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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 251 to 261]
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M. H. from Chicago, IL
(10/13/2008)
"Greatly Improved" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run this marathon 6 times before and by far this was the most organized of them all. The Chicago Marathon organizers made HUGE improvements after last year's disaster. Like last year, the temperatures hit record highs, but this year they were WELL prepared for it. Five additional water/Gatorade aid stations were added, making a total of 20 aid stations along the course. Also, each aid station had a medical tent. There was an abundance of water, Gatorade, bananas, cold sponges, and misting areas for the runners. The volunteers before, during, and after the race were well-informed, energetic, and just plain dedicated. I highly recommend the Chicago Marathon to all levels of marathon runners. The course is flat and serves as an excellent tour of the city. The spectators were extremely supportive and lined the course from start to finish. Chicago is a beautiful city that hosts a world-class marathon, and hopefully the 2016 Summer Olympics. | |
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m. m. from buffalo, ny
(10/13/2008)
"Incredibly done - 1-2 things short of perfect!" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This race was awesome! This is the only other big-city race that I have to compare to NYC. This expo was much, much, much, much better, especially if you needed an XL or XXL. Good luck finding that at NYC after 3 hours. Convenience - superb! Maybe I had a lucky day, but we were running late, and were still able to park 1/2-mile from the start. We had plenty of time to check our bag and get to the corral. At NY, you are forced to get to the start 3-4 hours early, only to sit and freeze your buns off while you wait. Bag check for post-race - excellent/efficient-mostly because the start and finish are in the same area. It took me 30 seconds to check my bag before the race and 10 seconds to get it after the race. The corrals - this is one of the only problems that I had. There did not seem to be anyone checking the people entering corrals. NYC wins this one. In NY, all corrals were in distinct, separate areas. In Chicago, we are all bunched in one area with no distinction between corrals. Then, I joined a pace group, but was unable to get to them prior to the start because of the masses of people I was forced to fight through. They really need to have separate areas for all corrals and/or pace groups, then just call each group up to the start one at a time or something like that. Maybe they did that (I don't think so), and I missed it because I was only there 40 minutes early. I don't know. I just didn't comprehend why I signed up for a pace group and was unable to get to them. Maybe there could be side entry gates for pace groupers, so we would not have to enter at the rear of the corral and fight 10K people to get up to the pace group. Then I did not understand why there was even a need to join the pace group if everyone and their brother was allowed into the same corral to the point where the actual pace group people (like me) couldn't even get to the pace group. I had to abandon the thought of trying to fight the crowd to reach my pace group. This is not a deal-breaker at all - live and learn. Get there early enough and eliminate this issue I guess. Other than that, the start was great. With over 31,000 runners, it only took us 15-20 minutes to get to the start line, as opposed to 39 minutes in NY. Spectators/volunteers - as good as it gets! 26.2 miles of awesome volunteers and superb spectators! The course - great! I was a little surprised that the spectators were allowed to get so far into the street in some areas, because it really made some streets pretty narrow. As a four-hour marathoner, it did not affect me much. I could see it bothering a faster runner though. The finish - perfect! There was plenty of room to finish/walk it off without being herded like cattle and clustered like a can of sardines as in NYC. The finish blows NYC away! The few downsides (corrals/pace groups and narrow sections) are minimal issues that would certainly make a superb race perfect. However, they do not effect the experience one bit! I only mention them, as someone might appreciate knowing these things ahead of time. NYC was great, because you are running through one of the most historic and amazing cities in the world, and the fans were certainly second to none. Chicago is great because it is a top-notch, must-do race from a convenience, organizational, expo, start, volunteer, fan, and finish standpoint. NY probably had more fans, but who would notice the difference between 1.5 and 2 million people? I would do it again in a heartbeat. | |
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M. G. from Arizona
(10/13/2008)
