And we definitely deserved a drink after this race. BECAUSE IT WAS HOT! According to my phone, we started in the 70s and ending in the mid 80’s by the end of this race.

With a 4:30am ride to the city we were all in front of Soldier Field for our regular group pictures by 6:15!

Ram Racing and Soldier Field did a great job organizing its 15th race. I had prime starting position this year in corral C. I was glad I could use my Athlinks account to help me prove that I could run starting in this preferred corral.

Now just like last year, be prepared to cry at the pre-race ceremony. You start inside the Soldier Field stadium and get to watch Budweiser do an amazing tribute to Folds of Honor and its contributors. Here watch and grab a tissue…

After the video, names of fallen military men and women this year, a gun salute, Taps and the National Anthem, the race began in small waves. The course was the usual with an out-and-back heading south first. While in the shade of the stadium it felt great. But once you were out, you definitely noticed the heat and the sun.

Here’s My Mental Diary!
Mile 1: Hmmm, toasty already. Just get through the McCormick Place tunnel and focus on staying hydrated.

Mile 2-3: Hit the water table and keep going. “Definitely stay to the right to get as much shade as you can.” That sun was already hot and it’s only 7:30!

Mile 4: You can start to see people coming back from the turn-around. “I wish I was on that other side already…”

Mile 5: YES, the TURN-AROUND!!!

Mile 6: Water table time and I have got to take a picture! The city looks awesome!

Mile 7-8: “I thought this was the windy city??? There is absolutely no breeze.” I’m starting to get a little angry now and I’m done…

Mile 9: I hear my name and there’s my friend John. That totally perked me up. Especially knowing that I am less than a mile away and I can hear the inside of the stadium.

Mile 10: As we run into the tunnel onto the Soldier Field field, I realize this is why I love this race so much. It is definitely an amazing feeling running into this huge building.

Finish: DONE and AMEN!!!

Runners get a great medal, water and can take pictures before they leave the stadium.

Afterwards, you can walk through the stadium building and there are water bottles, Nuun and bathrooms. It felt so good to just wash my face. Before you leave the building, they give you a bag of goodies that we all gobbled up!

After grabbing our cool-looking Budweiser beer from the beer tent, my run club and I sat in the shade to watch the rest of the runners finish. This has become a fun tradition.

Would I recommend this race?
Heck Yeah! It is well supported, super-organized and a ton of fun–EVEN IN THE HEAT. Ram Racing did a great job taking care of all the runners with extra water tables, ice cups on the course, and frozen towels at the finish.

Put this on your to-do list in Chicago!

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