The 2015 Chicago Marathon was held on Sunday, October 11. The Expo, held at McCormick Place, was on Friday 9am - 8pm and Saturday 9am - 6pm. Weather on race day started in the upper 50s, but ended at 80 - and all sun, all day. It was hot and unpleasant for some (ME). This was my second marathon, and I had high hopes, since training went fairly well, and I was going into the race feeling pretty good both mentally and physically. The day didn't go how I wanted, but that's life. No one can tell mother nature what to do ;)

Things I liked:
+ The lottery was open for about a month, and then when you heard if you were selected, I think you had a week or two to register.
+ Packet pick-up was easy breezy. You got in one of the many lines to give a volunteer your code (from email, printout, or the info guide they sent in the mail) and showed them your ID, then they told you which number booth to go to, and when you got there, they already had your envelope waiting for you.
+ So many great exhibitors! I was glad that I went Friday, because I used up a lot of energy looking around/purchasing goodies.
+ They validated parking so it was $10 instead of $20
+ Virtual goody bag, so I didn't have to go through and recycle all the coupons in my bag.
+ The shirts were red and true to size (gender specific) - more designed than last year. They had a shirt exchange station if you needed a different size.
+ Great communication from the race. We got emails updating us on weather, expo info, etc.
+ It was very clear where you needed to go depending on what wave and corral you were in - I found it easy to find where I should be.
+ Plenty of aid stations that were well-manned with volunteers, and each were about 2 city blocks long. Always gatorade first and then water, in different colored cups.
+ Running through the different neighborhoods of the city is a great way to tour it.
+ Amazing crowd support.
+ I found that I had little problems with congestion, though that might have been because I was back of the pack. I heard there were more issues with the faster groups.
+ I fell behind the pacing requirement, and even though mile markers, timing mat, and clocks were taken down, there were still volunteers to give out water, gatorade, bananas (at certain miles) - and they still let plenty of people finish that weren't within the timing requirement. I don't know at what point they picked people up, but I was thankful for the opportunity to finish, even if it wasn't official, and it wasn't through the actual finish line. I also received a medal, which I fought hard to earn.

Things I disliked:
- The weather, but again, that can't be controlled.
- It can be difficult to always run on a flat surface, since the roads are rounded a bit and you may not always be able to run down the center (I personally was trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible, since I was feeling sick, which in turn meant I was running on a weird angle, which turned into major hip pains about half way through the race).
- Even when I was still within the proper timing for running, I noticed the crowds had thinned out significantly. I know a lot of people go around following their friends and family, but it would be nice for the slower folks to get some cheering as well - they're working hard too and could use it. Some spots were fantastic, others, not so much. Not sure if it bothered anyone else, but I was glad to have made some friends on the course to help distract me from my pain and feeling sick, since most places didn't have the crowds to feed off.

This race is so well-organized. After all these years, I'd say they've figured it out (I would guess being a World Major has something to do with it, too. After all, it has about 45,000 runners, and you can't be disorganized with that kind of crowd). I'd definitely consider putting my name in for the lottery again next year. Whether you are a resident of Chicago, or come in from out of town, I think it's a race any marathoner would be excited to be a part of.

The 10k was held on Sunday, October 4, 2015 along with the half marathon and 5k. The race was at 9am, which I loved. I was also there Friday for packet pickup (shirt & bib), as well as to hear the speaker panel, and then at the race all day Saturday to cheer on friends. SO glad I went for the whole weekend, as I got to experience the entirety of the ECSWI awesomeness. It was quite cold to stand around cheering Saturday, and seemed cold Sunday until I started running - perfect running weather! I think it was mid-50s with overcast (my favorite running weather).

