Extraordinary Strides

Running the Majors: Navigating the World-Class Chicago Marathon

• Season 3 • Episode 42

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The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is one of the fastest, most iconic races in the world, and today, we’re diving deep into everything you need to know! Whether you’re racing this year, working on your six-star journey, or just love a good marathon breakdown, this episode is packed with insights, logistics, and fun Chicago history.

Joining Coach Christine is Ashley Lucas of Mystical Dream Travel, an expert in runcation planning and travel logistics, to help navigate the best places to stay, eat, and explore before and after the race.

But this episode is extra special—because Chicago was Coach Christine’s very first marathon! So expect some fun storytelling, a bit of nostalgia, and plenty of tips to make your Chicago experience extraordinary.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ A Mile-by-Mile Breakdown of the course—including where you’ll find the fastest and trickiest sections
✔️ How to prepare for the flat but potentially deceptive course (pacing tips matter!)
✔️ Tips for running in windy conditions and dealing with Chicago’s unpredictable weather
✔️ Best spectator spots & how to navigate the city on race day using public transit
✔️ How to get into the race if you want to run Chicago in the future
✔️ Legendary moments, fun facts, and pop culture references tied to the Chicago Marathon

Want to keep the conversation going?
🏅 Join the Women of the Majors Facebook Group – A community for women tackling the World Marathon Majors!
🏃‍♀️ Be part of The Stride Collective – Our podcast listener group where we talk all things running, training, and racing!

Have questions or want to chat? Send me a text!

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Speaker 1:

Hey everyone, welcome back to Extraordinary Strides, a podcast where we lace up, we lean in and we take extraordinary strides together. I'm Coach Christine and today we're diving into one of my absolute favorite marathons. If you've been listening to me for a while, you know how I feel about the Chicago Marathon and, of course, I wouldn't want to do this without my partner in crime when it comes to Runcations travel expert Ashley from Mystical Dream Travel. Hello Ashley. Hi Christine, how are you? I'm good and I'm so excited to have this conversation about Chicago with you, because you're tackling Chicago this year.

Speaker 2:

I sure am, and I'm so excited that this is my first one up.

Speaker 1:

What are your favorite things Like? What are you thinking that you're most excited about when it comes to Chicago?

Speaker 2:

Oh boy, um well, uh, for one, getting out of the airport and not just seeing Chicago from inside of the airport, I have only, uh, flown through Chicago. I've never actually been outside, so actually seeing the area and the city and everything, excited to see the bean. I'm really excited to stay at the Palmer house right outside of, like, all of the festivities and see all of that happening. I'm really excited for my first true world major experience and like seeing the chaos that comes with it.

Speaker 1:

But how organized they have you know they have, this one's the best science, Like I feel like out of the marathons in terms of ease for tackling a marathon that's so big. Chicago is it? Because and we'll get into the conversation but it's really well organized. The city is incredible, it's fast, it's flat. It's pretty much the best major I feel to kick it off with. And that could be because I'm partial, because it was my first marathon in my first major, but it is incredible. So let's get into it, let's get into dabbling a little bit more about it. It is a fantastic race to chase a PR. So I'm going to ask you do you think that's what you're kind of endeavoring, or are you kind of just letting it be and taking all that world marathon major energy in?

Speaker 2:

No, I think. I think it's a PR course. There's so many people that come out of this race that actually have PRs, and some of them even unintentionally, which I love about it, you know those are the best Fun on a course and come out on the PR.

Speaker 1:

It's better those are the absolute best. So today we're going to cover everything about the history of the Chicago marathon why it's such a big deal, how to get in, because of course we know that the world marathon majors are slightly difficult to get into I'm probably slightly under exaggerating that one. The course itself we're going to go actually point by point on this course what to expect and best places to eat, explore and celebrate in Chicago. Ashley has done all the legwork on that for us and race day tips and common mistakes to avoid. So, ashley, let's get this moving and grooving. Do you want to maybe kick off a little bit of the history of Chicago Marathon?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely because Chicago, I'm sorry, the modern Chicago Marathon started in 1977. But note I said modern. The original Chicago Marathon was done in 1905. That's a long time ago.

