Jan 9, 2025
Current Year Results
Results Search
Biggest/Best Boston Qualifier
2025 Results
2024 Results
2023 Results
2022 Results
2021 Results
2020 Results
2019 Results
2018 Results
2017 Results
2016 Results
2015 Results
2014 Results
2013 Results
2012 Results
2011 Results
2010 Results
2009 Results
2008 Results
2007 Results
2006 Results
2005 Results
2004 Results
2003 Results
2002 Results
2001 Results
2000 Results
☰
Chicago Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Chicago Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 4.9
Number of comments: 950 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
|
R. M. from St. Louis, MO
(10/29/2018)
"Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!" (about: 2018)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was only my 4th marathon but first time running in Chicago. I love Chicago anyway and was really looking forward to running a large race. I'd heard so much about it and was hoping I wouldn't be disappointed. And I wasn't. There was a little confusion on shuttle locations to get to the expo but I'm glad they offered shuttles for free. It would have been a long walk to the expo for me if they hadn't. And the expo was just another expo. They are all different and work in their own ways. This year the weather, I think, was perfect. A little on the cool side to start and drizzly. I wish it would have rained longer than it had but I'm glad we had what we did. I heard last year wasn't so pleasant. I run a longer marathon so the longer you are out there, the warmer it tends to get. Not so bad though. I absolutely loved the course. I've been to Chicago before and will return even when not running. And every time I go, the car is parked and we walk everywhere. So I wasn't too worried or interested in taking in the neighborhoods as we ran through them. I enjoyed my race but was still able to take in the different neighborhoods. Wonderful! And the course support was wonderful too. With it being such a large race I had to wonder about nutrition and water stops, if there would be enough. Well, no problem with that. I've not finished a race with thousands of people behind me before but the water stations looked like the race had just started. Even the last stop I came to was ready for many more people. Wonderful preparedness. (expect the bathrooms. Not nearly enough at the start. Oh, well.) The corrals and waves and timing seemed good to me. I estimated my time correctly and was placed in in the correct corral (L for last) and was kinda grateful for a later start time. Yes, I passed a lot of people but I knew it could go either way. I pass them or they pass me. I'm not an elite so I expect it to be a mix of abilities. And the crowds. I really had no idea how may people would be cheering us on. I think that was the best part. All the way to the end. And on top of it all I PR'd. The pacers helped a lot but so did the course and the spectators. I can't wait for next year. I already have a new goal in mind. If I only run 1 marathon a year I would be happy with this one. | |
|
n. s. from FL
(10/15/2018)
"Wonderful City Marathon!!" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I had never been to Chicago until doing the 2018 marathon. Great event, phenomenal spectator support, and fantastic organization. Reason I gave the latter 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the way runners are corralled. I was in the last corral of the 1st wave but was passing extremely slow runners (getting around them) nearly the entire time. My other friends participating said the same. Guess people aren't placed by marathon pace? I don't know why this was the case. Great city, art, museums, architecture, FOOD. The course is definitely flat and fast, easy on the body and easy to recover from. It's all good. | |
|
D. S. from Chicago
(10/11/2018)
"Please fix two issues" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This is a great race - my ninth Chicago in a row. That said two issues - in order of importance. 1) Start Corral assignments. I am an accomplished runner and have been in B or C. This year I was in E and had to spend a lot of energy dodging slower beginning runners that were assigned corrals in front of me (not one or two but many!). I started paying attention to the bibs of those that I was passing and it looked like organizers were putting tour groups in D and even C. This is a serious issue at it negatively affected my race. 2) get more space for the expo - it was horrible this year. | |
|
L. H. from Chicago
(10/8/2018)
