This was my first time running in Chicago and my first major marathon. However I participated in the Rock 'n Roll 1/2 in Vegas a few years ago so am not a stranger to big races.

Overall this was the best organized race that I have ever attended. Lots of communication ahead of the race and lots of signage through the race, the corals and to/from/at the expo.

Accomodations

I stayed at the Hilton directly across the street from the starting area, which was also race central, so there was always a buzz. Being located here allowed me to access the free shuttle to/from the expo easily and most importantly, to access the race venue very easily on race day. Some might think that the cost of the room per night was high (~$300) but to have a room directly across from a major marathon in this price range is really quite good....plus search the prices of hotels in most large cities and you won't be so shocked.

The Expo

The transportation to the expo was easy, well run and well labelled. I went on Friday morning and walked right up to a volunteer, scanned my confirmation and had all of my things within 5 minutes!! Amazing!! For the next couple of hours I wandered around the expo, chatting and looking at various exhibitors. I purchased a bit of swag and a pair of Skechers for good measure....really enjoyed the sample beer from Goose Island brewery.

Race day

The hotel had given me an envelope at check-in, in this I placed my room key and my ID and left it at the front desk, nothing to carry and nothing to check. This made it quite easy when I went to the race itself. There were 5 gates to the race venue, I was allowed to access any of the later 3. I chose the gate directly leading to my corral. There were two lines, one for no checked bags and for checked bags...initially it was a bit of a confusing mish-mash as the volunteer really wasn't being forceful enough but once I got into my proper line I made it past security in around 10-15 minutes. Note: your bags were checked and everyone was scanned with the "wand".

After security I saw my corral ahead of me and saw the rows of port-a-potties. At this time i had about 30 minutes until my corral closed as seeing as the lines weren't overly long I stood in line for one. I chatted with a nice guy from the UK and finished my business in about 10 minutes.

I re-entered the corral and waited with the rest of the eager runners.

At 7:45 am our corral closed but security let a few late-comers in :) Note: if your corral closed and security wasn't as nice to you, you had to start at the very back of the field.

I was in the second wave which started at 8 am and with Sweet Home Chicago and Born to Run playing on the speakers we made a steady procession to the start line, which I crossed around 8:10 am.

The Course

What can I say, mostly flat with a few inclines and a nice one right near the finish. Lots of great crowd support, every village had great character with bands playing and people hollering...the odd free beer was offered :) Only rarely was there a section where it was spectator free. There were 2 or 3 sections where the runners bottlenecked but with this many people participating it was to be expected.

The aid/water stations were well staffed and big so you didn't need to dive for the first table...though a few runners did anyways.

The Finish

A bit of an uphill was a few hundred meters to go to the finish, you turned a corner and had a wide area to spread out for your photo. We were slowly funneled towards the back while picking up food, drink...another Goose Island beer and your medal. After slowly making my way to the back I found a nice grassy area in front of the grey back check area and enjoyed my beer, whilst watching the people go by.

The After Amenities

I really only headed for the massage tent as I wanted to avoid cramping up. Again it was well run with 200 massage students working their magic, I believed that I only waited upwards of 10 minutes before i received a 10 minute massage.

My Only Complaint...The Swag

The cost and what you received do not seem to meet for me. As a foreigner I paid over $200 to run and I received a participant shirt and a finishers medal. The shirt was of one color with minimal wording, I do like the medal however. But I feel that you should at least receive a finishers shirt for this price....which you can buy afterwards for more money. When I ran Dublin a few years ago i received a finisher's shirt free of charge. I've been on race committees so I know the cost and with this level of sponsorship the runner should receive more.

So in general the race was worth the price, Chicago was an interesting place to visit and the course and volunteers were top notch. if the swag could be improved this race would likely be near perfect.