The course was prettier than I expected, and some gentle rollers made the course fast and interesting. Organization was excellent, and my pace group leader was a world-class runner who was superb. Highly recommended.

Cold and windy weather this year didn't help, but it was still had a good race. The increased numbers were not a good thing. Time to cap it. Food at the end for late arrivals was a mess, as was the sweat bag situation at the start - two trucks!?! C'mon, people. The race itself was everything they say it is, but you need to look at the excellent course description materials provided on the website. Water stations were OK, with great volunteers, but they were not well organized regarding the sequence of water and electrolytes. Fast runners would have trouble. Pace teams are awesome.

Not a good race for softies from the tropics used to warm weather, nor for those who do not do their hill (and preferably downhill) training. Also, not the race for those in need of endless fan support.

Other than that, great course, terrific organization (1:26 ratio of porta-potties to runners, though there was a 1:3750 ratio of sweatpants drop-off buses to runners...), and a throng of volunteers as good as they get anywhere (thank you all).

A lot of people run this race simply to qualify for Boston, as I did. And if you can't qualify here, you probably can't anywhere. Net elevation decline, very cool weather, great race organization, enthusiastic and friendly spectators... what else could you wish for?

This is my fourth marathon and probably least favorite. The beginning was nice - several miles of rolling hills and quiet roads. And the end was down some nice tree-lined streets in the city, so also not bad. But unless you like wide, flat streets that stretch as far as you can see ahead, as well as strip malls, the middle section was fairly miserable.

The race organization was average to below average, it was hard to find water or anything at the finish. During the run, I'm not sure where the energy station was. I'm sure it was where they said it would be but it wasn't announced when I ran by anyway. Also, the sports drink they chose was Ultima, something that I just can't stomach. All in all, I can't say I enjoyed it a whole lot, but it was a cold, cold day which isn't my favorite running weather.

This was my second year running this marathon and personally I think there are very few (or none) marathons like it. Picture getting your most intense runners together, and regardless of weather conditions, water stops, crowd support, etc., people are going for their goals (PR, Boston qualifying, etc.). The concentration level is the most intense I have seen - not a lot of talking or crowd waving or high fives in the group I was with. A lot of people think the course is "easy" - it's mostly downhill, but it can be grueling in its own way, especially if downhill running wasn't a regular part of your training. There are a few descent uphills thrown in along the way too. The organization and support are excellent. I don't doubt that there were a lot of PRs (I set one) and BQs, but I attribute that more to the energy and drive of those around you than to the course itself; it is intense, and if you have a goal and you are ready to push it a bit, this race is for you....

CIM is a fast course. The rolling hills weren't too bad and the finish was flat and fast. They were inconsistent about which drink came first at the water stops (water of Ultima). This needs to be changed. It was windy, but the temp was great. The start had more bathrooms than you could count, which meant little or no waiting. Being able to stay on the bus during the below-freezing morning until the start was GREAT! Thanks to all who gave their time for us to run.

After running marathons for six years with fairly consistent times, I took 25 minutes off of my previous best time and qualified for Boston. I am psyched! Only complaints were with the bus to the start (nightmare), sweat bag drop-off (I got hit in the face by someone hurling their bag toward the truck) and organization at the finish line (I couldn't find a bottle of water...). But the course was very fast and I had fun! I will run it again for sure.

Ditto to the comment below. I should've stayed in a pack - that would've blocked the wind. The medical tent (cramp) was outstanding. Good food, good expo, helpful volunteers, great fans, fast course, BQ, what more?

It depends on what you like and need. I needed 4:00:59 for a BQ and I missed it by 29 seconds. Ugh! I'm happy with the race, though. Overall, a GREAT experience.

CONS:
1. If they tell you that you need to purchase a bus ticket, don't believe it. The cost at the expo was $10 to pick us up from the hotel. Race day we all had to walk four blocks from the hotel to expo building, and loaded up there. No ticket was ever collected.

2. We had to run in below freezing temps and a 15 mph headwind. It was 29 at the start! (Obviously that's not their fault.) But... the back of the bus was freezing. The front of the bus was boiling. (We were at the back.)

3. The first mile was tremendously slow unless you were in front. Pace groups are not in front. I took 11:05 to get through mile 1 - and that was VERY downhill. It was too crowded to do otherwise. It should have been an easy 9:00 pace for that one.

4. Did someone say, "undulating hills?" To a Chicagoan, that means mini-Boston. Do more hill training if you come from flat areas. It's not terribly difficult, but it's just never-ending until mile 22. Be prepared mentally to be going either up or down.

5. Water stops clog up. I was told that relay areas would be even bigger this year. No kidding. There were good course directions telling us to stay on the correct side for the relay or the marathon. However, it still made for some crowded areas, which made pacing more challenging.

6. Water tables were confusing. I actually went backwards four times - either the cup was taken right as I was about to take it, or the table ended. Longer tables maybe? More volunteers? They were also inconsistent about the sequence of water and sports drink. Not good.

PROS:
1. Baggage handling was scary, as two trucks held all of the bags. All of the bags were simply thrown into the back, with no organization. SURPRISE! All bags were laid out in an orderly fashion for us at the finish. So don't be nervous. :)

2. I thoroughly enjoyed the course description seminar. Very helpful and on target. Memorable. It helped to keep your mind focused during the race to have specific direction, landmarks, etc.

Those are the specifics of that day's experience to watch for, but I really had a fantastic day. The course has good crowd support. A couple of areas without as much support were welcome, offering a chance to regroup and find your pace.

After the bridge at H Street (mile 22), you can speed up; there are no more crowds, but also no more hills, so it's time to FLY!