Speaker 1:

That's a really long time for a marathon. It was, I feel like it was a little less structured. I heard that actually the winter, actually even fueled with whiskey, which was very popular at that time, Whiskey and champagne were considered hydrating beverages for runners. Now, while some say you should not do that, I will say that this may be one of those cases of do as I say, not as I do, because you guys do know that I love me some stranger danger aid stations, but I did not partake in whiskey or champagne at all on the course for Chicago. But tell us more. I just I. It was my first, so I just stuck with what I knew. So tell me more about the modern Chicago, my friend. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

Well, after a long hiatus, the race came back strong in 1977 as a mayor daily marathon with just 4,200 runners. Today it's one of the largest races in the world with over 45,000 finishers each year. Now I would love to see every year the ratio of people that apply to the lottery try to get in with charities, because I know a lot of the charities too are on wait lists Like that's 45,000 finishers every year, that's just finishers. It's incredible. That's not people signing up and, unfortunately, never making. That's just finishers, it's incredible.

Speaker 2:

That's not people signing up and, unfortunately, never making it to the start line.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it is. It's wild. I mean it's truly wild. It has changed so much and we're seeing that with the majors. But again, why it's so important for you to kind of keep tuning in friends, because we're going to talk a little bit about maybe some ways and you can tell us too, ashley, how you tackled getting into Chicago, if you were a lucky lottery winner or if you decided to do a charity route. But we'll get to that in a second because let's talk about how fast this course is. Chicago has seen world records broken seven times Now.

Speaker 1:

I know we talked about Berlin also being the fastest per se marathon in the world. I think Chicago's toe-to-toe with it and I'm thinking that for the United States, at least here and of the majors we have in North America, it is absolutely the fastest course. So we've got Kelvin Kipton shattering the men's world record in 2023, running two hours and 35 seconds. Let's process that, because we just had that breaking the tube barrier happened not too long ago in Berlin, but it was completely structured to break that barrier, where this is just. It just happened because of his incredible training and the course conditions being perfect. So that's exciting. And, of course, the women's record was also smashed by Ruth Chyvatnagich. I hope I got that right In 2024 by 20956. Again, we talk about it every time, but these are half marathon times in my brain, like I have such a hard time wrapping my mind about the speed.

Speaker 2:

Yeah and like, can we talk about for a minute that the women's record is only about 10 minutes off of the men's?

Speaker 1:

It's, it's incredible. These athletes are amazing. They're amazing to watch, so hopefully, people that are listening along it's because you really do want to learn more about the majors and you're maybe even thinking I really want to run this race, so I'm going to turn it over to you. How did you get in? And then maybe you could give us a glimpse as to all the different ways that people can get that magic Willy Wonka golden ticket Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And you're totally right. It is the Willy Wonka golden ticket. I was lucky enough in year two of applying to the lottery getting that golden ticket. Year one I did get the rejection letter, but that's okay, just like it's not my time to start this, so that's all right. You got to keep applying and take them as they come, as the great Christine has told me just try, and if you get it, you'll figure it out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly, which is always exciting, and you do figure it out. And you know I'm thinking back to your year that you applied. Was it your perfect run Disney year?

Speaker 2:

It was, and then we ended up buying a house last year and all of that chaos, like there was some reason that I did not get in.

Speaker 1:

This is such a much better year for you for sure, absolutely so. Yes, if you guys didn't get that unfortunate, you didn't make it wah wah email saying that you didn't get a general entry. That generally opens in November. There are other ways to get in, so I know that you have gone the charity route. Tell us a little bit about that. In the past with other races.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, they do have several charity partners that you can partner with. I have done charity races for a couple other races, including Run Disney, Pittsburgh and some other local races, and it's such a great way to put meaning to your miles. You know you're you're running for a greater cause than just yourself. Like, yeah, we run because it's fun, we get to meet people, we get to see the world, we, we get to keep our bodies moving and healthy. But it's always nice when you have some greater meaning to it. Um, that kind of gets you out of bed in the morning, get you to that start line fueled appropriately and just not give up on that course. Um, because I mean, quite honestly, there's there's a lot of great causes out there. There's there's research, cancer, uh, research, Um, there's helping the hungry.

