I enjoyed it so much last year, I came back for an encore. 40,000 runners from all over the world and a million spectators there to cheer you on. I have yet to experience the NYC Marathon but it has it work cut out for it if it wants to compete with Chicago. The race is well-organized and the water stations seemed to come up about every mile after mile 4 or 5. The only thing I wish the stops had that they didn't was salt packets. This year's race got pretty warm and I noticed a lot of runners dealing with cramping issues(including myself). The crowds really help as you run through all the neighborhoods, my favorites being chinatown and little italy. If you run this race, make sure you try and stay near the magnificent mile because you will be in the heart of everything. You can walk to Navy Pier and you will only be about 1.5 miles away from the start of the race. Put this race on your bucket list, I PROMISE you won't be disappointed.