First time 68 y.o. Marathoner. I live about a quarter mile from 11 mile marker so need to make sure I don’t just dive off the course there. Seriously, survived the training and excited to be part of the fun! Goal: finish upright. Thanks for the tips. Cheers!
Just got my acceptance letter yesterday, so excited to run Chicago in 2025! Thanks so much for the tips, I'm adding them to a little spreadsheet to share with my family so we're prepared for race weekend :)
Chicago Marathon 2024 is my first World Marathon Majors and heard that Chicago Marathon was your best organized marathon you had been to make me feel lucky and grateful to be selected thru ballot! Thanks for the great tips, Ben!
Cant wait! Chicago 2024 will be my second marathon and first marathon major! Heard so many good things, cant wait for Sunday! Good luck to everyone else running 🙌🏽
Agree - stunning event and course - my key tip would be to be very careful when running across the bridges. Most of them are grated and only partly covered in (temporary) carpet (for the event). There are no signs before the bridges to advise runners which side the carpet is. I believe they're always on the right half.
Chicago is my favourite major so far, done it the last 2 years running hopefully do it again sometime soon to qualify for Boston one day. Caught a coach to Cornerstone Lakes parkrun last year organised by a kind gentleman from Sunderland which was brilliant to.
have good time in Chicago, I was going to run it myself, but ran into issue with accommodation, so. I cancelled, going to run Twin City next weekend, good luck on your marathon and I will be following your blog after the event.
The running vest seems to be a HUGE point of confusion. I run all my marathons with a running vest and chest mounted soft flasks. It seems the thing that is NOT allowed at Chicago is a back mounted bladder. But then apparently some of the security staff can be more stringent than others. I also purchased the Skyline Hospitality Tent package which has it's own separate security, so I'm hoping they cause me less trouble. I plan to have my vest, 3 soft flasks, and 3 sealed water bottles in my check bag. If they some how stop me, I go with plan B, which is my trail belt and 2 soft flasks in the belt, and a hand held. As for GPS, I'm a Stryd user, so GPS isn't a problem, and I suspect I will be calling out paces occasionally to those around me. Now that I have my Boston 2025 bib secured, I no longer have any stress about Chicago, I will plan for various potential issues and worst case, I lollygag around the course and just enjoy myself. Thanks for the overview of the race, it's going to be my 1st Major so information is always appreciated.
Officially the race doesn’t allow packs that go over the shoulders, but when I’ve run Chicago I see people wear a sweatshirt over the vest and get in without issues. From my experience security mainly checks that your bib is pinned on and that there’s nothing obviously wrong in your bag.
@@larkhill97 Maybe I will try that instead, and mount my bib to my shorts. While I can easily run with my trail belt/flasks, it's not nearly as smooth and secure as the vest and chest mounted flasks.
My top CHI Marathon trip is feed off of the energy of the crowd support. The crowds are simply amazing and they will offer all sorts of support from cheering to Kleenex, shots of booze…
Not sure the sealed bottle or hydration pack rules are still in place - I ran it in 2022 with a hydration vest and don’t remember having that (or the bladder within) checked when entering the start area.
Wow, very nice and flat, just ran a marathon with 1,800 ft gain (first 5 miles uphill) and 21 miles downhill with almost 2000 ft elev change... that was FUN!
For those who are curious, the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle Legacy Program is no longer a thing, however if you run the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8k, Chicago 13.1, and the Chicago Marathon in one year, you get a guaranteed entry to the next year’s Chicago Marathon
Thanks Ben ! Great instructional video. Are we going to receive the number of the bib via email sometime before the race or we do discover at the moment of packet pick-up ?
Huh? Not as much history as London marathon? Mate, Chicago marathon is older than the London marathon. Either way, I want to run both! Glad you enjoyed Chi-town.
I don't know for sure.. but there are so many medical people on the route that surely they'd have some to hand out. I've seen it many times during marathons. Good luck!
The guy at @10:26 is all of us
😂
First time 68 y.o. Marathoner. I live about a quarter mile from 11 mile marker so need to make sure I don’t just dive off the course there. Seriously, survived the training and excited to be part of the fun! Goal: finish upright. Thanks for the tips. Cheers!
Good luck Scott!! You'll be great.. sure you'll be running very strong at mile 11 so no need to stop!! You'll be amazing.
First time marathoner at 50 years old, heading up north to Chicago for the race. Really excited!
I'll be there, too! First time for Chicago
Good luck!!
Just got my acceptance letter yesterday, so excited to run Chicago in 2025! Thanks so much for the tips, I'm adding them to a little spreadsheet to share with my family so we're prepared for race weekend :)
Chicago Marathon 2024 is my first World Marathon Majors and heard that Chicago Marathon was your best organized marathon you had been to make me feel lucky and grateful to be selected thru ballot! Thanks for the great tips, Ben!
Good luck in the race!
Thanks@@benparkestheextramileI will do my best to get my PB👍😁
Cant wait! Chicago 2024 will be my second marathon and first marathon major! Heard so many good things, cant wait for Sunday! Good luck to everyone else running 🙌🏽
This was amazing.
I smiled for 32 mins. I’m so happy for you ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Agree - stunning event and course - my key tip would be to be very careful when running across the bridges. Most of them are grated and only partly covered in (temporary) carpet (for the event). There are no signs before the bridges to advise runners which side the carpet is. I believe they're always on the right half.
Chicago is my favourite major so far, done it the last 2 years running hopefully do it again sometime soon to qualify for Boston one day. Caught a coach to Cornerstone Lakes parkrun last year organised by a kind gentleman from Sunderland which was brilliant to.
thank you for this detailed description! Cheers to many more
Thanks for sharing. I'm running Chicago this year (going from the UK) and this will be my very first major 😁
My first major as well!
