This was a wonderful race. Chicago, you really gave this your all! Crowd support was as good as Boston. Until the last few miles, of course - no one can beat Boston on those last miles. People were re-stocking the bathrooms with toilet paper. Unbelievable. There were plenty of fluids to keep us hydrated.

My only issue: the corral doors (B) closed 15 minutes prior to the start of the race. I got there 10 minutes before the gun went off and had to climb over a 5-foot high fence. One of the runners helped me over, which was nice. I would do this again in a heartbeat!

Even after reading the previous comments, I was impressed by the organization of this race. They thought of (almost) everything. Bags of ice were handed out at the finish. Unfortunately, it was pretty warm this year, so they quickly turned to bags of water! The crowd support was great for the most part. There were some less populated areas of the course in the middle miles. They prepared well for the heat by adding additional water stations, sponges and misters at the last minute. I would encourage anyone running this race to be prepared for a wide variety of possibilities regarding the weather!

Overall a good experience. Warm again. Maybe race officials should start the race at 7. Everyone's Garmin got screwed up within the first mile because of an underpass (no mention of this), so that was irritating.
Crowd and course support were good. It was my 3rd marathon and probably my second favorite.

This is my 17th marathon finish but first time in Chicago. It blew away my expectations.
*The crowds were awesome... I can't believe how big and encouraging they were.
*I feared being hemmed in, early, by the big pack. Not an issue. I found space and a rhythm in which to run in the first half mile.
*Aid stations were plenteous and well spaced.

The heat was an issue for me late... I had some bad cramping at mile 23. But that is not the organizers' fault.

I enjoyed it and would likely run it again.

I was a seeded runner in the B corral. I stood with a couple of hundred runners trapped in a fenced area 15 minutes before the start waiting to get to the start line. It was hot and stressful. We got to the line with about 5 minutes until start and the corral was jammed. The course mostly sucks, and the roads are pocked, badly sloped toward the curb and generally bad for running. But the crowds are great if you like that; it just wasn't my thing. Course goes through long stretches that are industrial, ugly and the roads are even worse. Finish line food was bad too and seemed beholden to Gatorade as a sponsor. I have been to small-town races that handled this better. I wouldn't run this again.

First of all, I would like to thank the runner who pulled me back up to my feet after I was cutoff, tripped and fell about 1/4-mile into the race. I was bumped and cut-off time after time by headset-wearing, selfish runners for many miles, without so much as an "excuse me" or "sorry." This was way more crowded than Boston, even though Boston is run on narrow roads. There are too many corners early in the race for this much traffic.

Great crowd support and post-race party, with plenty of beer. If you are seeking to be part of a big event, this might be the one for you, but I would not rank it in my top 10 - and I've only run 11 different marathons!

My 12th marathon and overall it was a great experience. A few notes:

* Fantastic expo that is easy to get to via free shuttles from various hotels.
* Start and finish are easy walks from downtown hotels (both are in Grant Park).
* Not enough port-o-potties at the start of the race. No port-o-potties within the corrals.
* The course is a bit tight. Seems they may have exceeded the maximum number of entrants that should be permitted.
* The weather got into the 80s, but the aid stations were well stocked with Gatorade and water.
* Perhaps due to the weather, finishers were handed a bottle of Gatorade recovery drink, and offered a bag of ice (nice touch).
* The city seems to really embrace the marathon.
* Super flat course, however, it would be good if they could reduce the number of turns. A few more straightaways would be nice.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is one of the 5 Majors (Chicago, New York, Boston, London and Berlin). Therefore, I didn't mind spending a grand total of $1,600 for air, hotel, registration and other fees. Actually, that wasn't too bad since I spent over $2,000 in running last year's New York City Marathon.

For the Chicago Marathon in 2010, I ran the first half 8 minutes faster than the second half for the much dreaded positive splits. First half = 2:41. Second half = 2:49. My finishing time was 5:29:00, which was my best performance in almost 8 months. I actually finished 16 minutes faster than my Chicago 2009 time of 5:46:00. Of course, neither was as good as my 5:05:00 in Chicago 2008.

