One of my favorite races recently. The organization is just amazing for the size and number of people. Awesome watching the elite runners start on the big screens and we had a flyover. The course starts easy - 3.1 miles basically downhill, then gets hard with an uphill for the majority of the rest. GREAT peaches at the end as well as other food. Long walk back to public transit after but overall very easy to navigate.

Upsides: fast course if you get in a seeded wave, lots of crowd support. Downsides: crowded in later waves, cotton t-shirt, awful medals, post race food is minimal and not great. But, it is an annual event and because of the size I run it with my kid. Parking can be a nightmare. Need to be creative.

The first half of this course is BEAUTIFUL and fun. The back half of the marathon is....awful. I understand wanting to get to the college but it is really a long slog down a large road both ways. Just nothing pretty or redeeming about it (other than good volunteers). The event is well organized and the after party is nice, but it’s really designed around the half.

Chicago is one not to be missed. Even on a brutally hot day the crowd was huge and the aid stations well packed. Loved the post-race changing rooms to shed the wet clothes. Expo is the largest and most amazing I’ve ever seen. Hint is to use public transit to get there and back - run faster than the shuttles.