Latest reviews by Jordan

(2013)
"Small town Illinois hosts a great training course"
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The packet pick up was handled at a local running store, the energy and enthusiasm was amazing the day before. There was a discount offered to race participants on certain products. The goody bags had a lot of local flavor, a sauce from local businesses, locally printed t-shirts and discounts/advertisements for post race events in the community were stuffed in.

The course is run alongside the train tracks and while the initial turn onto the course has a beautiful painting on the wall of the Discovery Depot Children's Museum, the rest of the course is rather gray and boring. You run under an overpass and through local neighborhoods, to form a loop back past the painting.

It is fast and flat and provides a great chance to prepare for bigger races at a low cost. The celebrations and aid stations afterwards are worth noting. The local massage students where in full effect to handle runners and the medal is a good size and of impressive quality.

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(2013)
"Finally a south side Chicago race"
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Many of the races in Chicago feature the north side or the loop. This is one of the few to showcase how amazing and picturesque the south side can be. The course is flat all around is takes you from the beautiful South Shore Cultural Centers towards the Museum of Science and Industry and along the lakefront trail. Your view will be Lake Shore Drive and the looming beauty of downtown Chicago. The aid stations are done wonderfully and portable toilets can also be found throughout the course.

The packet pick up was actually easy, so much so that I wasn't even there. As I was out of town, a family member was able to pick up my race entry with a copy of my ID, the race coordinators were very helpful in this regard.

The parking will be a headache and if you are an elite runner it might annoy you that there isn't really any governing of the corrals or starts, but overall this race is a fast course on a part of the city that might be neglected. It was the Allstate 13.1 when I ran it and now it is the Michelob series, keeping an eye on who is sponsoring this race now might be key.

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(2013)
"A lot of color, but nothing else"
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A few friends and I thought this would be a fun race to stick into our training schedule because it was untimes and would force us to get together. What ensued was not only a waste of money, but of time. It was held in Bridgeview, which isn't hard to find, but the area isn't traffic friendly, we actually saw people hop out of their friends cars in traffic and beat them there walking. As unpredictable as teh Chicago weather can be, my race day was a mix of overcast, rain drizzles and a mild chill.

The "dye" which is colored baby powder is randomly thrown and with wreckless abandon. The amount of forced fun at this event is reminiscent of a bad office party that your boss insists on making you enjoy. At the start corral there is a continued need to pump up the crowd which results in a lot of free t shirts, sunglasses and dye packets being thrown, but it doesn't take away from the clutter caused by strollers and walkers.

As far a theme races go, this one you can feel free to skip. It's not worth the energy it takes to scrub colored powder of yourself for the next 5 days.

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(2013)
"A neighborhood race with a Chicago spirit"
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I chose to run this race with a friend as a part of our training for a marathon. There are very few Chicago venues that command as much love and spirit as Wrigley Field and that might be one of the main reasons to run this race, to take pictures in front of the marquee sign.

You're running through Wrigleyville and the community shows up in a major way. There were families out spraying you with their water hoses to help cool the morning, kids out on the streets with cowbells and high fives and the constantly looming backdrop of the Sears Tower and Chicago skyline. The finish runs you underneath the stands and shoots you out on the street, but for a brief moment, the sounds and lack of light in that tunnel are intense. It was one of those moments, that though fleeting, I still remember and cherish. Definitely a run I recommend.

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(2013)
"A great distance with an easy course"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
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Race Packet Pick up was the major let down of this experience. It was at a Fleet Feet Chicago where the parking was hard to find and if you are unfamiliar with the area you can spend a few minutes wandering the street aimlessly. GPS is your friend in finding the store if this is your first time. Once inside, everything went smooth. I actually spent more time looking for the store than I did getting my stuff.

Fun fact, there is a nice bar down the street from where packet pick up was. Lovely decor and music and great prices for a drink. If you're running the event with friends it's a good place to catch up and plan.

The course is a large loop with some twists and turns thrown in to reach the distance. You are essentially running on Lake Shore Drive, the life road of Chicago, and are guaranteed a good amount of honking horns, enthusiastic waves from bikers and the obligatory random car trying to pull out. The cars and other interruptions are handled by the course managers. While I saw cars, bikes and walkers waiting when there were large packs of runners, they never interfered with the flow of the race. The finish is a turn through a small overpass and opens up for a great sprint. It is a wide open stretch that will push you into the finishers corral.

There is a hill that comes out of nowhere and is not gradual, but it is the only elevation on the course worth noting. It's flat and fast with great visibility. Aid and cheer stations are readily available, easily spotted and there isn't as much clutter as you might expect from a race of this size.

While the medal shape isn't unique, it is a great size, and has good details. Following the race, the celebratory beer and concert is a great meet up place.

Definitely one to add to your training if you are in the state and could be considered a destination race for a long weekend.

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