This was my 20th Chicago Marathon. Having run this race since 1994 it gets better every year. I have also run over 30 marathons outside of Chicago and the United States, so I know what else is out there.

The Chicago Marathon team puts on a premier event...from the constant communication with the runners, an expo that no other race can compare to...not even Boston or NYC in my opinion....how they can logistically manage 40,000+ runners with the wave start...crowd support like no other race (1.5 million strangers along the course cheering for you!!)...how they learned and reacted after the "year of the Sauna" in 2007 by putting subsequently putting in more aid stations on the course and also establishing a race alert system that other races have adopted.

The needs improvement for this race are 1-the shirt It is awful for being a marathon shirt..I think even if it was white it would have been better...after paying $175+ I was especially disappointed for the first timers to have this shirt without any ompphhh (spelling?) to it. Plus that shirt will be tangible advertising for the race....I literally pulled mine out of the gear check and my chin dropped 2-I think they should remove the ceiling for charity runners. Some of the local charities have the marathon as one of their biggest fundraisers..but to ask every charity runner to raise at a minimum $1500 especially when this is such a big running community and we are all competing for donations in somewhat common pool. I just think that it should be up to each charity to decide the fundraising minimum.

I will see everyone on October 11, 2015 for lucky number 21!