@@jodydavis33 So exciting 👏🏻👏🏻
Good luck!!
have good time in Chicago, I was going to run it myself, but ran into issue with accommodation, so. I cancelled, going to run Twin City next weekend, good luck on your marathon and I will be following your blog after the event.
The running vest seems to be a HUGE point of confusion. I run all my marathons with a running vest and chest mounted soft flasks. It seems the thing that is NOT allowed at Chicago is a back mounted bladder. But then apparently some of the security staff can be more stringent than others. I also purchased the Skyline Hospitality Tent package which has it's own separate security, so I'm hoping they cause me less trouble. I plan to have my vest, 3 soft flasks, and 3 sealed water bottles in my check bag. If they some how stop me, I go with plan B, which is my trail belt and 2 soft flasks in the belt, and a hand held. As for GPS, I'm a Stryd user, so GPS isn't a problem, and I suspect I will be calling out paces occasionally to those around me.
Now that I have my Boston 2025 bib secured, I no longer have any stress about Chicago, I will plan for various potential issues and worst case, I lollygag around the course and just enjoy myself.
Thanks for the overview of the race, it's going to be my 1st Major so information is always appreciated.
Officially the race doesn’t allow packs that go over the shoulders, but when I’ve run Chicago I see people wear a sweatshirt over the vest and get in without issues. From my experience security mainly checks that your bib is pinned on and that there’s nothing obviously wrong in your bag.
@@larkhill97 Maybe I will try that instead, and mount my bib to my shorts. While I can easily run with my trail belt/flasks, it's not nearly as smooth and secure as the vest and chest mounted flasks.
i switched to miles when I race in the USA so I can track my pace better following the markers
First major for me! Can’t wait to get out there. I’ll be recording my experience 🙌🏽
Good luck Bryan!
Thanks for this trying to do a Better PR, this video is amazing
Very nice video!
As a Chicago native, cool to see ours is the best organized! Cheers!
It really is! Very efficient!
Will be run the Chicago marathon for second time it was amazing
My top CHI Marathon trip is feed off of the energy of the crowd support. The crowds are simply amazing and they will offer all sorts of support from cheering to Kleenex, shots of booze…
Yeah it's Incredible event. Had a blast last year. The course, spectators, expo, the shakeout runs: 🔥. If you have the opportunity: do it!!!
And of course: my top Chicago Marathon moment was meeting you and Sarah ahahha!
Can you recommend a shakeout? :)
@@zebrastuhl4515 pretty sure Kofuzi, Floberg, rabbit or the BPN team will do one, check their socials or on Eventbrite
Not sure the sealed bottle or hydration pack rules are still in place - I ran it in 2022 with a hydration vest and don’t remember having that (or the bladder within) checked when entering the start area.
Very nice and informative video👍
Great video. Did Chicago in 2018 and loved it. Will you do one on Frankfurt?
Wow, very nice and flat, just ran a marathon with 1,800 ft gain (first 5 miles uphill) and 21 miles downhill with almost 2000 ft elev change... that was FUN!
Fall Equinox in Fort Collins? Cause if so, me too!
@@ThePaulFord yep, that’s the one! Lolz
@@ThePaulFord was a fun one !
For those who are curious, the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle Legacy Program is no longer a thing, however if you run the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8k, Chicago 13.1, and the Chicago Marathon in one year, you get a guaranteed entry to the next year’s Chicago Marathon
I used stryd pod in Chicago it registered 42.2 km
I am looking forward to Chicago marathon.. I am using the training Plan. I got from yourself. 🤞
Too bad we will miss meeting you and Sarah. We will be at the Half this weekend 😂. Good luck!
Thanks Ben ! Great instructional video.
Are we going to receive the number of the bib via email sometime before the race or we do discover at the moment of packet pick-up ?
I hope the New York coming next❤
Tell me about the GPS issues, I wear a Fenix 7, any tips? I wanna get a forerunner for NYC.
Having run both Chicago and Boston, one can argue that they're equally well-organized.
I just ran Berlin and really liked it, but was surprised how disorganized it was compared to Chicago or Boston.
Huh? Not as much history as London marathon? Mate, Chicago marathon is older than the London marathon. Either way, I want to run both! Glad you enjoyed Chi-town.
London marathon is the largest in the world
@@Claudem16 all marathons have the same distance, otherwise they would be called a ultramarathon
@@screamityeah referring to participants
@@Claudem16 last year London had 49,000 participants New York had 51,000, London is not the largest.
@@screamityeah 53,000 in London 2024 actually. But regardless, still bigger than chicago
Hoping to run Chicago next year 🤞 just need to qualify! 😅
You running the half this sunday?
@@DickNut which half?
Great video Ben! Did you leave the auto lap function enabled on your watch? Thanks!
Yes I did
I thought 8:05 was Nick Bester lol.
Do they provide some petroleum jelly / Vaseline gel at the 20 some aid stations?
Based on the race info he shared in the video, no.
I don't know for sure.. but there are so many medical people on the route that surely they'd have some to hand out. I've seen it many times during marathons. Good luck!
Hi Ben, do you have a vid like this for London? Cheers
Will do one for London towards the end of this year!
@@benparkestheextramile top man keep getting it done 🤙
For an athlete your arms and shoulders and neck looks extremely weak.
What’s your marathon PB, David Goggins? 😂
Ah yes, Eliud Kipchoge is well-known for his massive delts 😂
Either your confused and think Ben runs marathons inverted on his hands or you don't know how running works.