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May 7, 2024

Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.7

Organization 4.9

Spectators 4.6

Number of comments: 92 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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B. R. from Tennessee (9/13/2017) "Great race, especially for a BQ" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I would give the course 4 stars only because there are a couple small issues that are worth knowing. It's not a closed course so there are occasional cyclists, runners, walkers, etc to deal with during your race. Also, the southern bridge on the route is surfaced with older wooden planks which can be tricky to run over. The whole bridge undulates a bit underfoot and sometimes that can throw off your rhythm. Definitely a minor issue! The organization of the race is fantastic! It's laid back, the volunteers, pacers and organizers are awesome. Bottle tables were an incredible feature, and the water/gatorade aid station volunteers were top notch. Many smaller races have volunteers who can't handle the cup exchange, but that was not the case with this race - these people were pros! Spectators were light along the majority of the course, but at the end of each loop, there was a healthy crowd! If you bring supporters along with you, they will see you at least 8 times on their way! All in all a great race that requires minimal mental preparation. You can just get out there and run even splits or gentle negative splits. I thought I would hate the repetition but it was actually a great feature. I started to feel the course more by laps than by miles, which made it much more palatable. I was able to just sort of tune out the mileage and just lock on my pace and nutrition/hydration plan. Oh, and the weather was perfect, especially after running in the heat all summer. I would HIGHLY recommend this race to BQ. I easily got my BQ by more than 6 minutes without having to push myself to the absolute limit.
J. G. from St. Louis, MO (9/12/2017) "The Road to Boston!" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 In my 80+ marathons around the country, I try not to duplicate a race, but I'll always make an exception for this race! For the past 3 years in September, I've had the pleasure of running this FAST, FLAT course/race, "America's #1 Boston Qualifier" (around a beautiful lake) in Geneva, IL and in the process, they helped me record 3 BQ's and 2 PRs! So if you're looking for a fast course to set a PR, record a BQ and/or secure your entry to the Boston Marathon, please consider running BQ.2 Marathon Races! The Race Officials, Dave Sheble, and FUN volunteers will give you every advantage that they can to help you to your best qualifying time possible! Everything about the race is designed to get you into Boston with a time far enough below your qualifying time to make the final cut. They also offer Pacers running 4-mins BELOW the official qualifying standard for Boston. For example, if your qualifying time is 3:30, the pace leader will be running to finish in 3:26. This will give you the best chance of securing a spot at Boston! They also offer "Elite water bottle tables", that's right! Pre-fill your own bottles with your favorite, personalized race drink and set them at the assigned table. During the run, simply grab, drink and throw your bottle in the drop zone where volunteers will put them back on the table for your next lap! They also offer EASY packet pickup and VERY convenient FREE parking! Parking is literally across the street and approx.. 3-min walk to the start line! Hope to see you in 2018! Happy running everyone!!
C. M. from Iowa, USA (9/10/2017) "Great race to get that last minute BQ!" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After not even coming close to requalifying at Boston 2017, I immediately started looking for a way to get that BQ for 2018. I settled on this race because it gave me plenty of time to train (it is run the last weekend before Boston registration begins) and it was 2 hours and 45 minutes from my house. I didn't know what to expect, but this was really a wonderful race. First, the organization was great. Packet pickup was a total breeze, even the morning of the race. Parking was a 400M from the start. The race guide put out by the organizers made everything crystal clear-everything was exactly as described. The course was very good. It is 8 laps of about 5.3K which worried me slightly-I thought it would be psychologically more difficult, but in reality it wasn't. There were a lot of spectators who really cheered for everyone, and because you see them 8 times, you almost feel like you get to know them by the end. There are elite water bottle tables and bottle drops for all of the participants! This was great for me because I need a higher sodium drink than what most races provide. The course is mostly flat-but not pancake flat, it has a few little rollers but probably none more than 3 meters / 10 feet of elevation change. I gave the course 4 stars instead of 5 only because there is a very slight camber on part of the route on the east side of the river that may have irritated my right calf, and there are a few areas where the pavement on west side of the river has been pushed up a little by tree roots and when you are tiring and your stride is a little off, you could trip. The pacers for this race are dead on pace-the whole point of this race is to get you to Boston, so the pacers run 4 minutes ahead of each BQ time so if you finish with them you should get in. There are on the lookout for potential cheaters too-they use both bib and shoe tags, and have their own photographers in multiple places around the loop. There are split timers by both ends of the long, narrow route, and in the middle is a big river. The route is approximately 80% shaded which was very helpful on a day that got a little bit warm. The finish line atmosphere was intense-you got to see people ecstatic because they met their goal, and people destroyed because they just missed it. Me? I ran more than 5 minutes below my BQ time and couldn't be happier. 59% of the runners BQ'd this year. I highly recommend this race. Note: You have to qualify to be in this race by having a BQ in the last two years, or less than 10 minutes off your BQ in the last year, or a half marathon under you BQ pace in the past year.
J. F. from Boston (9/10/2017) "Best Marathon for Serious Runners" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon is an incredible event for serious runners who want a unique and special marathon experience. The organizers do everything possible to create the fastest race conditions possible. The pacers were focused and right on the money. The support crew and volunteers offered tremendous encouragement. The 8 laps pass very quickly, especially as you count them down in the second half; 4, 3, 2 and 1 to go. But the best part is meeting so many dedicated and serious runners all focused on doing their best and earning a Boston number. I have run this race twice and earned BQs both times. I have run 48 marathons and 22 Bostons, and this race stands out as one of the most fun and enjoyable. Thank you to my fellow runners and to the organizers for all your efforts in making this race so special.