Speaker 1:

There's, uh, the world yeah, back on my feet, which is actually headquartered there. There's so many great like non-profits. There is something that speaks to your heart and that's what it takes to be a good fundraiser, so I will absolutely say that that's such a wonderful way to get in. Um, there's, of course, the time qualifying standards as well, so there's that option and I believe that they have like a loyalty program, a little bit of like a alumni program, a legacy runner program as well. So that's always an exciting one. And again, we're going to mention if you are pursuing the Abbott World Marathon majors and you have created your profile, they have special lottery entries both through the Abbott Run Club and through the World Marathon Majors Abbott actual website. So stay in tune to that. Don't forget to register for your free Abbott World Marathon Major profile.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and you always have the option for international runners as running through tour operators, you can get the approved travel agency kind of ticket in there where they do your accommodations, some local tours and, of course, that coveted race bib.

Speaker 1:

I know which. I'm starting to learn more about the tour operators, because I really feel like for a lot of folks that may international folks that is definitely the way to go If you are a little skittish about fundraising, because they do kind of help take that pressure off that a lot of folks are worried about. I mean, I will likely say that my heart will always be more in the fundraising route, but I do think that there is a lot to be said about that, that route as well. Okay, my friend, we got a little bit into how to get in. I want to get into the course with you. If that works, what do you think?

Speaker 2:

Let's head on down.

Speaker 1:

Of course the expo is incredible. We'll talk about that too. But this course, I just I gotta tell you, even standing at the start line of this course and being surrounded by all these gorgeous tall buildings of being downtown, starting in Grant Park, right along Lake Michigan, all of it just feels absolutely iconic. And those first few miles are going to be fast, they're going to be electric, they're going to be packed, cheering crowds, but your GPS is not going to work at all. So just know that this particular race is truly well known for your GPS going bonkers for the first few miles. So what I would suggest for folks that do want to target a PR an intentional PR, I should say to use a race pace band to make sure that when you clock those mile markers that are very well posted, you can make sure that you're staying on target for your actual race. But that's my exciting part, because I was just that first 5K was the most incredible 5K of my life, I think.

Speaker 2:

Oh see, I love that. And and, looking back to last year, one of my friends got the chance to run this and you say the cheering crowds in the tall buildings, but let's talk about the dogs that are on the course. I feel like this race has so many dogs along the course cheering for runners and it's like the thing ever Like you have a dog wagging its tail and so happy to be there to cheer you on, like that'll make me keep going. I mean, I want to go pet them but Well, you can.

Speaker 1:

I mean you can. It may slightly change or alter your finish time, but at the end of the day, like if you have to measure your success based on how many dogs you pet versus your speed, like it's kind of right there, that's a that's a tough one, I'd say that I would say that petting all the dogs definitely speaks to my soul, no doubt about it.

Speaker 2:

So when we, what was it?

Speaker 1:

A pig, every woman's. I was so excited I had never seen the pig or a boar or whatever that thing was before. I have seen little mini ponies at the Hatfield McCoy, um. So I think that we're starting to just have more iconic um like went upmanship going on at all these incredible races. So again, this is part of this is the one part where I will say that targeting any of the world marathon majors for PR races can have a little bit of a drawback, just because there is so much to soak in into these types of races, um, but I still feel like even with a PR, you can still soak in a lot of the incredibleness, um. So when we get past mile one and four, we're going to go into Lincoln park, to Lakeview and Lakeview. This will take you into some of the most beautiful areas of Chicago. You get a mix of tree-lined streets and historic brownstones and the gorgeous Lakeviews. And I think for you, ashley, are you a baseball fan?

Speaker 2:

I could give or miss. I love baseball but I kind of want to go see the Cubs when we're there.

Speaker 1:

You will Do. You think you're going to make that happen?

