This was my first Chicago. What a race, well organized great course and great weather. I ran a PB and improved my time by 16 minutes. This is a must do marathon and should be an annual event.

What an awesome event! It was only my third marathon but the best yet and if I could give 6 stars to the crowd support I would. It was 10-12 deep on the sidewalks at some points and felt as much like a parade as a race which really made the miles fly by. Dropped over 10 minutes from my time in SD just 4 months ago. It's fast, it's fun and a race that should be on every runner's 'to do' list. Only drawback is that you will spend some time in gridlock early but with some creative people dodging I was still able to get on pace by the the third mile.

I've run two other marathons:
1. San Francisco / July 2002, a pretty but tough course in a city which tolerates a marathon as long as the runners don't make noise, wake the tourists, or block traffic
2. St. Louis / Oct 2001, great for a first timer looking for a friendly and non-intimidating race

Chicago (Oct 2002) was #3, my first big-scale race. Terrific in every way, even though I stunk up the course limping to a PW.

THE COURSE: Physically it's almost table-top flat, but a fair number of corner-turns, and you can get a fast time here if you're looking for one, and you're in the really-quick category. If you have a strict time goal such as breaking 4:00 or 4:30 and it's going to be a close one, Chicago would be a 'good' but maybe not the best place to try: large numbers of runners and spectators produced a few bottlenecks for the main field. In case anyone's wondering, every inch of the way I felt totally safe, in every part of town.
THE SCENERY: Gorgeous start, glorious finish, scenic throughout.
THE FANS: Superlatives fail me. For much of the race they were eight-deep on the sidewalk, all cheering just for me. They were great every painful step of the way, telling me I looked great even though I knew I didn't. I doubt I would have finished without them. I'll always remember the hundreds of little spectator kids on the south side, who held their arms out for high-fives, their hands pulled into the sleeves against the chill. I wanted to hug them all, and I thank them for turning out.
THE SUPPORT: Perfect. I felt like every 5 minutes somebody was offering something to drink.
THE EXPO: Well organized, but Saturday mid-day it was extremely crowded. Fine if you're into crowds, but if you just want to get your chip and go home and rest, get their early or go on Friday.
THE FELLOW RUNNERS: The field is crowded, so if you're having trouble keeping pace you're going to get bumped accidentally quite a bit.
THE CITY: Chicago is a wonderful place to visit. TONS of stuff to do, and pre-race publicity will make you feel welcome.

If I didn't mention something, it was probably great too, but I don't want to go on too long.

Attention spectators: wear warm clothes at the start, it can get cold out there in the shadowy canyons of downtown.

RECOMMENDATION:
Don't run this as your first marathon, because it will spoil others for you.

Chicago is a 'must do' on the marathon circut. I love the 7:30 am start time. The course was as flat as advertised. The neighborhoods have wonderful spirit...especially at mile 7...though some neighborhoods are best to run through quickly. Too much public urination! I mean all over the course, not just the startline. I used Chicago as a long run for NYC in 3 weeks, and, I highly recommend this tactic. If not, Chicago IS the road to a PR with the flat course or the road to be on for your first race. I paced a first timer friend and we both had great payback for our efforts. Very easy experience because of the cheerful volunteers. I'd love to come back and kick butt on this course!

This was my first marathon and I really enjoyed it. The course was flat and fast and the fans were terrific. My only complaint was that the 2nd half of the course (on the southside) was not as interesting or enthusiastic as the 1st half (on the northside). It would be interesting to run the course in the reverse order so that the crowd is strongest towards the end. If you're a newcomer to marathons and are looking for a well-organized, forgiving race to get your feet wet, then definitely give Chicago strong consideration.

This was my 6th Chicago and 10th marathon overall, and it couldn't have gone much better. A record 36,000 or so ran this year and us mid-packers had slower traffic to deal with throughout the course. Disney-style pace corrals may be needed in the future. The first two water stops had no Gatorade, which should have been handled better. Other than that, the course, organization and weather were perfect. There were a record number of spectators and they were well-managed and supportive.

Clif Shot ran the best mile 18 gel station I've ever seen, with tables and signs for the different flavors - brunch on the run.

As a special note for me, I ran in a prototype of the long-distance shoe I've been developing and cut over 14 minutes off my time for a new PR of 4:23:04. All in all, a great year!

Chicago was fantastic! The crowds, the organization, the huge amount of energy and enthusiasm made my first marathon experience a great one. All I can say is WOW!

The course is flat, the crowd is very energetic, 30,000+ runners are well managed, good supplies, the hotels are close to the start and finish. Nice job.

What a great marathon! I have to admit I don't have anything to compare it to (this was my first), but I am positive this is among the best. The organization and fans were great, as was the course. It is super flat which was ideal for a first-timer and for someone who didn't train!! So flat, in fact, I was able to qualify for Boston which I'm not sure I could've done had I been running on a hilly and thus much more tiring course. The experience was most enjoyable and I will definitely be back for more. My only complaint was the bitter cold temperature and biting wind. I highly recommend this marathon!

The people of Chicago are, hands-down, the best spectators around. They lined the entire course. The only downside to this marathon is that the roads are quite narrow. Water stations become walking stations toward the end of the race and if you don't want to walk, you can get frustrated. Overall, though, a terrific race and a fun day.