Chicago marathon '23

October 8th, 2023
Chicago, Illinois, USA

Weather: 7°C low, 13°C high, wind between 10km/h and 20km/h, no precipitation, alternating between mostly cloud/sunny

Distance: 42.2km
Duration: 04:23:27

It's been a journey...

I ran multiple marathons with varying results. One of my running goals on my bucket list is to run the Baikal Ice Marathon in Siberia across the frozen Baikal lake. However, I had to put that idea on hold for the time being so I needed another goal to keep me running.

While running the Berlin Marathon, I thought, why not run some majors in the time being? There are six major marathons which earn you a special six-star finisher medal if you finish all of them. And I was running the first one at that moment, so only five to go when I got to the finish line.

Participating in a major without booking through a travel agency or running a qualifying time requires you to enter a lottery. Berlin took four attempts to enter, so to be more effective, I signed up for both the London and Chicago Marathons at the same time, thinking it would take some time to secure an entry.

Sounds like a flawless plan right? However, I didn't realize that the odds of getting into the Chicago Marathon are quite high compared to the other majors. It turned out I was accepted on my first try in the lottery, so I had to prepare to run the Chicago Marathon quite unexpected. How annoying...

Chi-ca-go

To be honest, I didn't really fancy going to the USA. Other parts of the world are more interesting, right?! Unfortunately, three of the six major marathons are located in the USA, so I guess I'll have to get used to it...

Training

I still find it quite challenging to master marathon running (to be honest: running in general). It demands effort, balance, perseverance and time, all while juggling the demands of daily life.

I have a tendency to force progress, which often results in injuries... On my journey to the Chicago Marathon, I sustained an ankle sprain and developed shin splints. Needless to say, my training was far from ideal.

Despite these setbacks, I managed to average around 50km per week in training and complete several runs of over 30km, so I should be prepared to finish the marathon.

Travel

To save a few quid I booked a flight with a layover in Boston instead of a direct flight. I'd heard numerous stories about the nightmare of U.S. border control and thought they were exaggerations. Well, they were not.. After arriving in the USA they split the line into two lines, Americans and foreigners. It is 'special' to see how foreigners are put at the back of the queue and how long it takes to get past border control. Despite having a 2,5 hour layover I had only 5 minutes left before boarding my next flight.. It didn't feel very hospitable. However, I need to say, the agents at the border were very friendly.

Hotel

Hotel prices are sky high in Chicago during the marathon weekend with $500 per night not being uncommon. As a cheap Dutchman I didn't want to give in and book a hotel down for these prices, so I continued my search.

A little further away from the marathon start I found the Jaslin Hotel in China town which is comfortably located next to red line (subway) which takes you downtown to the starting line in just about 10 minutes. Instead of $500 / night it was only about $200 / night. A little bonus; the marathon passes by the hotel.

View of the sky line of Chicago from the Jaslin Hotel

China town is a great area to stay when you're in Chicago for the marathon. It feels safe, there are lots of food options and it's close to the expo to pick up your BIB.

Pre-marathon

My arrival in Chicago was on Wednesday, the temperature was a comfortable 28°C. The forecast for race day was 13°C with some clouds, perfect!

I decided to pick up my BIB and goodie bag on Thursday to avoid the crowds in the coming days. Despite not staying in a hotel around the starting area of the marathon I already met some marathon runners on the way to the Expo. It's great to see how the city is overtaken by marathon runners during this week.

Because my hotel didn't offer any breakfast I needed to get some products to make a breakfast because on marathon day everything is still closed in the morning. So I visited a Target, but as an European a Target is just.. insane...

An entire aisle with breakfast cereals, but only a small section with products with minimal modifications.

Boat tour

On Friday, I didn't want to walk too much in preparation of the marathon. It's very difficult not to walk too much because down town Chicago is so interesting. There's lots of great architecture and interesting land marks to see.

I decided to book an architecture tour by boat which is a great way to see large parts of the city without the need to walk too much.

Chicago 5k shake-out run

After signing up for the marathon I discovered that the day before the marathon (Saturday) there was a 5k run. The incentive of receiving a nice winter hat for participating in this 5k was (offcourse) reason enough for me to sign up.

The 5k run is a nice way to prepare the legs a bit for the marathon. Just like the marathon the start is in Grant Park (but you leave in the other direction) and gives you a great tour of lots of nice buildings and the river down town.

It's an early run, which has the advantage that you get lots of nice reflections on the buildings by the rising sun.

However, my legs didn't seem to appreciate it. Despite it being just a 5k, it felt rather tough. Well, tomorrow is a new day.

Marathon

The marathon starts early, at 8:00 am. This meant that I had to set my alarm for 5:30 am to allow time for breakfast and to get to Grant Park.

While I was in line, I also heard Dutch and Belgians. It's always remarkable that so many people from different countries come to the same place, just to run a marathon.

Mile 1 - 8

Still a bit nervous from yesterday's 5km run that was disappointing and the training that didn't go according to plan, I started at a leisurely pace with the mindset to enjoy the course and the spectators along the course.

The first three miles were back and forth through town, the following five miles till the eigth mile marker were along a long straight up north which passed by easily.

Miles 8 - 13

After 8 miles north, the route changed back south. We ran through a busier part of the city compared to the first 8 miles. Lots of nice buildings, shops, people and activity. It was such a joy to run through these neighborhoods back downtown to the halfway point. The energy of the runners was still very high which made it a small party.

Miles 13 - 17

Back down town which meant the half way point was reached. After leaving the city the following miles were not eventful but good.

Miles 17 - 20

One tought: Is it over yet... This part of town is boring.

Miles 20 - 22

I did like this part of the marathon, the atmosphere in Pilsen and China Town were great. The people were supportive and it was busy :-) It's strange to pass your hotel knowing that you need to run another 5 miles before going back.

Miles 22 - 24

After passing trough China Town, I noticed that my training was falling short. There were also fewer people on the sidelines, so I decided to walk a few stretches.

The following miles were mentally very hard. Here you go back and forth. When passing by you can see other people already running towards the finish. Combined with how I ran (walked) some parts in the earlier miles it was hard.

Miles 24 - 26.2

The last miles to the finish line. A wide straight road directly to the finish with just a corner or two. I regained energy to run straight to the finish line. What a party.

Finish

After four months of training with obstacles, I managed to complete the marathon without too much difficulty and, most importantly, with a lot of enjoyment.

Post-marathon

The day after the marathon I flew back again. On the way to the airport, the city was still flooded with marathon runners proudly wearing their well-deserved medals.

It was wonderful to see how many people participated in the marathon and how much the event resonated within the city and beyond. Even during my layover in Boston, a flight attendant congratulated me on my participation (I was wearing a Chicago Marathon hoodie), and I noticed many marathon runners sporting their medals.

Conclusion

Since my training hadn't gone as planned and I knew I wouldn't be able to achieve my initial goal, I started the race with a completely different mindset; to simply enjoy the course. It was a delight to be able to run more leisurely.

While the USA may not be my preferred country, the marathon and the people were fantastic, and I'm looking forward to the next USA marathons.