J. S. from Westmont, IL (9/10/2017) "Well organized race, designed to help you BQ" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I liked this race a lot (and this was my 12th marathon). Don't be intimidated by the loop course - I found it to be really helpful. I broke the race into 8 loops instead of 26 miles, and felt that it was less daunting. Seriously, mile 20 crept up on me because I was focusing more on the laps. After a few loops, you know what to expect. The weather (at least this year) was great - 50s throughout, and most of the course is shaded. The east end of the course is a slight downhill, and the west end is a slight uphill. Generally it's flat, but it is slightly rolling. No big hills. Crowd support was good - very few patches of no spectators. This race did help me to BQ. The cons - the course gets a little tight, especially in the early miles (larger groups around the pacer) and the later miles (passing slower groups). My suggestion would be for there to be better communication about staying to the right, two abreast. Some runners had their headphones in, music full blast and I had to run on the grass around them because they were oblivious to what was going on around them, even if I yelled 'on your left'. I would also suggest deeper aid stations. There are two on the course - about one every 1.5 miles. But the volunteers for water were only about 4 deep. In the early laps, there were a lot of people in my pace group and I missed water cups because there were not enough volunteers to service the runners passing by. I would say 6 volunteers deep for water should do it. I would also suggest better communication about discarding bottles at the elite bottle tables. On several laps, runners would take a sip of their bottles and throw them directly in the path of other runners, which is a hazard. Lastly, I would suggest more staffing for safe crossing at S Batavia Ave. When we arrived there was only one person, and my spectators expressed concern that there was no one there at certain points throughout the race to help them cross. I would run this race again, and my suggestions above are constructive criticisms (for the communication issues, these are addressing runner behaviors, which are not the fault necessarily of race organizers). This is a well-structured marathon that seemed to go by very quickly. It's intended to help you qualify for Boston, which I did.
M. S. from Chicagoland (9/9/2017) "Great job." (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Packet pickup at a quality specialty run store where I could grab gels, etc. Race Director answered all my questions. The volunteers at aid stations were pros. Especially, my guy at the elite table #01. Bottle #40001 was at the ready for me each time. Bless you, Table Dude! Pretty course. Nice call outs at each finish line pass. Especially cool: double duty on timing chips (on bib AND on shoe).
A. C. from USA (10/14/2016) "Not a fan" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Many people drooped during the race. I did not like the 8 loops. It was raining and some parts by the bridges were slippery. I was not fan or the organizers either. They were not that friendly. They also suggested a restaurant for dinner the night before, it was a disappointment. Bad service, and took an hour and half to get my pasta. I was not the only one mad about the restaurant. Our pacers alternated, at one point I lost my group and I lost count of how many more loops I needed to run. The main issue is that they marketed as a high percentage BQ race but that is not true. many people DNF the race. Not a BQ race for sure. The narrow pathway, the not well maintain road and the rain did not help. I will not do it again. I rather run a proper all out race.
C. B. from Chicagoland (9/23/2016) "How do I love this marathon? Let me count the ways" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Everything to be said about this wonderful marathon has already been said, but I have to add my praise. The good: Perfect organization, plenty of support, volunteers of quality that you will not find anywhere else (sorry, Boston, yours are good too), eight laps on a pretty course that really reduces the mental strain. Make no mistake, you have to train and put in the hard work, but this race will get you to Boston if you do. The bad: Nothing to say here. I should mention that a light drizzle kept spectators away. The 5 stars really were for the rocking volunteers. The ugly: Alas, the shirt. Court jester style. Recap: Very pleasant racecheck, PRcheck, BQ? Oh my, yes!
Brie McSherry from Minnesota (10/19/2015) "Awesome experience, top of the line marathon!" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After my first attempt at a BQ for Boston 2016 left me with only 56 seconds ahead of my time, I started looking for another race to give myself a better chance at punching my ticket to Boston. I had heard about this race from my Run Coach who ran it in 2014, the inaugural year, and had nothing but incredibly positive things to say- so I decided to give it a shot. I, like most, was worried about the 8 laps and if it would get boring...it did not. Being able to count down the laps instead of miles made the distance seem less daunting. After 1-2 laps, you learn every nuance of the course which really helps as you get into the later laps and begin to tire. You can prepare, both mentally and physically, for what's coming and that is invaluable. The overall organization of the race is second to none. Everything in regards to the logistics of the race was easy. Easy to get there, quick lines, no wait times, or extra walking. Takes a lot of any added pre-race stress away! The race directors and volunteers were so fantastic and some of the kindest I have ever encountered. Everyone truly cared about you meeting your goal and the energy it gave to the race was simply amazing. I would absolutely run this race again and would highly recommend it for anyone trying to run theirs! I got a PR and my BQ +2:20, which unfortunately was not quite enough for Boston this year, darn 2:28 cut off...but at no fault to the people at BQ.2. Thank you to everyone who made this race happen. You all rock!
K. D. from Florida (10/17/2015) "My new favorite marathon!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run 27 marathons including 15 Boston's this one was perfect I qualified by 27 minutes! Well organized not flat by Florida standards but flat enough. Special thanks to the volunteer who asked and remembered my name x 8 loops. I found the course beautiful and you knew what was coming. Well done to all from package pickup to free massage. PS a lovely town to visit.

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