The Rock N Roll Chicago Half Marathon is a race I have run 5 times since its debut in 2009. I look forward to running in Chicago every summer when I visit my family and this race is usually the culminating event of my stay. I truly believe there are few cities in the world greater than Chicago in the summertime.

But as I ran this race for the 5th time this year, I realize that what I love about running this race has for more to do with circumstances NOT related to the race itself. The beautiful Chicago skyline at dawn, the majesty of the Millennium Park, Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain in the heart of the city center, the gorgeous lakeshore scenery are all aspects of Chicago to be enjoyed whether I am running the race or not. This year, there were two people who made this race unforgettable: Andy Grammer and Meb.

If you choose to ever run this race, you must be prepared for really hot and humid conditions. Of the five times I've run this race, only once was the weather conducive for a "fast" race. The course is pretty flat, but there are quite a few turns throughout the course to navigate the city streets. I should also note that the specific course has changed each year over the last 3 years so it is difficult to predict what they may decide to do next year. I'm sure the logistics of the course have to adapt to the circumstances each year so it's understandable to have some slight changes. It's part of running in a major city. The last two years, the hardest "hill" has been the Columbus Drive off ramp from Lakeshore Drive in the 13th mile.

The expo is located at McCormick Place, an enormous conference center that could be a city within itself! Parking there usually costs $10-20, or you can find street parking a few blocks away and pay much less. This year, I was staying in the city so I rented a bike and rode from Ohio St. Beach along the lakefront to avoid traffic and parking. The expo had some great bargains from local running stores and offered a variety of retail opportunities, but there was not really anything unique to it that set it aside from other large race expos.

I have run other Rock N Roll events (San Diego Marathon and St. Louis Half Marathon). The one criticism I have about the Chicago Rock N Roll is that there was really not much "rock n roll" happening during the race. There were a few DJs along the course that pumped music really loud and I think I heard one live band. I am not really sure why the organizers choose street performers as entertainment on the course. A few clowns on stilts just doesn't make sense to me when the race advertises, "Music every mile makes up the heart and 'sole' of this event." However, Andy Grammer's performance at the post-race concert was fantastic! He had performed the night before at Taylor Swift's concert and was up early to entertain thousands of dehydrated runners. Unfortunately it was so hot and there was no shade to escape the sun so I didn't stay for the whole performance.

Which brings me to aid stations. There was an email sent out to runners the night before warning of the harsh race day conditions. At the 6:30 start time, the temperature was already in the 80s and humidity at 87%. There were about 35 corrals that started in waves of 1-2 minute intervals, which means those in the later corrals started around 7:00 or later. I was in corral 6 and by the time I came through the water stops, they were struggling to keep them stocked and at least one stop ran out of Gatorade. There were only 8 water stops on the entire course as well. As I walked through each water stop, I worried about the runners and walkers behind me. I personally counted five runners down on the course receiving medical assistance which is always a scary sight!

For me, the best part of the race are the people. This year, Meb Keflezighi was the headlining ambassador for the race. I had the privilege of meeting him at the New York City Marathon last year when he just popped his head into our breakfast to wish all runners good luck. At Chicago Rock N Roll, I had read that he was going to pace the 1:45 group, which happened to be my corral! This race was my first race back from a hip injury so I knew I had to adjust my goal time. I thought maybe I could hang for a mile or two with his group just to have the experience of running with Meb. But at the starting line, it was announced that he would be pacing the 1:30 group, which meant he was in corral 2 and there was no way I would get to run with him. I wasn't too terribly disappointed since I figured it was a pipe dream to meet him anyway. But as I walked through the final water stop at mile 12 on the course, there was a runner standing in the middle of the course offering high fives to any runner passing by. I did the ultimate double take as I realized it was Meb! He had already paced his group to the finish and ran back to the course on his own to cheer on runners! No cameras. No microphones. No security or handlers. Just Meb. He was so gracious, so humble and so positive, it totally lifted my spirits more than I imagined possible. I don't think people realized who it was because people just kept running by him. Since I had no time goal in mind, I stopped to take out my phone and ask for a selfie, to which he kindly obliged. That moment was the highlight of my race! (In addition to finishing safely, of course!)

Bottom line is this: The Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon is a good time. I do enjoy this race each year. If you are looking for a unique race experience with personal touches in Chicago, this is probably not your race. If you do decide to run it, be prepared for the unpredictable weather conditions, LOTS of runners, a course that navigates a gorgeous yet busy city that most likely will not have rock n roll at every mile. If you have run other Rock N Roll Marathon events, this one will feel very familiar. That said, I will probably run this race again the next summer I am in Chicago. I enjoy my hometown city too much to miss the chance to run in it. And if you ever have the chance to run in a race with Meb, don't miss it!! You never know what might happen.