I ran the half marathon in 2004. I was in probably the top 10 people in the half and there was NO one at the turn-around point to direct us!! I realized this shortly after and asked at just about every water stop, but no one had a clue. Ended up continuing to the halfway point on the marathon course at the north end. Race director apologized afterwards, but I see things only got worse in 2005...

I ran this marathon in 2005 because I missed out on the LaSalle Bank Marathon in 2004 due to an injury and wanted to see if I still had it in me to run this distance. I was very disappointed with this race. Coming back from an injury, I wanted to run a race that was well-organized because in addition to the normal effects runners suffer during a marathon, I was dealing with being a little out of the game.

The mental effect of knowing that you should be finished because mile marker 25 was more than a mile ago and yet the finish line is still a mile away was devastating. I have never walked in any race, short or long, but I had no choice this time. I just felt defeated. When I found out the next day through the Chicago Tribune that the race was a mile longer than it should have been, I was very angry. Plus, aid stations were not properly set up. I ran past one station where the table was just sitting there, not put together, with boxes of water and Gatorade next to it. There was a time when I went 3 or 4 miles without an aid station. It was just a horrible race. I will never do this race again, even if they promise it will be better.

I ran all 4 of these and it is really too bad that such a beautiful course no longer has a marathon upon it in the spring. The weather ranged from awful the first year to wonderful in years 2 and 4 to hot in year 3, but the course is one of the best I have run (when the distance is not a mile too long).

I ran this race in 2002 and 2003 - the course is flat and the field is small allowing you a good opportunity for a PR. I thought the course to be very nice along the lake front. Both times I ran the organization was not bad at all. I don't know what happened afterwards. I would run it again especially if you live close to Chicago.

Save your time, energy, and money, if there is a 2006 race with the same race organization. Don't do it. Chicago has many good to great races; this is not one of them.

No feedback as promised in his letter on this site. No response to a single email question re: course maps, parking, apparent change in start site, actual length of half marathon. No clue, so don't do.

I have been waiting 2 1/2 months to receive my marathon medal. The one I was given after completing the 27.2 mile fiasco was for the half marathon. The race director told me he would take care of this and send me the correct one. I thought I could count on his word but alas I was wrong.

It was my birthday, the day of the race. My time was horrible, but I did something many others have not done. I learned a lot about myself on this day--what I can endure. The day was gorgeous and the scenery beautiful. I was thirsty and I did hit the wall, but I made it. How about they send us all t-shirts --Lakeshore Marathon-where you go the extra mile--and call it good? Life is too short to be bitter. I hope this race doesn't go under, I would love to help out with it. It's beautiful and it would be a shame. Thanks for some great runners I met along the way--encouraging words--I love runners.

This was my second Lakeshore Marathon and I was disappointed at the organization of the race. I would have thought last year would have proved to be a good lesson. I guess not! But, despite all the problems, Chicago is the best city and the course is just beautiful. Let's move forward to next year! I will go back despite the problems.

My first comments were not posted becasue I guess they would be considered 'inflammatory.' Looking back on it, even my worst run is better than my best day at work. Yes the guest hotel employees were ignorant as to any of the goings on with the race. Yes the 'wave start' was idiotic. Yes I got water once every 5 miles or so whether I needed it or not. Yes 6 or 7 miles were actually marked. Yes it was more than 26.2 miles. Yes, no matter how thirsty you were that drink they gave you tasted bad. Yes it was $87.50 to run it.

But Chicago was a fun city. The Hyatt Regency is a nice hotel. When was the last time you heard about a marathon other than 'Boston' being on ABC World News? If you have to run over 27 miles of anything this would be the course you would want to do it on. The weather was great. The crowds were nice. Anything the race organizer could not interfere with was really nice.