Speaker 2:

I think so because it's such an iconic field and team Like. It's something that everybody knows, Um. For those of you that don't know, I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, uh, just outside of there, so we are home to the Pittsburgh pirates. Um, I love going to the baseball games, not for the baseball, because they speak for themselves, but we are home to um. I think it is still ranked at one of the top um baseball stadiums in the world to experience the game at, and it really is, I mean, in Pittsburgh. You're on the water. Um, it's such a great atmosphere. Um, but I have also been to the Yankee Stadium, the original Yankee Stadium, which was very neat, so I feel like I need to go watch the Cubs in Chicago when we're there.

Speaker 1:

Okay, let's make that happen. Now you have another extra to do, which I think that'd be a great way of kind of getting even if it's before or after the race great way to kind of rest up your legs. So I love that you're going to make that happen Now, once we get past seeing the Cubs because you're probably not going to see them actually on the course, but you will see Wrigleyville You're going to keep making your way to Old Town and the West Loop and you're going to hear again that roaring crowds. I will tell you guys, when I did Chicago, I couldn't hear my own music for, I don't know, maybe 20 miles, because the crowds were so insanely loud. So it gets even louder here, which I don't know how that's possible.

Speaker 2:

But that's, that's what makes you kind of keep going. You know it does music when you have that much cheering going on. You know it does music when you have that much cheering going on.

Speaker 1:

You know, and I, what I think that's so iconic about Chicago too is that, like every little area has its own little flavor, and I mean that quite literally with the food, like there's like little grease. And then here in miles 14 to 20, you get Pilsen and the West side, which is like the Latino neighborhoods. They have live mariachi bands and dancers and some of the most incredible food smells and some people actually hand out some of the food, kind of hearkening back to the roots of the original old marathon, with maybe not whiskey, but at least maybe a little snacky poo or two. And then we get into Chinatown and then the final stretch. So you will have just so you're aware, ashley, you're going to have a little incline at about mile, like 25.9 ish, right as you lead into your last little push to that 0.22 of that 26 miles. They call it Mount Roosevelt, but I promise you it's not going to be that big. It's nothing compared to what you have near your house. You'll be fine.

Speaker 2:

Oh, who likes a a little challenge at the end of a marathon? You know that's your celebration time, but again it is.

Speaker 1:

it is humble you you know, I feel confident that you're going to. You're going to feel like it's not even you're gonna be like what? Mount Roosevelt, I didn't even see it. Okay, With that said, let's also prepare for the weather. So tell me, what do you know about the weather going into Chicago?

Speaker 2:

So the weather in October is pretty unpredictable in Chicago, um I, in the past couple of years it's kind of had really crappy weather and really great weather, so we'll see what I uh end up with that day, but temperatures tend to range between 45 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Um, they have some really hot days sometimes on records, uh, so we'll be curious to see what that ends up like. Um, their humidity can kind of vary. So obviously there's always that chance of rain showers, um, hopefully not snow showers to get that chilly, but, uh, that is also a possibility. So, making sure you're taking enough equipment with you, um, if you do have a humidity and or rain.

Speaker 2:

And then, let's not forget, you have wind. Um, it is called the windy city after all, so what not to expect then wind? Uh, some of those guests can range from 10 to 20 miles per hour, um, and sometimes they can get even higher along the way, the lake front, um, so that nickname again originates from politics and not weather, which is surprising. But that said, the wind is a real challenge on the race day, particularly run when running on that lake front. Uh, in those wide open streets, kind of use your best judgment to tuck into those runners where you can, if you do get one of those race days that has that big wind gust to to break down some of it.

Speaker 1:

So you just nailed it. We're gonna talk a little bit about how to tackle some of the wind that may be impacting this race or any other race, but specifically for Chicago, since it does have a little bit of association with wind. However, I will say, for the most part, you have so many crowds and spectators that there is a little bit of that beat of that wind getting broken by the spectators anyway. But I think something to know is that there's headwind, which is running into the wind. This will slow most folks down and it also increases your effort so you can keep the same pace. So you'll actually feel like you're working twice as hard. It's just a natural resistance. Essentially, there's the tailwind, which is what we wish everybody would have.

