This race is synonymous with the city of Chicago. The community involvement and support are amazing. This was my first year running the Chicago Marathon. If just walking into the expo gives you butterflies for a race, you know it's going to be a great event. The only thing I would caution runners on is going out too fast. The support through the loop/Lincoln Park/Lakeview/Old Town is tremendous. It was really hard to pace myself through these neighborhoods. By the time I got to 16, I was close to gassed and knew I used too much too soon. The aid stations and volunteers for this race are incredible. My review is based on starting in corral B. This is a great way to experience the city as a runner. If you get the chance, please run this race. You may just fall in love with the city all over again.

This race, now called the Magellan Ready to Run, is a great training too for the fall marathoner. Organized by CARA, it simulates a marathon experience before you actually toe the line. There's not a lot of spectators on the course so don't expect the same, loud race day experience. But it is a great gauge of where you're at in training approximately 3 weeks out from the CM. Take advantage of the supportive environment and Lagunitas beer after!!

I hate Navy Pier for expos. Besides that, I do enjoy this one. It's a crazy fast course and you can run on LSD instead of the path for a change. It gives you a pretty great very of the skyline from the south. There's nothing outstanding about this race, it's just solid and well run.

It's hard to explain what this event is like to someone who's never done it. In theory it's simple: 12 team mates, 2 vans, 3 legs per runner, 200 miles. It's so much more than this though. The 6-8 months of planning ahead of time, team logistics, rentals, supplies, etc...
As the captain for my team, I thoroughly enjoyed keeping everyone on point and up to date with deadlines and where we were at in the process. Once we got on the road to Madison, everything seemed to fall into place.
It's a great starting point for a relay. Van 1 drove all the way to Madison to the starting line. Van 2 met us at the 6-7 leg handoff point. It was the first time we had seen them since Chicago. That exchange is a blast. We then had a few hours of down time before we started our second set of runs. We slept under the stars for a few hours, tried to stay energized and hydrated, and definitely learned a lot about one another. The best part of the relay was the overnight runs. We all absolutely loved running by headlamps. It's a unique experience for sure. I didn't even realize my leg was a net uphill until I looked at my Garmin later. The time and the miles flew by. We woke up next to the lake the following morning and started our last set of runs. We drove back to Chicago and met up with the rest of our team so we could finish the relay together. It was pretty incredible running through the finish line w/ 11 of my closest friends. The bonds made during this experience can never be duplicated. While this review seemed scattered and random, that sort of encapsulates what this race is. The easy part is running. The tough/amazing part is the time in between. Do this race. Do one somewhere. It will change your perspective and keep you vested in this "hobby of running" we call "life" forever.