Weather continues to be a problem for the Chicago Marathon; 3 out of the last 4 years, the temps have been in the upper 80s. Last year was the exception with an arctic temp of 29 degrees at the start line. Today's temp was 86. I suggest that the R.D., Carey Pinkerton, move the race back to the last Sunday in October, where it used to be.

Chicago has a reputation of being flat as a pancake. Not entirely true. Yes, it is predominantly flat. But every bridge and overpass represents a climb. And I do believe that we crossed the Chicago River about 7 times. Plus, we have that dreaded climb at the finish as we approach Columbus in Grant Park; it is short but steep. I am not complaining, just explaining.

The Chicago start line is extremely easy to get to, unlike New York City, which takes hours of shuttling and waiting. In total, 45,000 people registered, 38,000 started, and 36,000 finished. The gun went off at 7:30 for the elite corrals. But I was able to cross the start line at 7:36, only 6 minutes behind. Fortunately, I was at the very front of the open corral. Those in the rear did not cross the start until about 8:00 a.m.

This year I stayed at the Palmer House, located at Monroe and Wabash. In the past, I have stayed at the Hard Rock by Michigan and Lake. But I thought that I would branch out this year. The Palmer House is only a block away from the Chicago Art Institute and the marathon start line.

Shocking! The men's race was won by a Kenyan and the women's race was won by a Russian. In fact, they were both repeat winners from 2009.

The much-higher-than-seasonable temperatures resulted in the posting of a red alert level and serious punishment of the field. As temperatures approached the day's high of 86 degrees with cloudless skies, the runners paid the price with considerably slower second half times than would otherwise be expected under optimal conditions. This is the third time in the last four years that race-day temps exceeded 80 degrees.

The course, the spectator support, the city... this is a marathon every marathoner should experience, but my most lasting memory will unfortunately be of heat exhaustion and the 37 minutes needed to complete the last 3 miles on wobbly legs killing any chance to break 4:00.

What a great experience! As far as the quality of the course, it is as flat and fast as they say. It was very scenic, wandering through neighborhoods and skyscrapers and never going through those "boring" or "unattractive" sections. The view coming back into the city down LaSalle Avenue with the Willis (Sears) Tower looming ahead was awesome. The entire course is closed to any traffic and the streets were in good shape - no broken pavement or potholes to speak of. The organization is top-notch, especially considering the fact that they are handling 45,000 racers. This top-notch organization included something as small as answering an e-mail question in less than 24 hours.

Race day morning was smooth, with volunteers with vests and signs located at intersections and throughout the park providing help and fielding any questions. Water stations were all well marked and well stocked. They even had massage therapists helping people with cramps or other issues in the later part of the race. The alert system worked well, with the flags changing from green to yellow to red as the race went on, the temps went up, and the risk to the runners increased. There were plenty of refreshments at the end as well as volunteers keeping people from immediately stopping and sitting down when they finished. Another plus was the ice machines and the volunteers handing out bags to the overheated and/or sore finishers. This was especially nice given this year's above normal temps.

Bag check/claim was located right near the finish, which was very convenient. Post-race party was great with free massage, beer, and an awesome band. The army of volunteers that it takes to make this event happen could not have been better. From an answer to a question to word of encouragement; from a smile to a "congratulations," these people were top-notch. I also can't say enough about the people of Chicago, who came out and supported this race. There was not a section of this course that did not have spectators along the way. You do not run any of those 'lonely miles' on this course. Many people had signs for a particular runner but I noticed many signs encouraging all of the runners. And they are loud. I run with headphones, but most of the time I had them off just so I could listen to the crowds. I remember them being especially loud around the Willis Tower, Chinatown, and in the last mile. All in all, I give this race high marks all around.