Speaker 1:

Wind at your back. That can help to boost your pace, feels a little easier. That may make you work a little bit harder, though, because you just feel like it's easier. So you have to really manage your body temperatures and your stride and your pace and the crosswind, which kind of can throw you for a loop a little bit, um, just because it forces you to work a little harder to maintain more of a steady state. But you, you nailed it right out of the gate. Uh, drafting or tucking in behind other runners or your pace group is an absolute fantastic way of doing it. If you're running with others, you might even like have a strategy where you guys take turns of allowing, like somebody to break the wind and kind of rotating that in adjusting your pacing strategy is really important. Dressing for the wind what are you thinking you're going to wear for this race? Have you already picked out? You're awesome. Is this going to be like a crown for the Windy City collection? Is that what you're thinking?

Speaker 2:

Oh my gosh. You know there's going to be something crowned, but I don't know.

Speaker 1:

So that's a perfect outfit for it, though, because you do want to avoid loose clothing. So even if you do wear like a windbreaker or rain protection, making it a little bit more snug to the body is going to be important. Now I feel like I get windburn. Do you get that on your skin as well? Yes, okay.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I've had quite a few times with some windburn on my cheeks, so you want to make sure you're protecting them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so how do I just apply like a little thin layer of Vaseline? But do you have a product that you tend to go for?

Speaker 2:

little thin layer of Vaseline. But do you have a product that you tend to go for, typically Vaseline? If it's really um cold and gusty, I might even go for like a uh face mask to kind of cover, like an insulated mask or something, depending on the weather, uh, but definitely, at least probably, vaseline is my favorite thing to kind of throw on.

Speaker 1:

It's cheap, it's inexpensive, you can find it anywhere, even if you forget to pack it. So I definitely agree with you 100%. I think that you may find that miles one to three may have a little bit of wind tunnel action happening, because the skyscraper is a little bit more, mile 16 to 20 because it's a little bit more open, and then mile 23 to 26, along with Mount Roosevelt, may have a little bit of headwind. So we're going to though we're going to put it out there right here Now we're going to wish that 2025 has nothing but perfect temperatures and only a little bit of tailwind, to kind of push you forward and push everybody else forward. So one thing that we have talked about is how great spectators are, and I know you've done some research as to where the spectators should go head out and do some of their cheering. So you tell me, my friend, where should we spot our spectators or family members that are with us along the course?

Speaker 2:

So my um first spot actually these are all ones that I will be sending Cole to when he is out there to watch me run the race. But Grand Avenue in LaSalle Street, this is perfect for that early race excitement Kind of get there, get pictures of your runners while they're fresh and smiling, and the packed crowd energy is always something that is so fun when you're coming out of those gates. Um, you can take the red line to grand at mile two or the Brown and purple line to Chicago. Uh, to get to mile three and here's a little pro tip that I think you have shared is grabbing a coffee from an Intelligista.

Speaker 1:

How do you say that I'm going to go with that Exactly, intelligista. Yeah, that sounds perfect. Yeah, I love it. I mean I'm going to grab a coffee from everywhere that I possibly can, but considering this is like one of the go-to coffee shops in Chicago area, I definitely would say that's one of my faves.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, even that, I know I'll find Cole at Stan's Donuts before heading to the next stop, because we are donut people.

Speaker 1:

You have to. There's like donut tours there. You guys have to book that too when you're there you know, it, you know it. Have to book that too when you're there. You know it, you know it. So yeah, what I was gonna say, do we?

Speaker 2:

have other spots that you're gonna be looking for folks, of course. Next up is around mile eight, uh, which is boils down. This is known for the high energy party zone, uh, so there will be a drag queen, cheer station, dance, music and massive support that make this one of the most fun spots on the course. I'm really looking forward to this one it's a lot of fun because I tend to dance along my long runs to make it a little bit more enjoyable, so that'll be perfect for me.

Speaker 2:

um, and our spectators are going to take the red line to belmont to get there, but make sure you get there early because, since this is such a popular spot, the crowds do fill in fast, so make sure you have some time for that. And then also visit replay, a popular arcade bar, and it sometimes opens early for spectators, which I love. A good bar that, uh, supports the spectators on the course.

