Pros –

--I like the shirt this year. It’s soft (!) and the design is simple – nothing flashy, which I prefer. This will probably be a race shirt I actually wear during runs when the weather gets cool enough.
--This race was a part of the 39.3 and 26.2 Chicago half series challenge. The extra medal you get for participating in the series is pretty! As some people commented post-race, they look like stained glass Christmas ornaments. I love collecting race medals (and bib numbers) so the extra medal was definitely an incentive to do this race.
--Surprisingly there are more spectators spread throughout the course than I would expect to see given the less than ideal race location. I think being mostly on LSD, it provided spectators with the opportunity to park along different on/off ramps of the course and cheer. However, don’t get your hopes up – there still aren’t swarms of spectators, but I’ve seen worse.
--It’s a fast course. I don’t know what actually makes a course considered “fast” but LOTS of people I know ran PRs this year. The course is relatively flat. There are a few very gentle inclines/declines due to running up/down on-ramps and on one overpass.

Cons –

--The race expo is held at the Navy Pier which is a wee bit annoying to get to as it’s not right by the El. I drove since it was the quickest option round-trip and arrived right at 9am on Saturday. I didn’t have problems with traffic or finding parking, but $12 (the discounted rate) is still a little much for a quick in/out 10 minute visit.
--I hate the overall location of this race because it’s logistically a nightmare to get to. I was fortunate enough to catch a ride with someone who had purchased the VIP parking pass but even then the parking lot wasn’t open on time. The shuttles that were offered weren’t very convenient to where I live.
--The water cups on the course were plastic. If someone knows how to gracefully drink water from a plastic cup while running, please let me know! This isn’t the first race in Chicago to use plastic.
--I think some of the mile markers were off, including the first mile marker. My watch was never consistently capturing miles ahead, on target or behind. It was all over the place. This makes the race a little more mentally challenging when you’re fatiguing and trying to hit a goal.
--There was a home Bears game at noon on race day. I don’t know which was planned first and it probably wasn’t practical to have either event moved to another date, but better planning would’ve helped relive congested traffic!

Lastly, I’m not certain whether this is a pro or a con – I haven’t made up my mind…. A large portion of the course is an out and back on Lake Shore Drive. It’s nice because you can cheer for your friends who are both ahead and behind you (it helps pass time!) but it’s not so great because out and backs are generally boring.

Overall, the Chicago Half Marathon is a race I’ll do again next year if it fits into my schedule but if I miss it, I'm not going to be upset.

Picture: Me and everyone's favorite, Coach K!