As this was my first marathon, much of my bias will likely come from that. This race has by far, been the best organized race I have ever completed. From the registration, to the emails full of training plans and tips, the race was well planned and well executed. The expo was fantastic with a variety of vendors and pre race talks, I especially loved Joan Benoit's tips. On race morning they had assigned gates where you were required to enter with your bibs and items in a clear plastic bag. They had plenty of security and it certainly was a safe and welcoming environment. The sunrise over the lake was a great way to get geared up for the race ahead. Corrals were also nice, yet busy, as it allowed me to meet up and start with some of my running buds despite the vast amount of people there. The race started in a timely manner, although with the 40,000 plus runners it does take a bit to get out of the corrals and past the start line. Having lived in Chicago for almost 3 years, I was aware of the course however it is very different taking it all in from the middle of the road, surrounded by hundreds of other runners. You initially head north and go through Boys Town which was fun, although not perhaps as loud as I had been expecting after conversations with past Chicago marathoners. You turn and head south, then west, back east, down toward Chinatown which is also full of energy, and then back up to Grant Park. I had heard there were "dead zones" where the spectators were low. However, that was not my experience as there was always at least some groups of people cheering and encouraging you on. I also had the luck of seeing my husband at every water station he said he would be at, and all of my friends that had said they were going to be there to spectate. So despite the size of the race, it still felt very personal to me. Speaking of water stations/aid stations....there are plenty!! I never once was concerned about water or nutrition, and actually did not bring my portable water as I had originally planned. At this finish line there is a lot of opportunities for a photo op and then you have a nice organizational flow with water, your medal, food, etc however, I will warn you that they make that corral the "27th mile". It was a tad bit congested when getting out of that last corral and it did feel like a I was part of a herd of cattle, however, I found my husband and friends fairly quickly. We enjoyed some time down in the park and then had a quick walk to catch the bus back up North. This race was full of pros, with very little cons and I would recommend it to all!!

Pros:
Great expo
Safety in communication and water stations
Well organized
Great views of the city
Great energy

Cons:
Parking
"27th mile"