Speaker 1:

I think it's really important. Yes, we should have our spectators caffeinated and hydrated with the carb loading beverage of choice. Um. So I love that. The races, and especially the majors. They have a lot of restaurants that come out for folks, but that's not it. There's still some. I'm telling you, so many spectating spots. Where else are we finding folks at?

Speaker 2:

The next stop is going to be mile 13.1. So just about halfway through this is going to be the charity block party. So charity runners get extra love and motivation here, and the West Loop has amazing food options. So you will take the blue line to Racine and this is a great spot for our spectators to grab some lunch, hit up, time out market or girl in the goat after your runner passes. I love those favorite.

Speaker 1:

It's my favorite favorite place. I will say that that's something. I'm sorry to interrupt you again, but, friends for Chicago, these restaurants book up sometimes months in advance and unless if you want a reservation at like 1230 at night, I strongly suggest that you make those reservations as early as you possibly can. And there's several more since, since I did it for sure, but I would definitely definitely stop there, without a doubt.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely these are all on my list and I will be sending this to cold research and pick up some food for me along the way. But next up, at mile 16 to 17, we visit Pilsene. This is known for its incredible crowd energy and music. Yet again, if you can't tell the theme along here, they are very loud, as we've already mentioned. But Pilsene is known for live mariachi bands, loud cheers and colorful banners. Our spectators are going to take the pink line to 18th street to get there and then I this is another stop I know I will find cole at. You can pick up tacos at carnitas, your pan, before heading to your next stop. I still hear about the tacos after dopey last year. I still hear about those tacos, so Dopey last year. I still hear about those tacos. So I know I will find Cole here.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so I'm curious Was it the tacos at the like, the taco we had at sweat run Disney? There's the little food trucks. Was there a food truck that was taco based and he liked it? I've never had it there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it was just a little food truck and obviously local um kind of spot if it was a food truck pulling up. And I still hear about these tacos to this day he is a taco fanatic.

Speaker 1:

I mean, how could you go wrong with it? Seriously, I think you guys are going to, you may never move, you may never come back home from Chicago Cause there's so many great taco places there. Like it's going to be incredible for you guys Well there's tacos and donuts.

Speaker 2:

Why would you want to come home and beer?

Speaker 1:

So what seriously we've just made. I feel like this is now why we know why there's so many people who are getting. Unfortunately, that wet, wet rejection lottery letter is because this race in the city is so incredible. I mean, I could be partial, but it is one of my favorites, okay. So once he's done getting his tacos, where else are you sending him to?

Speaker 2:

He is heading to Chinatown, which is at mile 21 to 22. So by mile 21, runners are hitting the wall, but Chinatown brings back the energy. There are going to be traditional lion dancers, drummers so much motivation in this area and our spectators are going to take the red line to sim art samak chinatown. They are going to be able to grab bubble tea from joy ye or dim sim um for some ming hin cuisine while they are waiting for their runners to come through. So a lot of fun, kind of a little dive into to history, you know, yeah I feel like we need to do.

Speaker 1:

It sounds like there's a food tour that could take place for our spectators at the same exact time we need.

Speaker 2:

We need a spectator to report back to us.

Speaker 1:

How many food stops are we able to hit while spectating for their runners? I mean, I think, yes, they deserve an award for that too.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Maybe I'll have a little medal made for Cole for biggest foodie while spectating or at least like a little spectator bingo card to see how many he can check off. Yeah yeah.

Speaker 2:

Although I do have to say he's going to have to bring some for me to try later, or take you back through this incredible food tour, for sure, yeah, absolutely. And then next, we we still aren't done which there's a lot of stops on here. At mile 25 to mile 26 is Michigan Avenue, so this will be your final push to the finish. It is where runners have to dig deep. You'll see raw emotions, a lot of exhausted but determined faces and final spirits to glory. The runner, or the spectators, will take the red line to Roosevelt to get to this location Definitely something I am looking forward to. And then make sure you're standing on the left side of Michigan street, as the final turn onto Roosevelt road is uphill and runners need encouragement here. So shout out to all of the spectators that go to this area, because that is something that I know I will be looking forward to when we go to partake in this race.

