In October of 2011, I ran the Chicago Marathon. It was my favorite of the 6 full marathons I have run. My time was great (4:06) and despite the high temperature, I felt amazing. The course was fantastic and the entire race was extremely organized. I remember mile 13.1 being my favorite as you run a slight downhill and see and hear thousands of cheering spectators.
Chicago reminds me of a clean NYC. I went with a couple friends and we had a blast. We stayed at The Congress Plaza Hotel, which was directly across the street from the start line. Because we were so close, I was able to watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan, sip coffee and watch 45,000 runners scurry to their corral.
We drank wine and had steak at Smith & Wollensky, ate yummy Italian at Trattoria No. 10, had lunch at Rosebud and was on celebrity watch during brunch at Gibson’s on Rush. I was able to check out the Wrigley Field, The Bean and enjoy the city lights at night, which were beautiful.
“…Because we were so close, I was able to watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan, sip coffee and watch 45,000 runners scurry to their corral. “
Maybe a 1/2 marathon in Chicago is something I can plan for in the future! It was a fantastic city and I would love to revisit.
