SIGH... It's hard to find a better race with better conditions than the 2014 Chicago Marathon. This was my 3rd Chicago Marathon (2009, 2012) and, other than a bit if wind here and there, the conditions were pretty much perfect. Such a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine (some said they wished it was overcast, but with the race I had, a cloudy day might have actually been the thing to push me off the ledge to DNF. More below :))

PROS:
The Chicago Marathon is a portrait of professionalism when it comes to putting on a race. Communication was timely and informative, the expo was easy, and race day went like clockwork.

Expo was at McCormick Center, a huge and ideal expo venue in the city of Chicago, and was outstanding (thanks to the thousands of volunteers and local running/sporting goods store employees). I know several people who went back multiple times just to experience all the expo had to offer, and McCormick is not the easiest to get to without a car (but they do validate so parking was only $10!), so repeat trips says something about the expo quality.

The shirt - super plain color (dark gray), but the fit is good and I didn't have a huge problem with it. Some people were mad about the color, and I would have preferred something brighter I suppose, but they're gender specific, well-fitting Nike shirts that look good. Can't ask for much more.

Race day morning was actually the most packed and crowded I've ever felt at a Chicago Marathon, but this is clearly due to it being my first Chicago since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Even though it was really crowded (I mean, it's a HUGE race, you have to expect some of that), things moved along just fine and everything started right on time. Such an amazing accomplishment to get tens of thousands of people to the line and off right on schedule.

Course - The Chi Marathon course is really nice, taking runners throughout the city, along the lake, and through all the different neighborhoods. Crowd support is over-the-top good, and it is such a positive atmosphere.

Finish area - here's where the Chicago marathon really stood out for me. When I crossed the line at Boston in 2014, I had to walk a LONG time before water/gatorade or food was available. Chicago had water gatorade, and a FREE beer (in addition to the one with our bibs) available within a few steps. That was really nice and I think prevented a lot of post race meltdowns.

CONS (none for the event itself)
My race was just terrible - had the goal of 2:45 and passed the halfway mark right on time. Then around 14 or 15 my motor completely died and I could not pull anything together. Lots of cramping and leg pain, which created a very unpleasant second half of the race. Definitely a shame to lose that training cycle and not get to race hard, but that was DEFINITELY my issue and not the race's :).

I'd recommend the Chicago Marathon to literally every kind of runner - Elite, Fast, Mid-pack, Clydesdale, Newbie, Veteran - everyone.