Speaker 1:

I think so, and I would say that that's almost more important than the finish line though I know everybody loves to get the finish line but just because we do need that friendly face at that point where you're just, you're just exhausted and you know that you're close and you're going to get there, but you just see that little bit of pep in your step.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. And then of course, we do, like you said, have the finish line. Nothing beats seeing a runner across the finish line with the skyline as the backdrop. Spectators can take the red, blue, brown, orange or pink line jackson to get to this location. You will need a spectator pass to get into the finish line. Bleachers um, otherwise head toward. But butler field for post race reunions, and I do think this is something if you want to see a runner across that finish line is well worth um the the pass I think when I had checked it was, I want to say it was under $50. I don't remember exactly how much, but it's definitely going to be money well spent if that's something that's important to you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I think it's important. The reason why I think it's money well spent too is because it can be very overwhelming to get into that reunion area or to get to the reunion area, and sometimes the cell phone signals as we've already talked about their GPS signals are a little wonky. So I think having that plan of seeing them with the spectator pass and then knowing exactly where you can meet them afterward is always really beneficial, because it does take a while to get out of these post-run or post-race finish shoots and I will say this is an ambitious spectator tour. So I would probably say to pick a few instead of trying to hit them all, and then work with the runner to see which one means the most to them. But in the know that, of course, the L line and all the different public transportation is gonna probably be a little bit packed, but I do think Chicago is a very user-friendly, travel-friendly transportation area to be able to see folks the most. So I really I already talked about the L train, which is just the elevated train it's the fastest option and it does almost get you everywhere you want to be.

Speaker 1:

There's Divvy bikes. That wasn't around when I was doing the race, but Chicago's bike sharing system. I've seen a lot of spectators start using those more and that they're readily available in a lot of these major cities. And, of course, walking be prepared to walk. Do not think of using Uber or taxis or even driving, because it's just gonna be nearly impossible all the road closures. So using that public transportation in your own two feet. That's why you get to have all this delicious food like the bubble tea and the tacos to keep your energy up as a spectator. So I think that, again, you could do like three stops if you are a little overwhelmed by it all.

Speaker 1:

If you feel like you are a pro for spectating and you want to tackle the mostest, I would say plan for five stops, but I would say three is likely ideal because it does take a bit to get around. We know we've talked about it before with our spectator episode, but we're going to talk about it again Track your runner. I have found a little secret from actually a run Disney runner. They use air tags because sometimes the tracking from the races can be a little bit behind. So they have found that air tags really work really well for them and I tried it actually at every women's marathon. I didn't find that I was as successful with it, but that could be a me problem with how I have it set up, so maybe trying it before you get to the race course and I actually had uh used the phone tracking which again it's still going off the signals and we have very good success with it for a little while and then, for whatever reason, this is when I was running with the Apple watch at the time.

Speaker 2:

This is when I was running with the Apple watch at the time and once that died it stopped tracking me for some reason and I was like, oh no.

Speaker 1:

It's yeah. That's why having a pre-planned spectator meetup somewhere like post race is really important to do. Yeah, but you know, what I'm really excited about in all of your rankation and traveling expertise is for you to tell us where we should go before and after the race, like what are must-dos, ashley.

Speaker 2:

So before the race, obviously, the expo we need to go get the goodies and shop. The expo is at McCormick's place and it is huge. Another thing that is lovely to do pre-race to save those legs is an architecture boat tour on Chicago river. Or, like I am planning to do, is visit millennium park and the bean so you can see those pre-race uh pictures and then maybe go back afterwards for some pictures with medals. And we need to talk about the food, because I mean there's so much food in this episode, we need to just continue that.

Speaker 1:

Chicago feels like it's a foodie city. I mean, I guess that they all are right when we're talking about the majors're all world renowned, but I feel like you can't go to Chicago without really honing in on the food.

Speaker 2:

So tell me more about that wow, and I'm looking forward to this the original deep dish pizza okay.

Speaker 1:

So I'm curious are you a deep dish girl or are you more of a like New York slice what's, what's your jam?

