Chicago is a race (like most majors) that I was signed up for seemingly forever in advance. Because that's the nature of the beast. It's also a race that I had heard SO many good things about. So it definitely had some hype to live up to.

Let's start with the expo. Holy bananas (not literally). So crowded. Of course, with a field size of about 44,000 people I knew that would be the case. Packet pickup and the expo is at McCormick Place, which is a monstrosity of a building in it's own right. I felt fortunate that I had previously done the Shamrock Shuffle, which is a good way to get a feel for what the expo (and race morning) will be like.

Despite stories of backed up lines and security in the morning, I breezed through to get my packet extremely quickly. This is one of those expos where you get your bib, then go allllll the way to the back of the room to get your shirt/bag/etc. Which is fine. I got my shirt, grabbed some new socks (NOT for race day) and got out of there. I'm not a huge expo guy.

Let's talk the shirt quick. It's a light blue Nike shirt, with Chicago in descending big bold red letters. I love the look of the shirt. But with the absurd amount of screen printing for the letters, I'm not sure how runnable of a shirt it would be. I probably won't attempt that, but I will wear it around.

Race morning. Living in the suburbs, I decided to grab a hotel down by the start with late checkout just so that I didn't have to wake up absurdly early (like before 4am) to get to the city, park, etc. So that was nice. I was also fortunate enough to get access to the VIP area for the CARA organization. If you can swing the $60 (or 35 for members) it is totally worth it. Especially on a rainy morning like we had in 2018. The indoor bathrooms and private gear check are clutch.

To enter Grant Park, you're supposed to go through a specific entry point. I followed that, and got through quick, but I don't think it really matters. Corrals close 10 minutes prior to race start, so give yourself time to wade through the crowds to get lined up. Again, this is where I was fortunate to have done the Shamrock Shuffle, as it provided a good measuring stick for what Grant Park looks like on race morning.

The race gets going pretty quickly. We spend the first few miles weaving around the city itself before making the turn north. This is the first section where we got to experience the wind coming from the north, although it wasn't awful at this point. You'll pass the 10k on the way up and the 15k in Lakeview on the way back. It started to rain a bit in this section. Not heavy, but enough to be noticeable.

The north part of the city takes you almost the entire first half, as you hit 13.1 coming back into downtown. After a couple miles next to the river (where your GPS will go crazy) it's off to the west side of the city. The crowds thin a little bit out around the 25k mark, but it's a nice spot to check in with yourself before the massive crowd support returns. You'll also run past a cheer section with all of the race charities, which is really cool!

Around 17-18 (memory is hazy) we turn to head back to the city. The rain started to pick up here, and this was the only section of the race that actually felt kind of cold. The rain picked up out here, but you're on your way to Mile 21 and Chinatown which is a huge boost. Somewhere along this section Biofreeze had a station you could make a pit stop in to get some spray on your legs. I made the stop, although I can't say if it helped or not.

Once you get through Chinatown (which is awesome by the way) you head south for a few miles down close to the Sox stadium. You'll turn and then it's about 2.5 miles to the finish and to glory. Remember what I said about that wind earlier? Well it was still there, and any wind feels much stronger when you're 24 miles into a race.

Runners get back into downtown quick, and then it's a right on Roosevelt (affectionately known as Mt Roosevelt) and a left to the finish. Roosevelt isn't much of a hill, but at 26 miles it certainly feels like it's one!!

The finish chute was complete with heat sheets, water, gatorade, and food. Oh, and the ever important Goose Island beer.

I didn't mosey over to the 27th mile after party, but instead headed for the great indoors and the CARA VIP area. Again, that bag check was super nice, and it was great to be able to relax inside for a time after the race.

I really liked Chicago and might do it again someday. It's definitely a must experience for any marathoner, or future marathoner!