"Hot again but fully prepared..." (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race bounced back with 100% preparedness. Added water stations, a completely monitored course, and an event status-alert system were all in place. The updates via the internet, signage, etc. made everyone aware of what was going on. Temps were again unusually warm but the humidity was less than last year's. The race committee delivered a highly-organized event and there were no visible lapses on race day. There were two very-welcomed sponge stops on the course and they also added two or three banana stops (though that proved to be a slippery mess). Water and Gatorade tables were long and stacked to the sky. The expo and packet pick-up were great as always. Nike's products were a significant improvement over the previous sponsors' offerings. The race started on time. Post-race amenities included a generous serving of ice-cold beer. Post-race food was just average - bananas, bagels, granola bars, and apples. They did have ice but ran out (due to the heat no doubt) and chip-retrieval and hanging of the medals around your neck went well as always. Media coverage was great as usual. But the BEST part of this marathon continues to be the 1.5 MILLION spectators that screamed their lungs out; it was wall-to-wall people throughout and they did not disappoint. Hydrants and misting systems also help cool runners along the course. The race sells out early - usually six months ahead of race day - so be warned. It is a big event and it attracts a lot of newbies as well as repeaters looking to set new PRs. The course remains pancake flat. When picking a big-city marathon, you cannot go wrong with Chicago - their Midwest hospitality remains alive and well. | |
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B. N. from Houston, TX USA
(10/13/2008)
"Good Marathon" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Looks like a lot of work went into this marathon to prevent another 2007. I am not from Chicago, and I guess the weather is unpredictable from year to year. The only thing I didn't like was the long walk after the finish. You have to walk about a mile before you leave the finisher's area and can actually find a place to sit down. | |
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D. S. from Florence, KY
(10/13/2008)
"Great organization" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great marathon. I enjoyed the course through all of the diverse neighborhoods. The fan support was awesome. My only complaint is the 8:00 a.m. start time. The temp. rose quickly, as it did last year. The difference was all of the water stops. I just wish they would start a little bit earlier. Overall, a great race. This was my 4th marathon and I was amazed at the organization of such a large event. The organization was the best I have seen. | |
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D. K. from Madison, WI
(10/13/2008)
"Chicago regains its reputation as a top marathon" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Having been "bounced" out of the 2007 marathon, I entered the 2008 run with low expectations. WOW - the day, while brutally hot, was spectacular. The best fans in all the neighborhoods, fabulous and funny cheering, and a tightly run organization. There was enough of everything, and there were very visible and actively involved captains and others, clearly in charge of the wonderful volunteers. Thank you, Chicago, for a wonderful 2008 marathon. | |
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D. W. from Rockford, Illinois
(10/13/2008)
"Outstanding" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After 41 marathons, and that is counting last year's shutdown in Chicago, this was the most important finish out of 40 finishes. After having health issues and being advised not to run, this was my own personal best - not time-wise (it was my worst time), but in terms of moral. The crowd, the aid stations, and the police all made sure we had a safe experience. Carey Pinkowski is to be commended on ensuring that Chicago is one of the greatest marathons in the world. After last year, he went all out to make sure that it would be a world-class event. After I finished the marathon, I became sick and the paramedics immediately checked my vitals and gave me an IV. With the medal on my chest and the IV in my arm, I was smiling. Chicago should be proud and should be host to the 2016 Olympics. | |
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M. M. from Tampa, FL
(10/13/2008)
"What an awesome race!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What an awesome race! The weather was way too hot for me to hit my BQ, but that is the only bad thing that I have to say (and that was obviously out of control of the organizers). This race was first-class from beginning to end. The course took you though some great parts of town and the spectators were amazing. This was my first big-city race, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I would recommend this race to anyone. | |
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J. G. from New Jersey, USA
(10/13/2008)
"Great race; more food?" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first Chicago Marathon, and it was a good time for sure. I would have liked to run by Wrigley. I also would have liked to have more food on the course earlier. | |
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A. M. from USA
(10/13/2008)
"Great race in 2008!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon at age 48, and I had a blast. I ran the time I planned and the pacers were awesome (thanks, Brooke!). There were loads of volunteers, which made a difference. Thanks, Chicago! |
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