This is your big-small race event. It's a fairly decent sized half marathon, but seems like it's a really small group of runners! What I mean is, there's no expo, just a packet pick-up and where else can you park your car and see the start line? That being said, it's run like a large event, because it is. The course is gorgeous. I don't ever recall much elevation. And it's never crowded which can feel like you're just out for a really long group run, but spectators will turn up where you least expect them which is always a pleasant surprise. There's a decent amount of water stops, but if it's a warm day, I would bring a back-up. The tee-shirts don't wow me, but the medal is the piece of swag that does!
They offer race day packet-pickup for out of towners. There's plenty of porta pots at the start (although bring your own light!). There's also a lot of restaurants open after you finish if you want a bite to eat.
Definitely a must.

The expo wasn't exactly located near the start/finish, which is nice if you don't want to drive in Chicago traffic. But it had your standard fare so I can't complain. The tee shirts weren't impressive (and the medal was just okay).
I didn't have any issues with the start. It was decently crowded. The course doesn't show you much of what you think of when you think Chicago. There's not many water stops and they aren't well manned. Which was a shame in July! There's also very little Rock for this course. The post party didn't seem that hopping either.
I wasn't impressed, and wouldn't run this race/course again. I'm sure there are better races in the Windy City to choose from.

One thing I've learned is that you can't control the weather, so just make sure you prepare for it. The first half of the full marathon is pretty shield from the wind no matter what. But after you cross the halfway point, it felt like you entered a wind tunnel. At that point I really wished I had held on to my throw away clothes a bit longer (lesson learned!). The course overall was scenic and especially the second half had a good share of spectators. Mile 6 was a sharp u-turn around which causes a bit of a road block temporarily and that's probably my least favorite thing on a course.
I was happy with the post-race swag beach towel, but really wished they had a heatsheet because it was a wee bit cold and windy. I didn't enjoy the after party because I went straight back to my hotel.
The expo was a good size with all of your standard fare. Parking was a bit crowded on Friday evening when we got into town. But other than that it was a great race weekend.

A race that starts at 10pm and finishes in Epcot for a special post-race runners only (and select spectators) after hours Wine & Dine Festival. What could be better?
It was truly a must run. The start line was a long wait. Lots of running on the highways (I prefer the WDW 1/2 more). But it's the finishing that made it the best.

If I had to choose, I probably wouldn't run this race again. But it wasn't that bad. The expo was small and the tee-shirts weren't that impressive. I did like that Track Shack gave free throw away gloves though.
The race was mostly uneventful and the course wasn't very memorable. Except it felt like a continuous climb in elevation. There didn't seem to be that many spectators, but there were a few. The best swag was the medal at the finish. There really wasn't much fanfare, which I'm not saying is needed. But for driving 13 hours, it was just kind of meh.
If you're a local though, I'm sure it's a great race to run.