When I told people I was running the Shamrock Shuffle for the first time this year, I was greeted with a lot of "Ha!"s and "Oof, good luck"s. Apparently, the Shamrock's reputation for being one of the most popular, accessible races in Chicago turns off a lot of runners because of the crowds- usually over 40,000! However, I'm happy to say I didn't experience any hassle as a result of the race being over crowded. I was in Corral C, so closer to the start, but I think the race officials did a great job of spreading everyone out and keeping the corrals moving along. The race location is excellent for access if you take public transit (although the busses after the race are typically delayed), and there are aid stations often throughout the course, despite it being such a short race.

The race course is unique among Chicago races because it doesn't rely on the lakefront path for the majority of the miles; instead, you go through downtown, spending some time on State Street and the West Loop before ending with the biggest hill in Chicago going up Roosevelt immediately before the finish.

While I didn't stay for the after party (too cold!), I know it's popular to celebrate with a beer (although I don't think they do green beer any more, unfortunately). My only complaint is that the shirt this year is pretty boring; it's a nice technical shirt, but plain white and with the Bank of America logo on it. Not too exciting.

I would probably do this race again next year, if I liked the shirts more. It's a fast, fun run, and everyone in Chicago seems to show up for it!