"Too Much Hassle" (about: 2018)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I have run Chicago 15 out of the last 17 years. I doubt that I will ever run it again. The hassle of getting to and from the expo, to and from the starting line and 'running' has just become too much. Many very slow participants are put in the first and second waves. Many of these participants end up walking 2 and 3 abreast while texting and taking selfies. I started catching up to the slow end of the second wave just 3 miles into the race. I started catching up to the slow end of the first wave 10 miles into the race. It makes it very unpleasant for those of us in the third wave who are trying to actually run. Unlike most marathons the degree of congestion just gets worse and worse as the race progresses. There are many, fine, hassle-free alternatives in the area (Fox Valley and Milwaukee come to mind). The only reason to 'run' Chicago is if you want to be part of a mega-event and are willing to put up with all the hassle. | |
|
J. S. from North Carolina
(4/30/2018)
"Makes me happy just thinking about it" (about: 2016)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I love love love the Chicago crowds and this course. Even though the course is flat, every mile feels like a different race because of the variety of neighborhoods you run through. Even the back end where the landscape becomes more industrial is a nice change because the crowds thin out and you spend more time with your thoughts. But then the final stretch kicks in the crowds push you through to the end. The organization and race support are top notch, and there's nothing better than that beer in your hand when you cross the finish line. | |
|
T. F. from CA
(1/17/2018)
"flat course has good/bad elements" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Chicago Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Used to running in hilly environments, so this course was different. Overall, it's very good and fast, but it threw me off a bit because I'm used to a varied terrain. It seemed like my body kept expecting a change up or down in elevation and it really never happened. | |
|
b. n. from Chicago, IL
(10/16/2017)
"Consistently good" (about: 2017)
6-10 previous marathons
| 6+ Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I'm not a real runner by any means...but I've done 8 marathons (7 of them in Chicago) and really do it just to finish. This event in Chicago is pretty much an all day party - the city is full of entertainment, great neighborhoods...and friendly for all of those participants who just want to finish! Flat, fast, and entertaining fun! Just wish it was later in the year...October is just getting warmer and doing 26.2 in upper 70s is brutal... | |
|
R. B. from TN
(10/16/2017)
"Great race...but too hot" (about: 2017)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had a good time, even though my time was the worst of the nine marathons that I have run to date. I have read the previous comments, and I am surprised to see how little was mentioned of the heat of the race. The marquee time\temperature sign at the LaSalle Bank read 85 degrees at mile 22. The race volunteers were great, and gave me a lot of water to drink. Some spectators sprayed people with garden hoses, which was great. | |
|
A. A. from Alberta
(10/13/2017)
"Nightmare security" (about: 2017)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Chicago Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third Chicago marathon and the third time it was too warm for me to run fast. I stayed in a hotel 4 blocks away and thought I left the hotel early enough to stand in line for the port-a-potties before the race, but ended up spending 30 minutes in the security line before sprinting to my corral and then having to stop to use the toilet mid-race. In spite of these two downfalls, the organization of a race of this magnitude is still unparalleled. I really enjoyed the ease of getting through the expo (compared to Boston) and the course *could* be very fast, especially compared to Boston and NYC. It's still my favourite of the majors that I've done so far, but due to my bad luck with the weather, I won't be back. | |
|
L. B. from Philadelphia, PA
(10/11/2017)
"Heater in CHI town" (about: 2017)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've been to Chicago and seen the marathon in the past, but never ran it, but after doing NYC and boston, it was still on my list. I was hoping for a good time, as my training was in the hot Philly summer and I thought that the cool weather would give me a boost. Unfortunately, there was only a slight chill when I was in the start coral, only wearing a t-shirt. The inevitable heat took over mid race, and people were pulling off the course starting at the halfway point. The crowds and cheers were great, water/refreshment stations abundant (including spectators in-between official marathon stops!), and it was very flat. I BQ'd/neg split but saw a lot of suffering by those runners that weren't acclimated to hot running. Also, as in past years' comments, My garmin said I ran 26.75 miles, consistent also w/ friends' results who ran w/ me. Lot of turns!! |
Quick Links
Marathon Search
Upcoming US Marathons
Upcoming International Marathons
Search Marathon Results
Latest Running News
Recent Newsletters
Race Director Tools
© 2000-2024, All Rights Reserved by MarathonGuide.com LLC
