If you're looking for a challenging course with strong competition outside of Chicago, then this is a great race. There are a few sets of hills that make this is relatively difficult course for the area (if you train where there are hills, then this won't be a problem, but the north shore is otherwise quite flat). Because they offer prize money, the competition is pretty strong up front (i.e., 60 to low 70 minute pace). However, at least this year, they started the Illinois "elites" before the rest of pack, so anyone not in the elite category running in the mid-high 70s is going to be in no-man's land trying to catch up. This was especially a problem this year because of the wind that met runners head-on for the long stretch north. Still, I enjoyed the route and appreciated the excitement of the aid station workers. The addition of a separate 5k enables it to be a family event if some prefer the shorter distance.