with an eye on returning for the whole later. The hotel is located at McCormick Place, which was deserted on race-day weekend and isolated from any other hotels, restaurants, etc. The course, while scenic, was mostly on concrete. The start was chaotic. About one-half mile after I passed the 7 mile marker (my time seemed about right at that point) I passed the halfway marker. That will do wonders for your head. I saw many other confused and befuddled runners. I could go on and on. I have done NYC Marathon, Marine Corp, Country Music, and the Rocket City and many half's, 5k's, etc. This was, by a landslide, the worst racing ordeal I have gone through. No chance that I would ever consider this race again. | |
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J. G. from Chicago, IL
(10/29/2004)
"Nice course" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 After some initial year growing pains, this course finally had nice weather this year. But beware of the race organizers---they don't answer e-mails or messages left at their office. Everything is last minute with them, so expect surprises. | |
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r. w. from michigan
(9/20/2004)
"all or nothing?" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This race was a shambles, with inaccurate mile markers and inadequate hydration/sports nutrition. Yes, I ran a PR but what's that worth when you doubt the accuracy of the mileage? But my biggest beef is with the prizes - how can they offer fitness equipment 'valued at over $1100' to the first place winners in each race and absolutely nothing for those who placed 2nd or 3rd? Surely their effort is worth rewarding also? | |
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Fritz Heimbigner from St. Joseph, MI
(7/21/2004)
"Hope this continues to get so-so feedback" (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I never got lost. I never got thirsty. I never got lonely. I never got claustrophobic. This was only my third but it was soooo much more relaxed and enjoyable then my previous two... NYC & Chicago. Most of the negative comments are true... but I would prefer that this race not become popular!! | |
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H. K. from Wheaton, IL
(7/14/2004)
"BAD Organization, Lacked Support, and Dangerous!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 -No water or sports drink after 6 miles. I (a 1/2 marathoner) was told not to drink the water at the 6 mile break as it was 'for the FULL marathoners' (insulting, dangerous, and condescending). DANGEROUS! -Was told late check-out at the Hyatt. NO! Hyatt registration told me that it was never set up by the marathon management and Hyatt. BTW - Hyatt was horrible - did not have my room ready (wanted to stick me in a smoking room) and was dirty. -Not enough support/fans... especially for the 1/2 marathoners. -Expo was pathetic. Maybe 15 vendors total, and not many vendors related to running. I will NEVER recommend this marathon or do it again. | |
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J. K. from Chicago, IL
(7/2/2004)
"A sad and infuriating first experience." (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Okay, so I was going to write something eloquent about this. I don't care to expend that effort anymore. This was my FIRST long race. I ran the half. I finished. I loved the course. I'll have fond memories of the lakeshore and Chicago. However, to sum it all up: SHAME ON THE RACE DIRECTOR. This race was a debacle. I would not run it again, half or full, nor would I recommend it to anyone. Let me repeat, SHAME ON THE RACE DIRECTOR and the STAFF. You should offer a public apology to all the runners. 'nuff said. | |
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P. T. from St. Louis, MO
(6/29/2004)
"Some problems, but many positives" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 My experience was not so negative as many of the commenters. I shaved 7 minutes off my PR, which was about the goal I had set, so in the end I felt pretty good about the whole thing. I liked the scenic course and enjoyed running on the bike paths rather than in the street. The course was flat and fast. As advertised, I felt the wave start helped me conserve energy at the start - no need to waste effort trying to break out of the pack. The smaller size of the race was a positive for me. The expo was pretty miniscule, but one of the speakers I listened to (Coach G.P.) was great - entertaining and knowledgeable. The Dri-Release T-shirt entrants received was a nice touch. I agree with the other commenters about the problems with aid stations. There was no sports drink at the first 3 aid stations. Over the last several miles, when they were really needed, there was hardly an aid station to be found. Also, for long stretches I lost track of what mile I was at - either the mile markers weren't there or I didn't see them. Toward the end of my race there began to be significant traffic on the course. I didn't have any major problem, but it was a bit bothersome. The Hyatt was nice, and near the start, but with the registration fee, things get to be a bit expensive. The Voice Trak system was a cool idea, but it didn't work. I've spoken with the race director who indicated that some of the people he contracted with to provide services for the race let him down. He seemed commited to clearing up the problems and making this a quality event. With the correction of some of the problems, this will be a great event. I will consider running this race again. | |
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J. B. from Michigan
(6/22/2004)
"Mile 18 twice?" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 What a beautiful location! The first 1/2 of the marathon was fine for me. I think the mile markers were right for the first 13, then we were routed off the official route before the 1/2. Then back onto the course. So the 1/2 marathon split was wrong. Then the mile markers were all messed up and they routed us across a field. Don't know what the deal with that was, but it felt wrong. There was water on the sidewalk ahead, maybe that's why we were rerouted. Seems it would have been better to have us find our way around the water. I was doing really well, I brought my own fluid and stopped to refill once. I imagine I would be really in trouble without it. But then I passed mile 18, the second time; this really challenged me mentally and I struggled afterwards. I walked and ran the last 6 miles and still managed to negitive split my marathon, seems wrong to me. Organization was terrible. Please, someone who knows what they are doing needs to take this over, it is too great a location to let the race die. | |
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P. R. from Pennsylvania
(6/20/2004)
"Beautiful Course, But Then It's All Downhill" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Lakeshore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 And I don't mean 'downhill' in the literal, positive-to-a-runner sense. The course is beautiful, but doesn't God really got the credit for that? He's the one who put the lake there. It's flat too -- makes for pretty easy running -- but sometimes flat isn't really what it's cut out to be. Where there are uphills, there are also downhills, and downhills make for some pretty fast running. And after all, is it really that hard to find flat terrain in the Midwest? I think that's God's work again. Now, organization -- it was pretty lacking. As most mentioned, no water, no sports drink, no cups, few volunteers, very limited signs for both direction and mile markers -- actually, no signs for direction. Police officers -- outstanding and courteous. The fans were great! Even though there were not many, they yelled out bib numbers, and directed comments right to the runners by number. This is so encouraging -- just like hearing your name. The expo was a little shabby as others have mentioned, but that just prevented me from spending more money so that was okay. Now for the host hotel -- I was told that I could not initally have an extended check-out time because I had the internet rate not the marathon rate, but I only went to the site directed to me by the marathon website to make a hotel registration. I phoned several times, and each time I was given the same song and dance. The race director assured me that he would take care of things and took my name and room number, but this was only to placate me. As it turned out, my sister made one last call while I was running, and I did have my check-out time extended, but this should just have been a given and not one more thing for me to stress over. No matter how many people are staying at the host hotel for a marathon, the hotel should be prepared to extend that check-out and not bat an eye over it. Could they just have added some housekeeping staff that weekend and paid time and a half or double-time or whatever? And let's get real -- with all the hotels in the heart of Chicago, who is actually going to be staying at the Hyatt in McCormick Place; there's nothing else there. Okay, those bicyclists were deadly, and overall, pretty inconsiderate. Did they know there was a marathon going on there? What if I were to get in their way at a century by trying to jump on their handlebars? At about the 24th mile -- I'm not really sure where it was as it wasn't marked -- I heard a little boy say, 'Daddy, why are all the runners walking?' Daddy, please explain, they've had not sports drink, little water, and they don't know where they are right now. |
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