I knew, going in, that Chicago had really restricted live music being played in the early morning hours. But like another runner said, there were hardly any bands, and the whole race theme *IS* Rock n' Roll. They did have employees running with speakers playing music, which was better than nothing. That really picked me up a few times.

The biggest con: aid stations. Enough water? Yes. Enough volunteers? Nope. At some stations, there were literally lines of runners waiting, or runners filling up their own cups. You shouldn't have to stop running through an aid station.

The biggest pro: fairly shady course. With the high heat and humidity, this was key. When I ran in 2010, it felt as if half the race was out in the open on Lake Shore Drive. This year, they really kept us downtown in the Loop for awhile before heading south. The shade really did make such a difference. And it's Chicago, so very few hills.