Things I loved:
+ Every single person involved with this race (workers, volunteers, race director, runners) were just some of the nicest and most enthusiastic people I've ever met
+ The shirts were made from recyclable materials, and is also super comfy. I really like the design.
+ Medals for all race finishers.
+ Gorgeous scenery.
+ Challenging course. Yes, I put this in the + column. (PS A lot of people will say rolling hills. I personally thought there were some really tough, steep ones on the course. I come from mostly flat running, so this is just my opinion, and want to warn others that run mostly flat terrain, that the hills might come as a surprise if you aren't ready for them. That being said, I trained on hills and trails, so it was ok, but others kept telling me they weren't too tough, and I would disagree haha).
+ Sierra Nevada beer options at the finish line party.
+ Fire pits to keep everyone warm (we camped out a bit at one of them on Saturday).
+ Virtual race bag (environmentally friendly).
+ Awesome speaker panel - super interesting and inspirational to listen to other ultra runners talk about their experiences.
+ Multiple days and locations for packet pickup.
+ 2 hour time limit for the 10k
+ Clear course markings and they were plentiful. Anytime I thought maybe I turned the wrong way, I saw my red ribbon (color of the ribbons corresponded to races/your bib color). They had about 40 markings for every mile, so we were told at the speaker panel, and I believe it. I was a little nervous I might get lost, because I certainly wasn't running with a big crowd to follow (and you want to be careful you aren't following the wrong runner doing a different race/course than you!), but it was easy to find your way. At forks, there was even a sign with an arrow pointing you the correct way. Very well done.

Things I didn’t like:
- I don’t know if it was just us, but there were 3 of us trying to find the exact start location so we knew what to put into the GPS to get to the race, and none of us could find anything more specific than Kettle Moraine, Eagle WI. Turns out, it was in Dousman. Luckily, when we went into the wrong entrance (we were at the South Headquarters, which seemed right on the map), there was a crew looking for an aid station, and they told us it was at Ottawa Lake Recreation. Luckily, we left with plenty of time to spare, but it would have been nice if that location was written on the website as the start/finish line area. (We are partially to blame, as we were at the speaker panel the night before and failed to ask. But this might help others who are confused in the future – check beforehand on actual start location)
- For some, I would think the number of aid stations is lacking. I only did the 10k, so I was fine with the one stop at about 4.2 miles (I didn’t even sue it), but coming from Chicago races, which generally have about 8 for a half marathon, you might want to consider bringing your own hydration.
- This is something so trivial, and I’m a little embarrassed to say it disappointed me, but I am one of the slower runners, and when I finished, my medal ribbon only said ‘Endurance Challenge 10k’. Someone pointed out to me that there was no date, which I thought was weird because other medals from other distances had it on the ribbon. When I saw a friend of mine had a 10k medal WITH the date and wisconsin on it, I went to see if I could exchange, but unfortunately all of the medals left were generic ribbons like mine. So again, super lame, but I do wish I had a ribbon with the state and date on it.

I would DEFINITELY recommend this race series to anyone that wants to have a great time and challenge themselves. I would say to train on trails, if trails aren’t your thing, to prepare you, but it was one of the best race weekends ever. I had so much fun with my running friends from different states, and it was great to come together to support and celebrate one another. This was my first trail race, and I'm glad I eased myself in with a 10k, and am considering the half for next year.

This was my second year running Burgers & Beer 5k. It was held on Monday, July 13 at Soldier Field. It was quite a hot and humid night. I had heard over the loudspeaker that the race might be delayed due to people registering day of - they wouldn't start until they got everyone through that line. I also heard that they ran out of shirts for those registering day of, but that those that didn't receive a shirt should give them their contact info and shirt size because they would be ordering more so everyone would get one. I think that's really great - most races would just say that once the shirts are gone they are gone.

Things I enjoyed:
+ Nuun on course and water at the turnaround.
+ Packet pickup on multiple days, including at race site prior to the event.
+ Soft, technical t-shirts
+ Billy Goat Burger, potato chips, Clif Bars (I think it was the mini trail mix bars... ?)
+ Samples of Nuun at the party site
+ Goose Island 312
+ Great organization - the race director/Universal Sole do a great job with this race
+ Easy access via public transit, or $20 parking at Soldier Field Waldron Deck

Things I didn't like
- There was no water at the end of the race. Let me explain - I am slow, so I was towards the back. Also, I think that with so many race day registrants, they weren't quite prepared for the amount of people needing water on that hot, humid evening post-race. Luckily, Nuun had a tent and were giving out samples, so while my mom waited in line for the food, I grabbed up some cups. I really could have gone for an entire bottle with how hot it was, but I was happy to have something. That was the only thing I felt wasn't great about the race, but I also feel like it wasn't quite their fault. Who knew they'd have so many race day registrants? It wasn't that nice of a night haha.

I'll definitely be looking into doing this race again next year. It's a fun, relaxing weekday event :)