Latest reviews by Tim Murphy

(2012)
"Awesome weather, awesome race!"
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This was my second time running the Chicago Marathon, and it was just about perfect. Low winds, ideal temps (40s), and stellar organization contributed to a great race and PR for me.

The course is just awesome. It winds along the lake a bit and through the city, hitting all the different neighborhoods and taking runners on a beautiful tour of the city. Crowds are some of the best I've ever seen, at LaSalle/North Ave and Chinatown - holy crap did it get LOUD.

Elevation is super flat, aid stations are expertly run (gatorade first, THEN water!), the expo has the best vendors and booths, and the swag is always stellar (love my t-shirt from both years). And with about 40K participants each year, the excitement is palpable.

The Chicago Marathon is one of the best organized and most exciting races in the country. Put it on your list.

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(2012)
"Nice, quiet race with some challenging hills thrown in!"
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VERY late in logging this review, but better late than never =D!

I really liked this race - small town feel, which means super easy parking/access, laid back starting line, reasonable entry fee, and pleasant course winding through southern Wisconsin lake country.

I actually got sick right before this race, and had to make a pit stop during, so I was trying to make up for lost time, over exerted myself and ended up cramping for most of the race. So I actually had a very unpleasant race, despite the delightful views along the lake :). The course had a good number of hills, which I like, including a ball-buster to finish the last two miles. That made for a very challenging finish, but it definitely kept things interesting.

There was a very nice spread of food (I remember lots of cookies and samiches!) and drinks in the gym at the end of the race, which I thought was really nice. And necessary - it was a hot day and I was running on empty! My wife and I each placed in our age group too, a first for me and my first top ten placement in a race (7th overall)!

This ended up being a kind-of tune-up race in the lead up to the Chicago Marathon, which also makes it really attractive to anyone training for a Fall marathon (esp midwest races like Chi, Twin Cities, MKE, or Detroit).

Overall, I liked and would definitely run this race again. The fact that it's very close to my home town makes that even more likely!

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(2011)
"Tail wind!"
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This was the year of the tail wind! Something like a 17 mph wind at our backs the entire course led me to a sub 3:00 hour marathon and insanely fast elite times. This was a truly amazing experience.

First - the expo is fantastic. Because this is one of the preeminent running events of the year, all of the best vendors show up, and the expo is perfectly organized. It's tempting to walk and walk, looking endlessly at awesome running gear, but the race is the next day so you have to resist and get off your feet!

We bussed out to Hopkinton with the rest of the runners, and hung out at the athlete village for about two hours before the start. Frankly, this isn't my favorite part of Boston, but everyone is so amped to be there, so the atmosphere is pretty cool. Best tip I had - bring a blanket and chair to get you off the ground and stay warm. It's a lot of sitting, so you don't want to burn energy trying to keep warm.

The race start is simply amazing. You have the elite of the elites at the front, and the rest of the field is all lined up in Hopkinton ready to go. Before you know it, you're about 10 miles into the course on a steady downhill pitch the whole way.

Wellesley college is probably my favorite part of the race. This all-girls college turns out like mad, right about the halfway part of the course, and they get LOUD. Loud in a way I've only seen at Boston. You really have to be disciplined at this part, because their energy can really pump you up and make you run faster than you should.

Heartbreak hill is legit, and very tough. It's not alone either, with many hills peppering the last 6 miles or so. The finish line, when you finally make it through the hills, is gorgeous. I really extended myself to try and break three hours, so I also got to visit the med tent immediately afterward.

The med tent at Boston is a truly amazing operation. They have a conductor at the front calling out bed availability, medical requirements like insulin, and everything else you can imagine. After the tragedy of 2013, I was happy to know that there was a serious medical command center set up right next to the bombings.

I was in the med tent for about an hour, and was all good after that. Can't speak highly enough about the Boston Marathon, and the race management is simply as good as it gets. I know I don't have to do much convincing, but I highly recommend this race. The effort it takes to get here is WELL worth it!

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(2010)
"Easily the most amazing race I have ever run"
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All I could keep thinking throughout this race was that I couldn't believe how hard the course was. Now, I wasn't in shape for trail running, let alone Hawaii mountain running, but it was tough! At one point the downhill was so steep that they had a hand rope for people to use on the descent.

I haven't done all of them, but I would say this has to be one of the most beautiful races in the entire world. I know, bold claim, but the scenery in this race is absolutely overwhelming. You run through areas where they shot LOST and Jurassic Park, you go over mountains, and through valleys. You see absolutely breathtaking views of the Pacific. I could go on and on. This is a bucket list race - one I will never forget and hope to do again. Put this on your list - you won't regret it.

Below is a pic from the starting line. Unbelievable.

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(2009)
"Flat, fast, beautiful!"
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This was my first marathon, and it's still one of my favorite. The marathon course winds through the different neighborhoods, taking runners on an awesome tour of Chicago. Race management is top notch, and this is a very spectator-friendly course.

Temperature at gun time was cold - about 30 degrees. I wore lots of (disposable) sweats outside my running kit, so I was nice and warm during the wait at the starting line. I made a rookie mistake by not keeping my gloves for longer, and by the end of the race my hands were extremely cold and I struggled to take my nutrition.

No surprises in this race, straightforward and smooth the whole way. I had some unexpected cramping and hit the wall earlier that I would have liked, but I found a nice woman to tow me over the line at 2:59:56!

T-shirts are always solid at this race, and I highly recommend. This is a way to participate in a HUGE race that is still run very, very well. Worth traveling for!

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