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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 621 to 631]
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B. R. from Charlotte, NC
(10/13/2005)
"A must do marathon for any runner!" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What can be said that hasn't already been said before?? This was my third marathon and by far my absolute favorite. The crowds are wonderful, there were people the entire 26.2. The finish was great. This is a great first time marathon because the course isn't too difficult and the crowd really does carry you the last few miles. The only negative is the lack of courtesy of some fans who try to run across the road to get to the otherside, I saw a few runners get bumped by these fools. Otherwise, absolutely fantastic. | |
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J. R. from Richmond, VA
(10/13/2005)
"Good race but pace group was not very helpful" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I was impressed with how well things went for the most part, however some of the spots in the race were very close quarters. I never felt like I could get into a rhythm because I was always running up on a slower runner. I am by no means a speed demon! I was very let down by the pace group. I joined the 3:45 pace team however my first mile was 6:15 just trying to keep up with the pacers. This set me up for a very inconsistent race. I was always looking for the pacers. I do have to rate the overall spectators as awesome!! I really needed them in the as I went out much too fast! | |
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J. C. from LaGrange, Illinois
(10/12/2005)
"First Class All the Way" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is an amazingly well organized race. The city embraces the running community for the weekend, and it is truly a magical experience. There are 1.2 million fans out there on race day, and I think you hear every single one of them cheering you on. If you want to run a big race, this is a great one. | |
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L. G. from St. Louis, MO
(10/12/2005)
"Best of the Big Time Marathons" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have no negative comments at all. Organization: I've run other big marathons (NYC -- Great & Disney -- Not so great) and Chicago is the best. It's amazing to me how this race can go off w/o a hitch year after year when there are 40K runners to get to the line, feed, hydrate, and otherwise manage for up to 6 hours. Even the gatorade was mixed consistently throughout. Not common. Unbelievable! Course: As advertised -- Flat and fast. I was lucky enough to have a preferred start so I didn't have some of the crowding that others had but I can see that being an issue -- especially going around 90 degree turns. Still a great Boston qualifying course. Crowds: With the possible exception of NYC, the best. They were supportive the entire time. So large that it's very difficult to find family and friends that are cheering for you. HINT: To make that easier, put a nickname on your shirt. The crowd will cheer for the nickname that your family can listen for. When they see you, they'll yell your real name. When you hear that, you'll know to look for them. First class! | |
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D. W. from Boston
(10/12/2005)
"Better than New York!!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 New York has always been my favorite marathon..running thru the 5 boroughs. However, with the daylight changes, it has always been difficult to train in October. I was at the expo for the Boston Marathon this year and one of the vendors told me that I had to try Chicago. Well, I did, and it was great. Great organization. I like the fact that you can walk or take the transit to the start. The crowds were enthusiastic and really kept me pumped. My daughter and I will be back next year for sure. | |
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S. S. from Vancouver, BC
(10/12/2005)
"WOW!" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thank you Chicago! I can't imagine a better marathon experience. The crowd was awesome, excellent organization, enthusiastic volunteers and did I say the crowd was awesome? The course was a perfect way to see the charm and character of Chicago. I highly recommend this marathon to runners of all levels. Sharing the stage with Olympic athletes was a treat. | |
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T. J. from Lombard, Illinois
(10/12/2005)
"Always a great race" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Chicago is one of the premier marathons. Any problems with the race are overshadowed by the great things about it - the crowds, the course, and the whole Chicago experience. The minor problems with a lack of Gatorade and/or cups at the first few aid stations (by the time the slow runners got there) were not that big a deal because of the relative cool temperatures. If it had been warmer, this could have been a bigger problem. By the way, this was my 19th Chicago Marathon. | |
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A. G. from Houston
(10/11/2005)
"Slick despite its size" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was originally skeptical about entering this run, given my increasing aversion to mass-marathons. However, my fears were misplaced - this is one example of an incredibly well organised run that offers all the benefits of giant marathons (all the refreshments, freebies, spectators, media interest and general aura of importance) without the sacrifice of time. OK, I had the benefit of having a competitive start (there was also a 'preferred start' ahead of the masses too), but was still mighty impressed how easy it all went. For an event with ca. 35,000 runners, the course, width of roads, support services and overall scale of the infrastructure made it feel uncrowded. Great weather, in the mid-50s with a light breeze. Super start and finish. More than adequate Gatorade and water points, with bananas and gel later in the course. Nice medal and t-shirt, with lots of post-run liquid, fruit and energy bars. Only (very minor) disappointment was the expo which - despite the huge scale of the hall - looked only half occupied. Don't know the reason why, but seemed there were less exhibitors than maybe expected? Fees too high, poorly marketed, wrong profile of runners, better alternative events? Who knows. Regardless of the expo, a true gem of a mass-marathon. Don't worry about sacrificing a PB at this event. | |
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P. M. from New Jersey
(10/11/2005)
"Incredibly Well-Run for the Size of Race" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Amazing how well put together this race was from start to finish. Flat and fast but the wind can be a kick in the face. Tremendous crowd support for most of the course and volunteers were great. A beer in hand was quite the closer after the finish. It worked for me as a Boston qualifier! Don't forget to enjoy a Chicago pizza afterwards, the ultimate reward. | |
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L. L. from Washington DC
(10/11/2005)
"Great Marathon - Great City" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I loved this marathon. I have wanted to run it for several years, and finally managed to. Honestly, it met all my expectations. I agree with the last post, with 40,000 runners, you would expect chaos. Not in Chicago. If you don't mind large marathons, this is the best. I even PR'd without much training! |
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