As a born and raised Chicagoan, I'm a little bias to this race. It's my home Marathon, it's huge, it's well supported, has incredible build up, and runs through some of the greatest parts of the city. Given my bias, here's my breakdown:

Information: participant guides, runner tracking, spectator guides, road conditions and closures, expo and packet pick up details - all will be emailed to you and more! The site is easy to use and provides the same information as email updates. The spectator guides are incredibly useful to send to family members planning to spectate.

Expo - McCormick place is not the easiest to get to, but most likely the few locations that could house such an event. The expo is smooth running, organized, and filled with lots of people to direct. You can get lost in there for hours, or get in, grab your bib, very disappointing shirt, and go.

Race - The race is run smoothly, the course is amazing. Water stops are long and clearly marked gatorade from water. Corrals got filled really quickly, so I would suggest to arrive early. I was still hustling into my corral when the national anthem rang, and I can arrived at Grant Park 30min prior. The course is filled with so many volunteers, entertainment, and spectators, there's hardly a dry moment.

I highly recommend this race to anyone running their first marathon or looking for a PR. From the time i received my entry email until I crossed the finish line, I was impressed with the organization and management of this race.