I have participated in this race for years. Because of the later July date there is always the risk of hotter weather so aid/hydration stations are key. This year the stations were understaffed and in many cases, didn't have enough supply for the runners. Lines were forming at tables, slowing everyone's race. With the high humidity and heat, this was not only annoying, but simply not safe. I enjoyed the race as a whole, but having ran numerous races, hydration stations are an essential part of the race requirements.

Also, the Chicago course starts in the downtown streets and the city does not allow rock bands. You don't see your first live band until mile 7. The race title itself seems to fall short of you are not going to get live music. With that said, there was a cute addition this year. There were several RnR sponsored runners who ran with small portable speakers tuned to the RnR radio station. It really added energy to the race.

I love this race and have participated for 5 years now. I have seen this race grow from mediocre organization to a high quality race event. This year the course was new and unfortunately disappointing. Too many turns through the downtown with no Garmin reception. And the bands and the music were no where to be found until mile 6 or so. So this year was a good run, but not the best. With all that said, this is a solid race that maybe with some small tweaks for next year could be back to normal.

I have participated in this race for a number of years now. Love the FREE parking and in general the swag is great! It is a great distance for those wanting a distance "long enough", but also a great race for beginners. In fact, it is the race that convinced one of our other friends to do the full marathon.

It is also amazing to finish on the 50 yard line of Soldier Field! Really fun for spectators too because they have access to the stadium. And, always great to have a Saturday morning race so you can have the rest of your long weekend to relax.

In 2009 I started training for my first Chicago full marathon. I used the Chicago half marathon as a preliminary race to get me primed for the race day feel. Overall, this race was a nice experience for a new runner. I specifically remember the great post race food! This is not my favorite course because so much of it was on Lake Shore Drive (unshaded, and it was in the summer sun), but for new racer-goers, it is has great lake views. A nice race to incorporate into a summer marathon routine.