Everybody loves Shuffle day! It's a great opportunity for runners not necessarily ready for the full marathon to be able to run part of the marathon course.

The course winds through downtown and is awesome. GPS watches have a lot of trouble with the bridges and tunnels, so consider yourself warned. Aid stations are well-stocked and placed very well along the course. Post-race, you get a treat bag and a free beer, although everyone always buys additional beer tickets and hangs out by the fountain.

The wave start is a recent addition that I like a lot. It makes sure that the course is not crowded, and that everyone can run comfortably at their pace. The only downside is that if you have friends in a different wave, you'll be waiting awhile.

The shirt is pretty hit-or-miss. Yes, it's very corporate looking, but sometimes there's a cool design (see 2012 and 2013). This year's is not the best, but it's still a high-quality Nike shirt.

Bottom line - this race is a Chicago institution. If you've never done it, what are you waiting for?