• Chicago,
    Illinois,
    United States
  • July
  • 3 miles/5K, 6 miles/10K, 13.1 miles/Half Marathon
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

R C

Illinois, United States
6 9
2014
"2014 Rock n Roll Half "
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
R C's thoughts:

This was my first year running this race. I wish I ran it last year before the Chicago Marathon to help prepare for race day since the feel is similar! It was my friend's first half and she had a great time.

Overall, I agree with what a lot of reviewers said about the 2014 race- the course was surprisingly hilly for Chicago with lots of turns through the Loop, the entertainment was sporadic (it looked like the first band had packed up and left by the time we got it), GPS watch was way off due to running between tall buildings and underpasses, but great aid stations and overall well organized. Next time I will use my watch like a stopwatch and just record a lap at each mile marker. Each individual corral started in it's own wave, so it took a while to get to the start (30mins+ from Corral 30 and I believe there were 60+), but also let runners start comfortably. Also, good to know if you're starting further back that you have some extra time to use the bathroom (long lines!) and check gear. From mile 9 on when the course goes down the Lakefront Path, it became very congested and difficult to pass people all the way to the finish.

Rock n Roll's bib pick up policy was frustrating since we had some semi-local runners with us that had to either make an extra trip into the city or spend the night away from home in order to do pick up. Not the biggest deal, but just adds another extra step into race day prep. I did appreciate that they didn't give you a bunch of stuff that you don't want or need at the pick up.

It's a well organized race that I would consider doing again next year. I would also recommend registering early for this race/being aware of fee increases and keeping an eye out for flash sales. I paid nearly $100 with all the fees registering almost 4 months in advance.

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