Speaker 2:

I see I haven't really had a really good deep dish pizza Cause it doesn't exist. I love like a doughy pizza, so I feel, like a good thing for me.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh see, and that's what I don't love and that's why I don't like deep dish. I feel like it's like it's too much. I mean, I love me some carbs, but I like want to spread out my love for carbs and different foods and I don't want it all in just this one big, ginormous ball of dough. But I will not say that in the actual Chicago, chicago or Chicago land, cause I'm sure that I would have been run off. Um, I also think, like go ahead.

Speaker 2:

How about a post-race beer, I mean that that's a must.

Speaker 1:

So my go-to actually that I love after a marathon is a beer, which is the only time I really drink. Beer and a burger Like those are the two things I crave, so I would definitely be down with a post-race beer. Where am I going for it?

Speaker 2:

So you're going to go to goose Island brewery and then maybe take a little walk along Navy pier or the Chicago river walk so you can kind of shake out those legs a little bit. But I'm going to that, the goose Island brewery Cause. I also love me some post marathon um beers to kind of relax. You did all the hard work. Now it's time to enjoy.

Speaker 1:

Well, what I love also about Chicago and I will say that about like some of the other races as well is that they're kind of iconic with pop culture. So for me I loved watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off growing up, so getting to see some of those famous scenes along the course. The Marathon Connection is the parade scene at Dearborn Street is actually mile three where Farrah sings Twist and Shout, and of course there's always just that fun of kind of like envisioning all of that party energy there, which isn't too hard. I mean, chicago kind of played Gotham City a little bit, so there's a lot of filming locations there as well. And then we talked about baseball. We're going to talk about basketball because of course, chicago's legendary for this and Michael Jordan's flu game, 1997 NBA finals.

Speaker 1:

And the reason why I'm tying this to the marathon is because I feel like this is exactly the kind of like mindset that we have to have when we have to dig a little deeper. So I don't know if you've ever heard that iconic like Michael Jordan being able to. We wish that we could play as good as he can while he's on the flu, like, cause he was still able to drop 38 points in a crucial finals game. That's incredible. So when you are needing to push it through, get a little bit of that old, be like Mike kind of energy that we had growing up from. The old Gatorade ads, um and then of the Marathon is the reason why, to this day, I ran a marathon. I saw it and I thought I have to make Chicago happen. So while you're training on the tread sometime this summer, you have to definitely watch that, if you haven't already.

Speaker 2:

Oh my gosh, that's a little trip.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to put it into your final surge, my friend, I'm going to set the workout to Spirit of the Marathon, so we're going to put it into your final surge, my friend. Like you, like, I'm going to set the workout to to spirit of the marathon, so we're going to have to make that happen.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I love it.

Speaker 1:

Oh well, this is such a great, great conversation. I think I am more excited about Chicago than I have been in a very long time, even though I've always been excited about it, because I can't wait for you to run it. I hope, friends, that you guys feel like you got quite a bit of information here for this particular year's Chicago Marathon. The conversation doesn't stop just here, though. We'd love for you to keep the energy going by joining us at the Stride Collective or Women of the World Marathon Majors Facebook group pages and Ashley, I know that you are kind of going to lead the charge with quite a few folks out there in terms of that are tackling this race. So what are you excited, as we finish this up, to do most for Chicago at this point.

Speaker 2:

So I'm really just excited to kind of take it all in as as my first world major Um, it's going to be so much fun. I I'm really excited for the roar of the crowd it boils down, uh, the final stretch down Columbus drive. You know, just seeing the city, like I said, from outside of the airport, you know, actually going and running in the city, um, but really just taking it all in and hopefully coming home with a shiny new PR.

Speaker 1:

I think I'm going to cry Like I'm good. I think I'm going to cry knowing that you crossed this finish line. It's going to be so incredible, um, so I can't wait to see you take this on. So, friends, we want to cheer you on as well. Drop into one of those Facebook group pages, let us know if you're running Chicago, and until next time, we want to cheer you on as well. Drop into one of those Facebook group pages, let us know if you're running Chicago, and until next time, we want to thank you for listening in. Happy training, happy racing, and we'll catch up the next Extraordinary Strides podcast.

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Christine Hetzel

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