LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon - RunMarathon

I'm sure I'm going to forget some things and I may not have everything in order or where exactly the aid stations were but here it is:

Wow were to start. I signed up for the 4h30min finish time pace group. I knew this was agressive for me, but figured that's the pace I wanted to start at. Race started and we walked to the start line, I was already sweating it was so humid and no breeze. My nutrition/hydration plan was to wear my fuel belt with my big water bottle. I had 2 scoops of Infinit in the bottle and 1 scoop in my pack. Also in my pack I had E-Caps and 4 packs of gel in a flask. Gatorade doesn't always agree with me, so I was going to carry my calories and depend on the course for water.(Big mistake) I had planned to start drinking the Infinit after about 45-60 minutes into the race. 2 E-Caps before the race, and 1 every 30-45 minutes thereafter. And a shot of gel every 45-60 minutes after the first hour.

Got to the start line and we start running what I thought was a little bit of a fast pace, but they said the pace group would walk the aid stations, so I figured we were just making up time early. First mile in 9:40. That seemed a little fast. Mile 2 in 11:28 and I'm thinking what the heck??

Got to the first aid station and the pace group leader runs on by. I try to stop and get water but there was such a crowd that I thought I'd just catch the next one. I started to drink a little of my Infinit to get some fluids as the sweat was already pouring.

Miles 3 & 4 I forgot to push the button on the watch, but stayed with the pace group and seemed about the right pace, 20:48. Got to the second aid station and people were saying take the gatorade there's no water. What?? Now I knew I had a problem. I still had my Infinit, but really wasn't planning on drinking so much of it so early, but knew I had to have some fluids.

Saw my parents somewhere before mile 5. They brought me to the race, stayed and here they are running around Chicago to cheer me on and do I say thank you? No, I say "I need some water" as I run by. Oh, well they understood. Mile 5,6, and 7 were at a decent pace and I was able to get a little bit of water at an aid station.

I see that the race directors are saying there was plenty of water, and that may be true, but it was not readily available. There were no full cups waiting. They were opening jugs of water and pouring into cups that runners were holding waiting for water. Then they would run out and have to go get more. I really think they were greatly understaffed. There was no chance to fill a water bottle. You were lucky, and it took a great deal of time, to just get about 1/4 cup of water. There was also 1 water stop where they had run out of water and the resteraunt behind them was filling jugs to pour into cups for runners.

Mile 9 and of course my bladder says you hydrated good before the race, so to the porta potti I go. Come out and my sunglasses fogged up. Mile 10 in a decent pace.

At this point I realize that not only is 4:30 not going to happen, but if the current water situation doesn't get better and I don't do something different I may not finish. And then I started walking 30 seconds at the beginning of every mile and taking my time to try and get some water. It made it difficult to take my e-caps and I never did get to mix the other scoop of Infinit in my bottle.

Miles 11-17 was more of the same. Trying to get water and keep moving. My parents did find me and had a bottle of water for me.

Mile 18, I think this is the place there was a good aid station, but it took some time. I think this was the Powerbar gel stop. I took a gel, some gatorade, some water, and some of my breathe mints w/caffeine. I must have stood still for too long because when I got going again my calves started to cramp. I walked and stretched for a bit and got them loosened up.

Mile 19 I walk/jog and start hearing things about the race being canceled. There was a lot of confusion and questions. I jogged on really feeling better. Got to mile 20 and the clock wasn't on and the cops were saying the race is cancelled, to please walk the rest of the way. I kept jogging until they started saying there may not be anymore water up ahead. I noticed the timing mats were turned off and not making any noise and most of the time clocks were off as well.

Knowing my calves have been crampy and the prospect of 6.2 miles with no water and It didn't seem like they were keeping a time anymore I decided to walk the rest like I was being told to. I knew without more water my calves, and who know what else, were going to cramp hard.

I met a guy about my age from South Dakota. We walked together. He had a lot of cramping issues. I helped him try to stretch them out and gave him some e-caps. He made it to mile 24 and both legs locked up, he went down hard onto his backside, but didn't hit his head. I stopped to try to help as well as did 3 or 4 others. The amount of people who offered him their gatorade and water(which was scarce) was amazing. One guy try to stretch him out until the police officers got there and tried to help him. He told me to go on, that he would get stretched out and make it to the finish line. So I walked on.

The people of Chicago were great, cheering, offering wet paper towels, I got my water bottle refilled from somebody's garden hose. There were people getting water from fountains and fire hydrants.

I saw my parents again just before the finish line and I jogged the last 1/4 mile to the line. It seemed kinda anti-climatic and almost like I was cheated out of 6 miles. Not at all how I imagined finishing my first marathon.

I guess they did continue to keep time. If I'd have known that, I may have done a few things different.

Side notes: (things I want to remember)-- the little dog who was yapping nonstop as people were cheering, the guy I saw and heard at the med tent fall hard onto his back and hit his head on the concrete, my wet feet, runners dressed as Yoda, Elvis, Capt. America, Bird Girl; all of the good spectators who were kind enough to offer water, ice, and anything else.

Carry my own water and have my supporters have more in reserve for me. Run my own race and not with a pace group.

Walked through getting chip off, getting medal, and some free food (whole wheat bages, and organic newton cookies). Went to the runner reunite area to find my parents but, found a Sprint booth that was offering free phone calls (very nice) so I called the parents and met them.


Lack of availability of water on course. Heat & Humidity. Being forced to walk due to the race being cancelled.


Unprepared for the heat & humidity. This race was not cancelled due to heat, but cancelled due to lack of planning and preparation by the race organization.